Hernan Kazah (Kaszek Ventures)

Hernan Kazah is the most influential venture capitalist in Latin America, having co-founded MercadoLibre and later Kaszek Ventures. Kaszek manages over $2 billion in assets, funding more than 80 startups across the region, including 12 unicorns. Kazah’s track record positions him ahead of #6 Pierpaolo Barbieri in terms of ecosystem reach, as his portfolio spans fintech, healthtech, and logistics. His firm’s average check size of $3 million per seed round is significantly larger than the typical $1 million invested by regional rivals, enabling earlier and deeper support for founders.