SomosVC February Newsletter: Big WINS & Building the Future
Venture Capital’s Next Chapter: New Funds, Fresh Talent & Renewed Optimism
📰 In this issue:
👂🏼We’re Listening: How Can SomosVC Support You? – Share your thoughts on how we can better serve our community.
📣 Emerging Managers: Showcase the Power of Our Community – Help highlight the economic impact of Latino/a-led VC funds.
🎉 SomosVC Fellows Breaking into Venture! – Celebrating three fellows landing roles at top VC firms.
🏆 Community Wins
Ulu Ventures Closes $208M Fund IV – One of the largest Latina-led venture funds in the U.S.
Cherryrock Capital Announces $172M Fund I – SomosVC Board Member Adrianna Samaniego’s new fund launches.
Bridging Tech & Philanthropy: Invincible Donor Fund’s Bold Vision – Exploring the intersection of tech and impact investing.
Join SomosVC at LBAN’s 2025 SOLE Summit – A must-attend event for Latino entrepreneurship and venture.
Join SomosVC at SXSW for a Cafecito — Brewing Success, One Coffee at a Time (3/12)
📰 What We Are Reading:
LPs Renew Interest in Venture Capital – Institutional investors are showing optimism despite recent challenges.
Did VC Fundraising Show Signs of Recovery in 2024? – A look at Carta’s latest insights into the venture funding landscape.
We’re Listening: How can SomosVC support you?
SomosVC is closely tracking changes and developments under the new administration that may impact our community, our work, and the broader venture capital ecosystem. We know that many of you are deeply invested in understanding how these shifts will shape opportunities and challenges for Latino/a investors and beyond.
What topics are top of mind for you? Are there specific areas you’d like us to address through conversations, panels, or resources? Whether it’s policies affecting capital access for underrepresented investors, or any other issues, we want to hear from you.
Please share your thoughts and ways SomosVC can support you. 👏🏽
📣 Emerging Managers: Showcase the Power of Our Community
SomosVC is gathering insights from fund managers to highlight the economic impact and success of our community’s venture capital funds and our network's role in accelerating growth and opportunity.
Why Your Input Matters:
Demonstrate how high-performing managers are driving strong returns and market innovation.
Strengthen the case for more institutional capital flowing to our network’s funds.
Highlight how SomosVC connects investors to capital, deal flow, and strategic partnerships that fuel long-term success.
Your responses will remain 100% confidential and will be used in aggregate to amplify the impact of fund managers across the industry.
Your insights are key to shaping the future of venture capital. Take a few minutes to complete the survey and help us spotlight the value SomosVC’s investor community brings to the market.
SomosVC Fellows Breaking into Venture!
We’re thrilled to celebrate three SomosVC Fellows who have recently secured roles at top venture firms! 🚀
Alexandra de Paz joins Genoa Ventures, backing early-stage life sciences startups.
Marvin Valdez joins Anthemis Group, investing in transformative fintech and insurtech companies.
Valentina Suarez Gutierrez joins Reach Capital, supporting the future of education and workforce innovation.
Their success is a testament to the next generation of investors making an impact in VC. Congratulations to Alexandra, Marvin, and Valentina on your exciting chapter!
Congratulations to Ulu Ventures on closing a $208M Fund IV—one of the largest Latina-led venture funds in the U.S.! 🎉
At a time when many are scaling back on DEI, Ulu Ventures is proving that data-driven, bias-aware investing isn’t just equitable—it delivers results.
🔹 80% of portfolio companies have an immigrant, female, or minority founder
🔹 Backed by top institutions like Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation & Pivotal Ventures
🔹 A track record of high-performing investments, including SoFi, Palantir, Guild Education & BetterUp
Ulu’s success reinforces that thoughtful, inclusive investing is the future—and LPs are paying attention.
Congratulations to Miriam Rivera, Clint Korver, SomosVC Co-Founder, Maria Salamanca, Steve Reale & the Ulu Ventures team on this milestone!
🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/4kaaPgr
Announcing Cherryrock Capital: $172M Fund I Closed
Congratulations to SomosVC Board Member, Adrianna Samaniego, and the Cherryrock Capital team on the official launch of their $172M Fund I! 🚀 This fund is a game-changer, backing underinvested founders at the Series A & B stages with capital, expertise, and networks to scale.
We’re proud to see Adrianna leading this charge alongside Stacy Brown-Philpot, Saydeah Howard (SPHR, SHRM-SCP), and Christa Williams—a powerhouse team shaping the future of venture.
🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/3Xbow4G
Bridging Tech & Philanthropy: Invincible Donor Fund’s Bold Vision
A new initiative is reshaping the intersection of technology and philanthropy. The Invincible Donor Fund, launched by Houston-based entrepreneur Jesse Martinez, is leveraging tech-driven solutions to redefine charitable giving and maximize impact.
As the lines between tech, impact, and investment continue to blur, initiatives like this highlight the power of innovation for social good.
🔗 Read more: BizJournal Feature
📑 Join SomosVC at LBAN’s 2025 SOLE Summit!
Join SomosVC at the State of Latino Entrepreneurship (SOLE) Summit on Thursday, March 27th at Stanford GSB, the premier event highlighting Latino entrepreneurship. Hosted by LBAN, the summit brings together over 1,000 attendees for exclusive insights into the latest research on Latino entrepreneurs, engaging panel discussions, valuable networking opportunities, a dynamic business expo, and a celebratory gala. Don’t miss this chance to connect with leaders shaping the future of Latino business.
LPs Renew Interest in Venture Capital
Despite slow distributions and underperformance, institutional investors are showing renewed optimism in venture capital, according to Venture Capital Journal’s LP Perspectives 2025 Study. Surveying 107 investors, mainly from pension funds and insurance companies in Western Europe and North America, the study reveals a positive shift in sentiment toward VC’s long-term potential.
Did VC Fundraising Show Signs of Recovery in 2024?
According to Carta, the 2024 venture fundraising landscape revealed a split market. While early-stage fundraising slowed slightly, middle- and late-stage companies experienced a notable resurgence after years of post-pandemic challenges. Overall, the market saw renewed momentum, signaling a potential rebound in venture funding across all stages.
Get involved with SomosVC 🎉
Your continued support is essential to achieving our vision. SomosVC invites you to explore ways to get more engaged and support the work SomosVC does.
Become a Mentor: mentor a pre-partner VC from our community or fellowship graduate.
Sponsor a 2025 Event: show your support of the community by sponsoring one of our core events like the Annual Summit, Emerging Manager showcase, or Avanza Summit.
Donate to SomosVC: as a small non-profit we rely on the support of our generous donors. Every dollar goes towards driving impact within the community.
If you are interested in exploring how to deepen your relationship with SomosVC, please reach out to hello@somos.vc.
🌟Step into the Spotlight: Share your story with SomosVC
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Dear Sir/Madam, I work with the Brazilian government to help our life science ecosystem integrate with the venture community globally and SommosVC might have synergistic goals. Can we set up a call to explain what we have been doing?