Magma Partners Taps Claire Díaz-Ortiz to Lead Female Founder Investments in Latin America
Claire Díaz-Ortiz — angel investor, former Twitter executive, nonprofit founder, and bestselling author — has joined Latin American investment firm Magma Partners as a partner. In her new role, she will spearhead investment activities across South America’s southern cone and launch the Brava Initiative, a firm-wide program dedicated to funding women entrepreneurs in the region.
Addressing the Gender Gap in Latin American VC
Díaz-Ortiz joins a growing but still small group of women investors in Latin America’s startup ecosystem, where gender disparities mirror global VC trends. Recent data shows:
- Only 8% of VC investing partners in Latin America are women (vs. 13% in the U.S.)
- Mixed-gender founding teams received 16% of VC dollars in LatAm (2019), outperforming both the U.S. (9%) and Europe (8%)
“We’re doing this because female-founded startups have better returns and to highlight the disparity in VC funding to women entrepreneurs,” Díaz-Ortiz stated.
The Brava Initiative: Investing in Female Founders
The Brava Initiative represents a three-year commitment by Magma Partners and partner funds to:
- Invest in at least 20 female-founded Latin American companies
- Provide mentorship through a global network of experienced investors
- Offer an SPV structure for direct co-investment opportunities
Magma has already made four initial investments through the initiative:
- Jefa: Neobank serving Central American women
- The Intern Group: Virtual internship platform
- Prometeo: Open banking API developer
- Flickplay: AR social networking features
Why Female Founders Deliver Strong Returns
Multiple studies validate the investment case for women-led startups:
- Boston Consulting Group: Female founders generate 2.5X more revenue per dollar raised
- First Round Capital: Female-founded companies performed 63% better
- Kauffman Foundation: 35% higher ROI from women-led teams
- AllRaise: Faster exits for companies with female founders
“Investing in an overlooked asset class that is overperforming,” as Jane VC’s Jen Neundorfer describes it, represents a trillion-dollar opportunity.
Latin America’s Progressive Stance
Antonia Rojas of the Brava Initiative notes: “The venture capital industry in Latin America is quite young… In this new era, where results matter more, women are playing a much bigger role.”
Success stories like Nubank co-founder Cristina Junqueira demonstrate the potential of women-led ventures in the region. The initiative has enlisted mentors including January Ventures founder Maren Bannon, who emphasizes: “Having more female investors writing checks will help get more funding to female founders.”
This strategic move positions Magma Partners at the forefront of gender-inclusive investing in one of the world’s most dynamic emerging markets.
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