No. Our deal is fixed, all startups that go through the program receive the same investment terms.

The investment document we sign gives us the right to 5.5% of the company.

We use a post-money SAFE.

You receive the 200 thousand dollars in cash in your account. We do not charge anything.

Platanus invests in technology companies, led by teams where at least one of the founders is technical and can build the product. We invest from the idea phase onwards. We invest in teams or solo founders. We are industry agnostic.

No. We invest from the idea onwards. If you have a team and an idea that excites you, we can invest in you.

No. Although we typically invest early and are the first ticket for startups, we are open to more developed projects that fit our investment criteria.

No, we do not invest in teams without a technical co-founder. Our thesis is to invest in teams with the internal capability to build their product, that is, with at least one technical founder. Almost always, having this internal talent in the founding team is a significant competitive advantage.

We are only investing through the acceleration program with our fixed deal of 200 thousand dollars for 5.5%.

From any country in the world as long as the founders speak Spanish.

Yes. You can apply when you are dedicating your time to things other than the company, but if we decide to invest in your startup, you must leave everything to dedicate yourself full-time to your company.

Yes, you can apply as a solo founder. However, the chances of being selected are lower.

Yes. We invest in teams that we find exceptional, we will not stop investing in one because their startup competes with another in the portfolio. Typically, we invest so early that there's a good chance that your company or your competitor's will take different paths. Moreover, at early stages, companies hardly die because of what their competition does or does not do, but rather they end up dying because of their internal decisions. The relationship of each startup with Platanus is individual, and we maintain neutrality and 100% confidentiality of each one's information.

No. Anyone can apply. We do have a referral system from the Platanus community, so if you know any founder we have invested in, a recommendation from them can improve your chances of being selected.

You can see the dates for the application processes and other relevant information on our website. You can also subscribe to receive this information by email.

Platanus has a set period for general applications, but we accept applications that arrive before or after this period. Early applications refer to the period just before the general application process begins.
There are several incentives to apply early.

1. You have a higher chance of being selected. Historically, about half of the startups we've invested in applied during the early application period.

2. You compete less for the partners' attention. On the last day of the process, typically thousands of applications arrive. If you apply earlier, you won’t be entering the process with thousands of other startups, and your startup will be evaluated more thoroughly and calmly than most.

3. You can receive investment and support earlier. If you apply and we decide to invest in your startup, you would have access to the Platanus community and resources from that day, and the investment a couple of weeks later, once you pass the due diligence.

Platanus has a set period for general applications, but we accept applications that come in before or after this period. Late applications refer to the period just after the general application process.
Ideally, you should apply early or during the general period. Some considerations for late applications:

1. We receive thousands of applications per process. If you apply late, it’s likely that we will take much longer to respond to you.

2. You have a lower chance of being selected. Historically, only 6.6% of the startups we select applied in the late stage.

The application process includes the following milestones:

1. Written Application:
You fill out a form and answer an interview conducted by our software. The Platanus team reviews 100% of these applications.

2. First Interview:
We don’t interview all the startups that apply. On average, 11% of the written applications progress to this phase, which is a 15-minute interview with one or more Platanus partners.
In this interview, we typically ask questions similar to those you answered in the form, but looking for more depth in the responses.
All interviews are different, there’s no set pattern, but in general, founders who give successful interviews provide short and to-the-point answers.

3. Second Interview:
Not all startups have a second interview. On average, 33% of the startups that have a first interview, move on to the second.
In this interview, you are interviewed by 4-5 Platanus partners.
Generally, there are many questions in this interview, so the ability of a founder to be concise and direct with their answers is even more valuable.

4. Final Response:
We provide a response to all startups that apply, but we only give specific feedback to those we interview.
We aim to give a response within two weeks to all startups that move on to the second interview. Sometimes this takes longer, because it will depend on the particular case of each startup.

You need to incorporate your company and prepare it for the investment. We conduct due diligence that takes approximately 2 weeks. If everything goes well with the due diligence and your company is ready to receive investment, we deposit the capital into your company's account. This is independent of the program's start date; you can receive the investment before or during the program. Generally, the time it takes for you to receive the investment depends more on you than on Platanus. Once you are accepted into Platanus, we expect you to dedicate yourself full-time to your startup.

If we didn't interview you, you will receive an email informing you that we decided not to proceed with your application. If you were interviewed, you will receive an email with the reasons why we decided not to invest, along with feedback that we hope will be useful and make the effort of applying worthwhile, regardless of the outcome.

You can reapply to Platanus as many times as you want; there are no restrictions. In fact, several of the startups we have invested in have applied more than once.

Most of the program is online, so you can participate from anywhere in the world. There are two moments in the program that are in-person: the first week of the program when we do our kick-off in a Latin American city, and the closing week (including demo day) in a city in the region. We expect founders to travel for the kick-off and closing.

The startups in which Platanus invests go through a 12-week program, where they work intensively to achieve their goals. We invest in different stages, so the startups' goals vary. Regardless of the stage, the program allows founders to focus on building their business, seeking Product-Market Fit, scaling their company, and being in better conditions to raise their next round. We aim for startups to have achieved milestones by the end of the 12 weeks that would have otherwise taken months or years.

The program consists of different components such as:

1. Coliseums:
Every two weeks, you and your group of startups will have a session with mentor founders from companies that are further along than yours. They will help you avoid the most common mistakes teams make and push you to constantly grow.

2. Talks with founders:
During the program, the founders of the batch have the opportunity to speak with successful founders in exclusive sessions, where they share unheard details of their startup stories.

3. Office hours:
You can request meetings with all the founders of Platanus, as well as a wide network of experts who give their time to teams in the Platanus community. You can schedule with almost anyone in the network in just a couple of clicks.

4. Dinners:
You will be invited to a dinner where you can share with founders at different stages in a relaxed and casual manner, with the goal of building relationships and learning from the rest of the stories.

5. Demo Day:
At the end of the program, you will present at a Demo Day with the goal of raising more capital. The best VCs and angel investors in the region will come to see the Platanus startups looking to invest in businesses with potential.
We will support you with the program, our software, and network to improve your chances of raising.

Yes, when starting the program you must be 100% dedicated to the company.

No, but it does have to be incorporated to receive the investment later on. You can go through the incorporation process after we tell you that we want to invest in your startup.

It depends on the stage of your startup. If you are just starting out, it makes sense to incorporate in the country where you will operate. We can support you with these decisions if your startup is selected by Platanus.