ACE Startups

ACE Startups, now operating under the brand ACE Ventures, is a São Paulo-based early-stage venture capital firm and startup accelerator founded in 2012 by entrepreneurs Mike Ajnsztajn and Pedro Waengertner. The firm has established itself as one of Brazil's most decorated early-stage investors and ecosystem builders, elected three times as the Best Startup Accelerator in Latin America by Latam Founders, recognised as a member of the Draper Venture Network, and the only Brazilian VC firm powered by Google Launchpad. ACE operates with a sector-agnostic approach at pre-seed and seed stages, with a preference for fintech, healthtech, agtech, and B2B SaaS companies. Initial check sizes range from $50,000 to $150,000. Over more than a decade, ACE has evaluated more than 25,000 startups, accelerated more than 450 companies, and made investments in approximately 130 startups, generating over 25 exits across its portfolio. The firm also runs Exit Academy, a structured programme designed to prepare portfolio founders for acquisition processes. Notable exits include Vault One, an access control and identity security platform acquired by US-based JumpCloud in May 2025. The firm offers founders access to its corporate partner network, connections to follow-on investors, and a global peer community of portfolio founders. Beyond its accelerator cohorts, named portfolio companies include Vault One, Flapper, Motorista PX, Wellbe, Deonibus, Espresso, and Taxly, spanning cybersecurity, aviation charter, transportation technology, financial services, and enterprise SaaS.