I wrote an article on The Next Web about a topic that comes up weekly at Magma Partners: valuations in Latin America. I hope Latin American founders take a look at this article before they start talking with venture capitalists, so that we can start a conversation. I also hope that more US, Chinese and Latin American investors get in the market, and that more US, Chinese and Latin American companies start making acquisitions so that this valuation gap can change. From the article:
Latin American startups haven’t had the same valuations as Silicon Valley startups. This frustrates many Latin American entrepreneurs seeking investment, as they don’t understand why Latin American VCs aren’t doing deals at Silicon Valley valuations.
There are important reasons why Latin American early-stage investment valuations are lower. For one, there are few acquisitions in Latin America, and when acquisitions do happen, they tend to be at lower valuations than their counterparts in other parts of the world. VCs need to make returns, or they’ll be out of business. Therefore, if exits are lower, the initial price that venture capitalists pay must be lower.
But what other reasons are there for this? Why are there still so few Latin American exits and why are they at lower valuations compared to their international peers? Here are just a few of the reasons.
Read the rest of the article 6 reasons why Latin American valuations are lagging behind Silicon Valley on The Next Web and if you have any feedback, would love to hear about it in the comments here.
