Latamlist Roundup October 16th – October 31st: Argentinian startup Samu.ai raised $300K from 500 Global to expand in Mexico and Colombia

Welcome to the LatamList roundup, your bi-monthly summary of the Latin America startup scene.

Fintechs dominated headlines in late October, while healthtech, deeptech, AI, and logistics startups also made the news. Here are the launches, partnerships, expansions, and fundings we saw over the last two weeks.

Launches

1. Brazilian healthtech focused on black health professionals AfroSaúde launched Clube Sankofa, a subscription service that offers customers discounts on medications, doctor appointments, and other health services. Read more on Startups.com.br.
2. Orby, a Brazilian deeptech specialized in movement recovery, launched Ortech, a non-invasive device that is placed on the patient’s skin and emits electromagnetic waves to help stimulate the nervous system and restore motor control. Read more on Startups.com.br.

Partnerships

1. Colombian payments infrastructure startup Minka partnered with Colombian payments fintech Kupi to offer real-time payments for the social economy sector in Colombia. Read more on LatamFintech Hub.
2. Argentinian digital insurance broker, 123Seguro, partnered with Prudential Financial Partners to broaden access to Prudential’s insurance products. The partnership enables users in Mexico and Brazil to obtain accident, health, and life insurance through 123Seguro’s platform. Read more on Insurtech Insights.
3. Colombian corporate treasury management SaaS Cobre partnered with Banco Cooperativo Coopcentral to offer social economy sector companies a financial management platform, with features like real-time payments and cash flow management. Read more on LatamFintech Hub.

Expansions

1. Chilean remittances fintech Retorna expanded to Spain, Portugal, France, and Germany, allowing customers in these countries to transfer money to Latin America. Read more on LatamFintech Hub.

Fundings

1. Brazilian crypto exchange Digitra.com raised $1M from 4Equity Media Ventures in a media-for-equity deal to expand Digitra’s operations in Brazil through marketing efforts. Read more on Startupi.
2. Brazilian startup Premier Bebê, which connects parents to professional caregivers specializing in newborn babies, raised $86K from Shark Tank Brasil investor Monique Evelle to invest in tech, marketing, and expansion in Brazil. Read more on Startupi.
3. Katalista, a Brazilian marketing startup that helps professionals strengthen their digital presence, raised $95K from WOW Aceleradora. Read more on Startupi.
4. Argentinian startup Samu.ai, raised $300K from 500 Global to expand in Mexico and Colombia. Samu.ai offers an AI-powered virtual assistant that analyzes chats and video calls in real time to generate sales insights. Read more on Tekios.
5. Argentinian public and sustainable transport GPS startup Ualabee raised $125K from Magical Startups to expand operations in Chile and Peru. Read more on Tekios.