Rounds of the Week: Itaú BBA Provides Venture Debt for Medical Cannabis Startup

Brazilian startup Ease Labs raised $2.47 million for research and development, and real estate startup Seazone also bagged investment

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Bloomberg Línea — Latin American startups operating in the healthcare and real estate sectors received financing this week. One of the highlights was Ease Labs Pharma, a manufacturer of medical cannabis products in Brazil, that received a $2.47 million venture debt line from Itaú BBA, for investment in expansion and research and development.

Data from the Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America (LAVCA) shows that venture debt saw the greatest appetite from dollar investors, representing more than half (51%) of the capital invested in seven transactions in the quarter, totaling $395 million.

The companies that raised capital, either by equity or debt, in recent days:

Ease Labs

Ease Labs Pharma, a Brazilian medicinal cannabis production company, received a 15-million-reais ($2.47 million) credit line from Itaú BBA, the investment bank of Itaú, to invest in research and development.

Itaú BBA created a venture debt structure, a form of non-convertible debt dedicated to high-growth technology companies, in 2022. In February, Ease Labs Pharma made its first product manufactured in Brazil available for sale through the Raia Drogasil network in 23 states in the country - the Ease Labs 100mg/ml Cannabidiol, known as CBD isolate.

The product was approved by Brazilian drug regulator Anvisa in November of last year, is sold with a prescription, and can be prescribed by doctors of any specialty for conditions they deem appropriate.

Seazone

Seazone, specialized in managing vacation properties, received a 3.5-million-reais (nearly $631,840) investment from DOMO Invest.

With the money, the startup intends to expand the number of properties for seasonal rental, develop new developments, and invest in the development of its management system for franchisees and property owners. Entrepreneurs Fernando Pereira and Gustavo Kremer founded Seazone in 2018 to structure properties for seasonal rental.

A partner of Airbnb in Brazil, Seazone developed a platform for the owner to follow management processes. The company performs everything from professional photos, creation of ads on the main seasonal rental platforms, to revenue reports.

Today, the company has more than 700 signed contracts with owners, representing half a billion reais in managed properties.