Discussion on Fundraising, M&A and Artificial Intelligence with Raketo Financiamentos

BVA hosted the event “Strategic Perspectives on Fundraising, M&A and Artificial Intelligence” at its headquarters, in partnership with Raketo Financiamentos.

The event brought together industry experts to discuss, from a practical perspective, the challenges and opportunities involved in structuring complex transactions, attracting investments and implementing new technologies in business operations.

The panels were moderated by BVA partners Gabriel Abdalla and Lucas Luna, alongside Fred Santoro, CEO of Raketo Financiamentos; Fernando Fernandes, Co-Founder of CROWD S/A; Damázio Teixeira, Head of AI at Grupo Zamp; and Jairo Margatho, Managing Partner at MMK Partners.

Fundraising and M&A: Organization, Predictability and Strategy

The first panel provided a direct market perspective on what truly differentiates companies that are prepared to raise capital or participate in M&A transactions.

According to Fred Santoro, it all starts with how the market perceives the company:

“The first filter is how clients evaluate the business. Lack of data is what scares investors the most—many have capital available but do not know where to allocate it. Companies that fail to demonstrate organizational capabilities will be left behind.”

Along the same lines, Jairo Margatho highlighted:

“We look at growth and organization. When raising investment, you need traction and predictability—the lack of predictability directly impacts valuation. Customer concentration is also a significant risk.”

Addressing the most common mistakes in transactions, Margatho was straightforward:

“The risks investors should take are the known risks, not the unknown ones.”

The discussion also covered value creation and investment readiness. Santoro emphasized the importance of clarity and customer focus:

“Customer satisfaction is what brings clients back without hesitation. But it is essential to clearly communicate the risks to investors.”

On timing, the CEO noted that well-structured fundraising processes require planning:

“For Venture Capital transactions, the fundraising cycle typically takes around one year, depending on the strategy.”

Governance emerged as a central theme throughout the discussion, particularly as a key factor in attracting investment and increasing the appeal of M&A opportunities.

“If there is genuine interest from the market, governance becomes an incredible value driver. But everything depends on maturity—poor governance can generate significant losses,” said Margatho.

Santoro added that the same principle applies to startups.

Throughout the discussion, Gabriel Abdalla contributed the legal and strategic perspective on transactions, reinforcing that organization, predictability and governance not only facilitate fundraising efforts but are also essential to executing M&A transactions safely and efficiently.

Closing the session, the speakers emphasized the importance of strategic preparation and experienced advisors:

“Work with good advisors—they make a substantial difference to the final valuation,” said Margatho.

Summarizing the discussion, Gabriel Abdalla concluded:

“A prepared company is a sellable company.”

AI and Governance: Efficiency with Responsibility

The second panel, moderated by Lucas Luna, explored the practical application of artificial intelligence in businesses, focusing on operational efficiency, governance and its impact on investment decisions.

Opening the discussion, Lucas highlighted the evolution of the technology and its structural impact on businesses:

“AI has already delivered efficiency gains, but the agentic world brings a tremendous level of stability to companies in the early stages of their operations and enables growth with greater ease.”

Damázio Teixeira, Head of AI at Grupo Zamp, who also participated in the panel, emphasized the direct value generated by integrating AI into business processes:

“The potential lies in increasing the value delivered to both customers and the company. We are accelerating from the inside out: AI serves as a support tool that expands strategic capabilities.”

Addressing the relationship between innovation and governance, he stressed that the two go hand in hand:

“You cannot begin innovating without considering governance and risk management. These processes evolve alongside the company.”

Fernando Fernandes, Co-Founder of CROWD S/A, brought an operational efficiency perspective:

“AI makes it possible to reduce time and costs from the outset, including within governance structures, helping prevent future issues.”

In the M&A context, data governance was identified as a critical factor for technology-driven companies, particularly when robust models are in place, creating a competitive advantage.

“If an AI-based company lacks structured data governance, that can become a deal breaker,” said Teixeira.

“When a company is built from the beginning with well-governed AI processes, it attracts significant attention—it becomes an intellectual advantage that is ready to be incorporated.”

Reinforcing this point, Luna highlighted the importance of institutionalizing the use of technology:

“It is encouraging to see this movement toward institutional governance of AI within companies. Otherwise, organizations become highly vulnerable to improper use of AI, without adequate safeguards or protections.”

The panel also addressed common mistakes in AI adoption, including the tendency to view AI as a universal solution and the failure to apply it consistently within the organization.

Implementation and leadership challenges were also discussed.

“If you sell AI as a differentiator, you need to use it internally as well,” one speaker noted during the discussion.

For Damázio:

“The greatest challenge is keeping pace with the speed of the market while managing large organizational structures.”

Fernandes emphasized the human factor:

“The biggest challenge is helping people understand what the technology is capable of doing.”

Both agreed that education and training are essential to building effective AI models:

“The only way to solve this is through education, diagnosis and a structured action plan,” said Fernandes.

Concluding the panel, the speakers delivered a clear message to companies that are still at the beginning of their AI journey:

“It is no longer optional. But it also cannot be implemented recklessly—you need to understand where to start and have the right support,” said Damázio.

Connecting Strategy, Innovation and Execution

Throughout the event, it became clear that investment decisions, M&A transactions and the adoption of artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly interconnected, requiring preparation, structure and strategic vision.

The event reinforced the importance of combining organization, governance and technology as the foundation for companies seeking sustainable growth and long-term relevance in an increasingly competitive market.