Investors
How to find an investor for my company
First, prove traction with customers. Then seek the right investor for your stage (angel, accelerator, fund, regulated crowdfunding) through referrals.
bairogonzalez.com team, drawing on Bairo's story · Published
Investors don't finance ideas: they finance evidence that the idea is turning into a business, and the people capable of carrying it forward. And most small businesses will never need an investor; credit, reinvestment and customers are usually better paths. But if your business can grow fast and needs capital to do it, understanding how investment works in Brazil saves you from knocking on many wrong doors.
To get a sense of scale: according to Anjos do Brasil's annual survey, angel investment in the country totaled R$919 million in 2025, from about 8,000 investors. It's contested money.
The practical path
- Ask whether you really need it. Investment means sharing the company, the decisions and the future. If the business grows well on its own cash or with cheap credit, you may not need it.
- Gather evidence before you look. Paying customers, recurring revenue, month-over-month growth, customer return rate. For very early businesses, at least a prototype and documented conversations with customers.
- Know the types of investor by stage. Angel investors (individuals, at the start; Complementary Law 155/2016 and the Startup Legal Framework, Complementary Law 182/2021, set rules for these contributions), accelerators, venture capital funds (for those who already have traction), and equity crowdfunding platforms regulated by the CVM (CVM Resolution 88/2022). Each one looks for something different.
- Come through a referral. Investors receive many pitches. An introduction made by someone they know has a much better chance of being read. Events, acceleration programs and angel networks help build that bridge.
- Get your house in order. A formalized company, up-to-date accounting, clear articles of association and partners' agreement, registered ownership of the brand and the code. A serious investor carries out an audit (due diligence).
- Understand what you'll sign. Equity, company valuation, investor rights, exit rules. Take everything to a lawyer experienced in investment before signing.
- Be careful on the other side. If someone offers "investment" while asking for upfront fees, be suspicious. And never offer the public shares, tokens or stakes promising returns without the CVM's authorizations: that can be an irregular offering.
How Bairo went through it
Bairo Leandro Gonzalez Martinez says he has been on both sides of the table. With the capital he built up in events and digital printing, he joined someone else's company as an investing partner. The business was not what it seemed and didn't hold. He learned, the most expensive way, why a serious investor looks at the numbers before putting in money.
On the other side, he heard many nos, including from the banks that refused to integrate the solution he built for agribusiness. He often says that those who invest look at the person, the story and the path: someone who fell, got up, decided, took risks and is willing to give their own lifetime to what they are building.
The Method step
Before looking for an investor, apply step 3 of the Seventh Attempt Method: prove it small, with the 14/20 rule. The 20 conversations in 14 days, documented, are the first evidence any investor will want to see. Add step 4: an investor is also a partner, and is chosen with the same care.
Discover the Seventh Attempt Method