LatAm List – Magma Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm in Latin America, recently announced the acquisition of Rampa Ventures, a Guadalajara-based startup accelerator. Guadalajara will be Magma’s base for investing in Mexican startups as well as for helping other startups from the region and the US open operations in Mexico.
As part of the acquisition, Mak Gutierrez, Rampa’s founder, will join as CEO of Magma Infrastructure. Inspired by a16z, Magma’s internal agency is designed to support Magma’s 75+ startups across the region to generate sales, create partnerships, and scale more quickly.
“I’m excited to double down on both Guadalajara and our Infrastructure team,” said Nathan Lustig, Managing Partner at Magma Partners. He added, “Under Mak’s leadership, I’m confident our team will be able to help make our portfolio companies more successful.”
Rampa’s Alexa Clark Ibarra, will join the Magma Partners GP team as an analyst, leveraging her experience recruiting startups to Rampa’s accelerator programs.
Magma Partners has invested in 12 Mexican startups including Albo and Moons, making Mexico, Latin America’s second-largest market, a key part of their investment thesis.
“I love supporting early-stage startups. It’s been my passion for 15 years. By joining Magma Infrastructure, I get to lead a team that’s supporting startups and building the ecosystem not just in Guadalajara, but across the region,” said Gutierrez.
Guadalajara has become an important hub for technology companies, churning out some of the most talented engineers in the region. Its proximity to Silicon Valley and high concentration of engineering talent makes it an ideal base for Magma’s deepening roots in Mexico.
“Our Guadalajara office will help startups from both South America and the US accelerate their expansion into the Mexican market,” said Pedro del Campo, Partner at Magma Partners.
Magma’s 15-person team between Magma Partners and Magma Infrastructure invests across Latin America from places like Guadalajara, Mexico City, Bogota, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and the US.
