Interview with Carlos Torres de la Cuba, Managing Partner of AMG Block

In this episode:Carlos Torres de la Cuba, Managing Partner of AMG Block, a seed stage venture capital firm headquartered in Mexico City focused on investing in the FinTech and blockchain sector in Mexico and Spanish-speaking Latin America, talks to Andres about his journey to starting his venture capital firm, the market and investment dynamics in the LatAm region, how technology can improve financial inclusion for the underbanked and underserved, and what characteristics he looks for in founders.Have questions/comments/show ideas? Text us at (404) 550-8081.Show notesPersonal background3:21Educational background4:27Transitioning from working with family to a career in banking6:05Lessons learned from working in banking7:39Diving into the startup and venture landscape8:55Working at a FinTech startup9:50Hard lessons learned in getting funded, but the beginning of a new opportunity10:43Starting a venture capital firm11:10Fintech laws and regulation in Mexico11:36Living abroad12:47Building relationships globally through the MBA program13:27The educational gap in FinTech and the VC asset class15:02Comparisons between SE Asia and Latin America16:09The VC landscape in Peru, Argentina, and Brazil17:05The VC landscape in Mexico; Case study in a unicorn born in Mexico/Kavak17:34Market dynamics across Mexico and Latin America18:47Differences in valuations19:25Message to entrepreneurs in Mexico seeking venture backing20:14Taking a more human approach to venture investing20:47A human approach to investing – going beyond the term sheet21:11Advice for founders22:13What we look for in founders23:18Looking beyond the team and screening investment opportunities23:45Business verticals AMG Block is excited about today25:13Disrupting the current system and fixing broken processes in banking  27:46Market expansion across LatAm and to the United States for local startups29:18Venture capital solving convenience issues (USA) versus fundamental problems (LatAm)  30:23Mexico is more than Los Cabos and Cancun31:54Rapid Fire Q&A – books, shows, tech tools, work-family dynamics32:41Lessons learned from the past year?34:57More information on Carlos Torres and AMG Block37:08Preview of Episode #2 – Antonio Luck and Adriana Suarez of MatterScale Ventures37:39Thank you and engaging with us on social media38:00