Araucaria Venture, a venture capital firm based in the IX Region of Chile and led by women, launched its first investment fund focused on high-impact technology startups in the Foodtech, Agtech and Climatech sectors. The initiative has the support of Corfo and private capital, and operates under the conviction that the agricultural region where it is based represents a strategic advantage to connect technological innovation with real market needs.
The fund is led by Rosario Barriga, Karina Von Baer and Carlos Mayr-Melnhof and invests in Seed and Late-Seed stages, with tickets ranging from US$50,000 to US$2 million. Its scope is national and regional, with a presence also in the United States and Brazil, and its strategy includes both the leadership of rounds and co-investment with other funds.
Araucaria Venture: Focus on the global challenges of agriculture and climate
Araucaria Venture prioritizes projects linked to food production, efficient land use and adaptation to climate change. In particular, it targets industries such as aquaculture, fruit growing and seed development, sectors with high scalability potential and close relationship with the productive ecosystem of La Araucanía.
To access the fund, startups must have dedicated full-time founding teams and technology already validated in the market. A requirement that reflects Araucaria’s commitment to companies with real traction, not just ideas in the conceptual stage.
More than capital: support for climbing
Unlike traditional funds, Araucaria Venture offers a comprehensive support model that includes access to expert networks, specialized mentoring and ongoing support in areas such as marketing, governance, operations and impact. The objective is to maximize the growth of the portfolio companies and, in parallel, consolidate La Araucanía as a benchmark in agrotech and climate innovation within the Latin American ecosystem.
The arrival of this fund represents a relevant signal for founders outside Santiago: impact capital with a regional focus is gaining ground, and the sectors with the greatest global urgency, such as food and climate, find in southern Chile an ecosystem with unique conditions to scale solutions to the world.
