Kalei Ventures

Martín Alcalá Rubí, CEO of BrainLogic AI, is focused on leading Zapia, an AI personal assistant with over 2 million users. Martín, a pioneer in AI in Latin America, previously co-founded Tryolabs, UltraDrop, and MonkeyLearn. He joined Nicolas Loeff, Juan Pablo Pereira, Juan Olloniego, and Pablo Rodríguez-Bocca to start BrainLogic, to serve 100 million middle to upper-middle-class Latin Americans. Zapia, which provides real-time responses via WhatsApp, is envisioned as a transformative tool for personal and business use. Some impressive data: 📈 45% month-over-month user growth 📈 Over 40% retention rate 💸 Raised USD 5M from Silicon Valley in just one and a half months 🚀 Investing over USD 100k per month in infrastructure 📈 Over 100k sessions per day With a strong growth trajectory and significant backing, Martín plans to expand BrainLogic’s offerings and user base further, targeting 20 million users within two years. In this interview with Gabriela Malvasio from Forbes Uruguay, Martín explains the origins of the project, the importance of a strong founding team, and future prospects https://lnkd.in/dcgjt69P #KaleiPortfolio

Rebeca Eun Young Hwang participated in the Summit AI Human Future, organized by Cacique Group, supported by Movistar Empresas, with sponsorship from prestigious institutions like Scotiabank, Universidad ORT Uruguay, American Express, BID Lab, MAPFRE, among others. https://lnkd.in/de7DgCUt Rebeca shared her insights on the coexistence between humans, augmented beings, and autonomous beings in our increasingly complex world. While there have been numerous AI success stories, automated teams continue to threaten traditional labor, leading to recession fears. At least half of current US investments are directly aimed at AI, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down. Rebeca highlighted the risks of human interactions mediated by technology, recommending Jonathan Haidt's "The Anxious Generation" for further insights. Geoffrey Hinton's departure from Google, warning of AI's risks, underscores the need to balance AI's advantages in information search, storage, and dissemination with human ethics and trust-building. Machines operate without emotional biases and lack moral considerations, making human oversight vital. The impact of AI on the creative industry was overestimated, while its influence on technical jobs was underestimated. Humans still lead and supervise, but we must not take this role for granted. AI can adopt supervisory roles, and while humans will continue performing some disliked tasks, it's crucial to identify which human attributes to enhance to maintain our edge over machines. This thought-provoking session is a must-watch for anyone interested in the future of AI and its impact on our world. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dZ4KMbxD 📰 https://lnkd.in/dYY3UZwE #AIForGood #FutureOfWork #ArtificialIntelligence #SummitAIHumanFuture

What attribute makes you irreplaceable? During the event "Inteligencia Argento," organized by Fundación OSDE, Rebeca Eun Young Hwang had an engaging conversation with Sebastián Campanario and José Del Rio. 🔹 Rethinking Aging: Exploring new perspectives on aging and its implications. Discussing the growing importance and opportunities within the silver economy 🔹 Return on Learning: Evaluating projects based on our ability to learn new things and how team diversity promotes social learning. 🔹 Our Unique Qualities: Highlighting the distinctive characteristics that set us apart in AI and drive our innovation and resilience 🔹 Argentinian Advantages: Examining the inherent strengths and competitive edges we have as Argentinians in the global landscape. 🎥 Relive the event here   https://lnkd.in/ddQeBxgC

The XIV Forum of the Private Sector of the Americas, held alongside the 54th General Assembly of the Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), took place today under the theme "United for the Future: Integration and Development." This event highlighted regional advancements in artificial intelligence, industry, integration, diplomacy, and environmental justice, fostering dialogue and collaboration to protect and strengthen the region's integrity. Rebeca Eun Young Hwang was a keynote speaker on "The Future of AI: Innovation and Challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean", where she explored trends, innovations, and the unique challenges faced by the region. Juan Santiago participated in the panel discussion "Building the Digital Backbone: From Data Centers to Next-Generation Networks," alongside Karim Antonio Lesina, Director of External Relations at Millicom (Tigo), and Néstor Nocetti, Co-Founder of Globant. Moderated by Gustavo Villate, Minister of Information and Communication Technologies (MITIC Paraguay), this session delved into the essential infrastructure for digital transformation in the region. A big thank you to all the organizations involved and the distinguished speakers who contributed to this significant event. Special thanks to Sebastián Peña (President of Paraguay); Rubén Ramirez Lezcano (Minister of Foreign Affairs); Gustavo Cinosi (Special Advisor and Delegate of the OAS); Gustavo Villate (MITIC Paraguay) for the insightful conversations. Together, we are driving meaningful progress and integration across the Americas. 📰 https://lnkd.in/d9d86fv3 Unión Industrial Paraguaya (UIP) CAF -banco de desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe- #AI #DigitalTransformation #PrivateSectorForum #SustainableDevelopment

Yesterday, Juan Santiago participated in a VIP lunch organized by Zendesk, along with prominent leaders from Mexico's investment ecosystem 🇲🇽 It was an opportunity to share experiences, gain new perspectives, and strengthen community ties. Thanks to Arthur Rozenblit and the entire Zendesk team for the organization. We also appreciate the company of leaders such as Andrea Paz Araneda Gutiérrez (Mercado Libre), Andrea López Jara (Redwood Ventures), Ana Cecilia Villaseñor (monashees), Carlos Álvarez (DILA Capital), Francisco García (Bridgelat), Gabriel Estrada Escalante (Dalus Capital), Guillermo Guadarrama (500 Global), Israel García Ballesteros (Startuplinks), Mariana Jimenez Segura (Amplifica Capital), Maria (Marimer) P. (The Yield Lab LATAM), Natalia Navas (KASZEK), Regina Zurutuza (500 Global), and Sofia Padilla (Redwood Ventures). Zendesk for Startups offers tools to improve customer experience and connect with strategic resources for the growth of startups. Kalei portfolio companies and accelerated companies have access to Zendesk perks, and our teams are in conversations to explore other synergies around ecosystem-strengthening activities. Recently, Zendesk launched its venture capital fund to support AI-focused startups that enhance customer and employee experiences. 🚀https://lnkd.in/d8jPnrtf

Yesterday, we organized an AI Talk in Mexico City with BBVA Spark and Amazon Web Services (AWS), supported by Santex. Juan Santiago started the event with an insightful talk on the AI Ethical Ecosystem. Daniel Bedolla (AWS) moderated a dynamic roundtable discussion featuring Franco Forte (Mudafy), Diego Rodall Rodríguez (MOOVA), Santiago Lafaurie (Hunty) and Israel Cauich Viñas (Neuraan). MOOVA, Mudafy, and Hunty, part of Kalei Ventures' portfolio, showcased how they integrate AI into their solutions. We explored topics such as the specific technologies being used, significant changes driven by AI implementation, adoption trends, challenges in integrating AI, new opportunities, future trends, potential challenges, impact on team dynamics and workflows, acquiring talent, and advice for leveraging AI in startups. A special thank you to BBVA en México for opening its doors, Amazon Web Services (AWS) for moderating the entrepreneurs' roundtable, and Vanesa Damiani (Santex) for hosting the event. Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the vibrant discussion! We look forward to meeting more entrepreneurs in #CDMX and are excited to plan more events in the city!

We are excited to share the highlights of our recent AI Talks in Buenos Aires 🇦🇷! This event, part of the Innovation Tech Week, was co-organized with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and supported by Koi Ventures. Juan Manuel Ortiz de Zarate, co-founder and CTO of Data Voices, delivered an insightful presentation on the current state of AI investment and its impact. He also shared some use cases, including a collaboration with Peguy Luyindula, former player of the French national team, on developing an innovative AI application for football contract negotiations. The entrepreneurial roundtable, moderated by Alex Harasic from AWS, featured four outstanding speakers discussing how AI impacts their products, processes, and business strategies, their challenges and opportunities, and AI adoption in their sectors. The speakers were: Martin Kogan, CEO of Almaya Life, an app that helps you preserve your life story interactively, allowing you to create a unique digital version of yourself through videos and audios. Peraferrer German, CTO of Mudafy, a digital real estate company operating in Argentina and Mexico, combining a property portal with personalized advice, offering an integral experience from search to transaction closure. Santiago Ruberto, Co-founder and CEO of Sirvana, an AI-powered product search engine aiming to be the place where you can find all products worldwide. At 18, Santiago raised over $145,000 to continue expanding the project. Bruno Ruyu, physicist from the Instituto Balseiro, part of Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Program 2023 and CEO of teramot, a company offering Autonomous Data Engineering based on AI, helping companies become Data Driven without needing a dedicated team. We thank the speakers and all participants for joining us in this space of dialogue and collective construction Don't miss our next AI Talk in Mexico 🇲🇽 on June 18! More info here https://lu.ma/e71ptlmu #AITalks #InnovationTechWeek #ArtificialIntelligence

Leandro Pisaroni Gerbaldo participated in the Argentina Tech Ecosystem panel at the Emprelatam Connect Day, a side event of the #InnovationTechWeek. During the panel, Leandro, Patricio Gigli (Asociación de Emprendedores de Argentina (ASEA), and Juan Manuel Amorós (Emprelatam) discussed key topics such as the strengths and opportunities of the Argentinian tech ecosystem, the challenges faced by startups, the impact of public policies and regulatory frameworks, and the role of universities in developing talent and technological innovation. They also covered the tech areas with the highest growth potential, shared inspiring examples, and compared the local ecosystem with those of other countries in the region. Emprelatam Connect Day is an initiative by Emprelatam that was created to accelerate the Latin American startup ecosystem, supporting its key players through an extensive network of partners, mentors, institutions, and investors, and it has accelerated over 800 startups. Thanks to Juan Manuel Amorós, Carlina Comba and Nico Martinet for the invitation.

Innovation Tech Week Buenos Aires! 🇦🇷 This week, the Kalei team will be at Innovation Tech Week in Buenos Aires, a week-long celebration of innovation and technology. Tuesday, June 4th 6 PM - AI Talks Buenos Aires - an event organized by Kalei and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to discuss trends and foster networking.  https://lu.ma/9j2r8i7r Wednesday, June 5th Leandro Pisaroni Gerbaldo will participate in the panel "Argentina: A Tech Ecosystem Without Limits," organized by Emprelatam. https://lu.ma/t5sskq45 Thursday, June 6th Leandro Pisaroni Gerbaldo and Vicente Antonio Gutierrez will join the Investor Connect at Endeavor Argentina Experience.  https://lnkd.in/dvQJjv_j Additionally, they will attend several events to connect with entrepreneurs and investors. See you in Buenos Aires! Check out the complete agenda for #InnovationTechWeek https://lnkd.in/ey6NBhZF

🚀 Exciting Insights on the Future of Work with AI! 🌐 In the latest episode of Indiferencia Artificial, the popular podcast by Rebeca Eun Young Hwang and Jini Hwang for TELEFE Streams, Sebastián Caro, CEO of Hunty, shared his visionary perspectives on the future of work in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). Highlights from the Conversation: 🔹 The Importance of Non-Conventional Profiles, as they bring diverse thinking and crucial skills for innovation to the teams. 🔹 How to Stand Out and Secure Jobs in the AI Era: Key skills such as adaptability, creativity, continuous learning, and proficiency with advanced technology are essential. 🔹 Challenges in Recruiting Technical Profiles: One significant challenge mentioned was the low percentage of STEM graduates in Latin America. Sebastián revealed that for every vacancy in STEM fields, there are only 0.6 candidates available, which starkly contrasts with the unemployment in humanities. This highlights the need to encourage more regional STEM vocations to meet market demands. 🔹 Biases in the Recruitment Process: Hunty, with its innovative AI, ANA, aims to make the process fairer and more efficient. ANA requests specific documents and evaluates candidates without human prejudice, allowing for more equitable selection. Rebeca Hwang compared this approach to the movie "Moneyball," emphasizing the power of building teams objectively based on data to enhance overall performance. 🌟 Don’t miss out on this insightful episode! Revive the conversation and learn how to navigate the future of work with AI. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here https://lnkd.in/d_zVM2mp #FutureOfWork #AI #Innovation #STEM #PortfolioNews