Quona Capital

At our LP Annual Meeting last week in London, we were fortunate enough to have some of our portfolio founders in the room, including David Arana from Konfío, Ranjan R Reddy from Bureau, and Sandra Nolasco + Carmen Marin, CFA of Twinco Capital. But those who weren't in the room were well-represented as we shared with our LPs our perspective on Quona being "the most local of global firms, and the most global of local firms" with team members living all over the markets where we invest. Here's the video we shared. With Monica Brand Engel, Jonathan Whittle, ganesh rengaswamy, Johan Bosini, Varun M., Rafa de la Guia, David Mathewson, Shannon Austin, Yasmine Shama, Jenna P., Kristin Sadler. (h/t to Michel Zaidler). Special thanks to Chandra Lim.

Congratulations to our portfolio company broom.id on the announcement of its $25 million Series A fundraise! Broom, an automotive startup that provides services for buying and selling used cars in #Indonesia, has working relentlessly to expedite digitization of the traditional automotive sector. Investors include Openspace, AC Ventures, Quona Capital, MUFG Innovation Partners, and PKSHA Capital. The company has also secured credit facilities from institutions including Komunal Indonesia, Funding Societies | Modalku Group, ALAMI, KoinWorks, Helicap, and DBS Bank Indonesia. Indonesia’s automotive industry—one of the largest in Southeast Asia—presents a huge opportunity. Broom's CEO Pandu Adi Laras noted that investors were excited by Broom’s mission to bring real change to the automotive industry in response to challenges like outdated financing options and lack of digital integration, which hinders both dealers and consumers. “By providing comprehensive solutions, including more innovative and inclusive financing for dealers across Indonesia, we aim to transform the industry and drive sustainable growth,” he added. With ganesh rengaswamy, Taka Yamada, Varun Malhotra, Satvik B., Disha Soni, Shaleen Baweja, Shannon Austin, Yasmine Shama Read more: https://lnkd.in/gFT8v_4m

When considering the broad #payments industry, the main trend observed across #LatinAmerica over the last couple of years has been the digitization of banking services and the proliferation of real-time payments (RTP). Enhancing efficiency and convenience, domestic #RTP networks have revolutionized the way people pay for goods and services. These advancements are mainly driven by innovative technology created with the direct support of #regulators to enable and implement the transformations. As financial technology developments continue to revolutionize financial services globally, the landscape of cross-border payments is experiencing unprecedented changes. In "The State of Cross-Border Payments in Latin America: Opportunity & Innovation," Alfonso Rojas del Pozo and Alejandro Isaac Safdie unpack the emerging trends, challenges, and investment opportunities in the cross-border payments sector in Latin America, focusing on two subsectors: B2B cross-border payments and C2C remittances. Enjoy this first installment -- part 2 drops soon! Jonathan Whittle, Rafa de la Guia, Michel Zaidler, Shannon Austin, Yasmine Shama, Jenna P., Carlos Eduardo Brandt

We're hiring! Quona Capital is looking for an Investment Associate to join Quona's Asia team in the Singapore office. The Associate will work on all aspects of the investment and portfolio management processes and will have exposure to regional, global entrepreneurial and Venture Capital ecosystems. The role will be part of the investing team covering India and Southeast Asia and will be based in Singapore, with frequent travel to markets in the region. About Us... Quona Capital was established in 2015, with a vision to back innovators enhancing the quality and availability of financial products and services for underserved consumers and enterprises through business model innovation and smart leveraging of technology, investing in the best fintech companies in emerging markets. Today, Quona manages approximately $800 AUM, has 70+ portfolio companies across our core funds, and is backed by a marquee group of global investors. We are a diverse team of 27 professionals who collectively speak 20 languages. Our team spans the globe, and we are deeply embedded in the regions in which we work. Our team members work from locations like Singapore, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Bangalore, Cape Town, Lagos, Nairobi, and Washington DC—to name a few! We deeply value collaboration and learning and are looking forward to growing our team with individuals who embody our key values: Impact, Trust, Teamwork, Integrity, and Excellence. In this role, you would: * Build investment thesis frameworks to drive engagement with entrepreneurs and strengthen Quona's thought leadership * Conduct market research, sector mapping, and competitive analysis to help with portfolio projects and pipeline development * Support end-to-end deal process including memos, financial model, and due diligence * Analyze portfolio performance to identify areas of strengths and improvements * Support operational initiatives such as knowledge sharing, impact measurement, and LP reporting Learn more about the role and apply today: https://lnkd.in/epVZctr3

Last week's packed FINNOSUMMIT 2024 in #CDMX did not disappoint! Our LatAm partner Rafa de la Guia moderated a session called "Unleash Innovation: Former Bankers in the Fintech World." Panelists included Revolut's Juan Miguel Guerra Dávila, Vexi. Tarjeta de Crédito's Gabriela Estrada, and Eduardo Mendoza of Covalto. What a conversation! It was fun to explore the stories of traditional bank executives who made the leap into fintech startups or leadership teams, covering everything from what drove them to make the change, to how they leverage the agility of startups while using the knowledge and networks they developed in their banking careers. Finally, the group debunked some myths about startup culture and shared some recs for aspiring entrepreneurs. #Fintech #ChallengerBanking #PrivateCredit #VentureCapital

Quona's rockstar Director of Finance, Maryna Higgins, CPA should be on your "be sure to meet" list if you're attending the upcoming Private Funds CFO conference October 8-9 in San Jose. Her global awareness of the intricacies of finance through her work at Quona Capital gives her a unique perspective on financial strategies and regulations in markets across the world. Register today! https://lnkd.in/ed2Vc4aZ

What an incredible week it was in #Dublin with Endeavor! Quona co-founder and managing partner Monica Brand Engel on hand for "Endeavor ISP Dublin" September 16-18, where she was one of 26 panelists interviewing and selecting candidate entrepreneurs from around the world during Endeavor’s 100th International Selection Panel. Endeavor selects high-impact entrepreneurs by searching the globe, identifying founders with exceptional growth potential, and inviting them into this international selection process. Over the past 27 years, Endeavor has selected 2,600 entrepreneurs across 45 countries, maintaining a selection rate of under 2%. Endeavor Entrepreneurs have generated more than 4.1 million jobs and $67 billion in annual revenue. It's inspiring to see so many brilliant entrepreneurs driving innovation from lesser-known markets around the world, from Brazil to Iraq to Türkiye. With Martin Escobari of General Atlantic #Ireland #Fintech #Venture #Endeavor

Oh what a night! Our Quona Capital team in #Singapore (ganesh rengaswamy, Taka Yamada and Rachel Teow plus Varun Malhotra from our India office) hosted a special #fintech dinner last night during SuperReturn Asia. Special guests/panelists included Prashanth Ranganathan from Zinc, Ankur Mehrotra from JULO, and Cindy Kua from insurtech Sunday. It was a fun night with like-minded capital allocators, including many of our Quona Capital LPs! Thanks to all who joined us. #SFF24 #SuperReturn #insurtech #venture

Exciting News!??? ?Quona co-founder and managing partner Monica Brand Engel will be speaking at the?upcoming MIT AI Conference! This event brings together thought leaders and innovators to explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence across various industries. Join this NYC event for insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and real-world case studies highlighting how AI shapes the future of robotics, safety, finance, healthcare, and other industries! Connect with Monica Brand Engel there and be part of some meaningful conversations about the future of AI! #MITAI2024 #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #AIConference Date:?October 26, 2024 Location:?225 Liberty St, New York, NY 10080 Register today:?https://lu.ma/mitai2024 Special Offer:?Use code?QUONA10?for a discount on your ticket! With Michel Zaidler, Jonathan Whittle, ganesh rengaswamy, Alejandro Isaac Safdie, Shannon Austin, Yasmine Shama, Jenna P.

What a week last week in Sa? Paulo! The #Fintech DCM Chats event, co-hosted with our portfolio company Kanastra and friends/co-investors Valor Equity Partners and Oak HC/FT, was attended by more than 150 people. Attendees included local debt investors (VPs, DCM Heads from the big banks, asset managers, etc) and fintech founders/CFOs/Capital Markets VPs. With Jonathan Whittle, Rafa de la Guia, Michel Zaidler, Alejandro Isaac Safdie, Monica Brand Engel, ganesh rengaswamy, Yasmine Shama, Jenna P., Kristin Sadler, Shannon Austin