Created by multinational serial entrepreneurs, Magma Partners is a new fund based in Santiago that invests in high-potential startups and small businesses
May 8th, 2014– Santiago, Chile– Today at 7:00pm, an event will be held to mark the launch of a new Chilean-US investment fund, Magma Partners. Formed by three partners– two Chileans and one from the United States– the fund is positioned as the most promising and most transparent in Chile’s national investment landscape. Magma Partners will use the best practices of the US’s most successful funds to help solve pain-points for local entrepreneurs such as exceedingly high equity rates, lack of investment transparency, and ambiguous communication.
Transparency is paramount for Magma Partners– those who direct the fund have previously raised LatAm-based capital for their companies and have seen first-hand how the the local process can drag on for months. For that reason, they clearly articulate each step of their investment process and show each specific financial document on their website. Additionally, they promise to respond within 48 hours of receiving an application, and to schedule a meeting with each applicant who complies with the fund’s minimum investment requirements.
Entrepreneurs who secure an investment with Magma Partners will participate in a transformative, three month acceleration process where they will receive mentorship from top international and local entrepreneurs, experienced businesspeople, and industry professionals. Prior to today’s launch, Magma Partners has successfully closed two investments in high-tech startups. The first was in Propiedad Fácil, a property-search service that provides powerful data and statistics to real estate agents and companies. The second startup prefers, for the time being, to remain anonymous.
Magma Partners is lead by Francisco Sáenz, a Chilean businessman with ample consulting and management experience. Francisco has previously been in charge of Inversiones Jardines del Bosque Ltda., a holding that forms part of Grupo Said, with ownership interests in companies like Parque Arauco S.A., Isapre Cruz Blanca S.A., and Banco BBVA, among others.
“My experience is in large companies and traditional investments, but I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship as I believe it’s the key to our country’s future. Forming Magma Partners is an opportunity to help budding entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level,” comments Francisco Sáenz.
The two other partners are Nathan Lustig and Diego Philippi. Nathan is an entrepreneur who arrived to Chile in 2010 as part of Start-Up Chile’s pilot program. He has founded two tech startups– both of which were acquired, and is currently a professor of entrepreneurship at three Chilean universities. Diego, an entrepreneur and angel investor, has worked at Start-Up Chile, Innova Chile, and Imagina Chile. He now forms part of fiiS (International Festival of Social Innovation) as the General Coordinator and founding member.
For more information about Magma Partners, please visit www.magmapartners.com.