#229 - Bianca Sassoon (17 Sigma): Building a LatAm early stage VC firm from Argentina

Bianca Sassoon, managing partner of 17 Sigma, shares her background and journey in the VC industry. She was born in the US to Argentine parents and grew up in Argentina. She studied economics and worked in investment banking before joining Kaszek in 2018. In 2021, she joined 17Sigma, a regional VC firm focused on pre-seed and seed investments in Latin America, as its managing partner. The firm raised a US$30 million fund and is industry-agnostic. Bianca emphasizes the importance of building strong teams and believes in the potential of early-stage companies in the region. She talks about her experience as an entrepreneur and the challenges she faced in the VC industry. She emphasizes the importance of operational experience and understanding the pain of entrepreneurs, and also discusses the structure and decision-making process of 17Sigma, highlighting the team’s hands-on approach and focus on supporting portfolio companies. Bianca shares her perspective on the increasing presence of female founders in the Latin American VC ecosystem and the importance of diversity. She also discusses the trends and movements she has observed in the portfolio, focusing on building blocks and disruptive opportunities. She expresses her optimism for the future of Latin American VC and the long-term approach of 17 Sigma. She concludes by recommending the book ‘Chip War’, by Chris Miller, and suggesting Gustavo Ribas, Kfund’s head of LatAm, as a guest for the podcast.