--- title: "PlantVerd, Río Azul, and Nativas Were Ranked as the Best Prepared to Receive Investment at Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration: LatAm 2023" description: These startups are recovering degraded areas, reducing the impact of water pollution, and promoting ecosystem regeneration projects to heal land, air, and water. image: https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/hubfs/Press%20Release_Preview_Moodys_Innovation%20for%20Ecosystem%20Restoration-2.png --- [![Village Capital](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/hubfs/VilCap_2019/LogoHorizontal-color_2022.png)](https://vilcap.com/news-and-views) ![Open menu](https://vilcap.com/images/hamburger.svg) Open Main Menu [Village Capital](https://vilcap.com/) ![Close menu](https://vilcap.com/images/close.svg) Close Main Menu - [Home](https://vilcap.com/) - About Us - [The Village Capital Story](https://vilcap.com/about-us/story) - [Our Team](https://vilcap.com/about-us/our-team) - [Careers](https://vilcap.com/careers) - [Programs for Entrepreneurs](https://vilcap.com/programs) - [Programs for Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs)](https://vilcap.com/eso-programs) - [News & Publications](https://vilcap.com/news-and-publications) - [Blogs](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/posts) - [Press Releases](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/press-releases) - [Reports](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/reports) - How We Support Entrepreneurs - [Our Tools for Startups and ESO's](https://vilcap.com/our-tools) - [Peer-Selected Investment](https://vilcap.com/entrepreneurs/peer-selected-investment) - [Impact Investing](https://vilcap.com/impactinvesting) - [Our Alumni](https://vilcap.com/our-alumni) - [Become a Mentor](https://vilcap.com/mentors) - [Support Our Mission](https://vilcap.com/get-involved) - [Results & Impact](https://vilcap.com/results) [Donate](https://donorbox.org/donate-to-vilcap) ![Moodys 2023 for document](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Moodys%202023%20for%20document.png?width=2000&height=435&name=Moodys%202023%20for%20document.png "Moodys 2023 for document") # PlantVerd, Río Azul, and Nativas Were Ranked as the Best Prepared to Receive Investment at Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration: LatAm 2023 These startups are recovering degraded areas, reducing the impact of water pollution, and promoting ecosystem regeneration projects to heal land, air, and water - Share - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/press-releases/three-startups-to-recieve-investment-innovation-for-ecosystem-restoration-latam-2023&text=PlantVerd,%20Río%20Azul,%20and%20Nativas%20Were%20Ranked%20as%20the%20Best%20Prepared%20to%20Receive%20Investment%20at%20Innovation%20for%20Ecosystem%20Restoration:%20LatAm%202023) - [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/press-releases/three-startups-to-recieve-investment-innovation-for-ecosystem-restoration-latam-2023) - [LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/press-releases/three-startups-to-recieve-investment-innovation-for-ecosystem-restoration-latam-2023) Village Capital, with support from Unilever, is launching a new collaborative program for 10-15 entrepreneurs building solutions related to sustainable services, ingredients, and packaging. [**![button_lee en español](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/hs-fs/hubfs/button_lee%20en%20espa%C3%B1ol.png?width=150&height=43&name=button_lee%20en%20espa%C3%B1ol.png)**](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/press-releases/3-startups-fueron-seleccionadas-para-recibir-inversion-innovation-for-ecosystem-restoration-latam-2023) **Mexico City, (August 14th, 2023) –** [Village Capital](https://vilcap.com/), with support from[Moody’s](https://www.moodys.com/), announced that PlantVerd, Río Azul, and Nativas were the top three ranked startups as part of Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration: LatAm 2023. The accelerator program supported seven startups from five countries in Latin America, with 57% of the cohort headquartered outside of the region’s tech hubs and 57% led by a female founder or C-suite member. The startups that joined the program are creating and expanding access to solutions around: land degradation, efficient waste management, and sustainable forestry management, among others.  On the final day of Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration: LatAm 2023, PlantVerd, Río Azul, and Nativas were top-ranked by a group of peer entrepreneurs. The participant startups evaluated each other through an investor lens, using eight specific investment criteria that leverage Village Capital’s [venture investment levels](https://abaca.app/?__hstc=125284117.5c1e33f39b3de02ab9aabde58282a2d5.1667942871219.1668792881544.1669146832316.14&__hssc=125284117.3.1669146832316&__hsfp=2128657929) and [peer-selected methodology](https://vilcap.com/entrepreneurs/peer-selected-investment).  Through the accelerator program, the startups joined three online workshops and received mentorship from potential strategic partners, investors, customers, and other founders in LatAm. “We had the opportunity to broaden our vision of what is happening all over Latin America through our conversations with program partners and mentors during the program Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration: LatAm 2023,” said Antônio Borges, co-founder and CEO at PlantVerd (Brazil). “We improved our company through this unique and enriching experience.” “We feel that we have grown our business, and reaffirmed our company vision, understanding that we are on the right path,” said Marcelo Argenzio, co-founder and CEO at Río Azul (Uruguay). “We feel very honored to have the opportunity to participate in this program.” “The exchange among everyone was great, and the one-on-one interaction with mentors was very interesting,” said Gaspar Mac, co-founder and CEO at Nativas (Argentina). “We are happy to be able to have these opportunities with mentors, the Village Capital team, and the rest of the ventures.” The peer-selected startups focus on the following: - [PlantVerd Serviços Florestais](https://www.plantverd.com.br/) (Indaiatuba, Brazil) recovers degraded areas by seeking efficiency through new technologies and recovering ecosystems and people. - [RÍO AZUL OPIA SAS](https://rioazul.uy/) (Salto, Uruguay) creates sustainable and accessible solutions to reduce the impact of water pollution. They design and build engineering systems to treat water waste in a sustainable way, by addressing environmental and sanitary issues in Latin America. - [Nativas](https://nativas.la/) (Rosario, Argentina) promotes ecosystem regeneration projects to heal the land, air, and water by developing a technological platform based on Blockchain that allows to assess regeneration’s benefits, as well as provide traceability and transparency to companies’ carbon and water compensation. For more information, contact Sofía Cándano at Village Capital ([sofia.candano@vilcap.com](mailto:sofia.candano@vilcap.com)). **About Village Capital** Village Capital is reinventing the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Known for its groundbreaking approaches to supporting founders who are building solutions to emergent social, economic, and environmental challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage companies to maximize business and impact growth. Village Capital has operated in Latin America since 2015 by running over 16 accelerator programs involving more than 19 countries in the region including Bolivia, Guatemala, and Paraguay. VilCap has supported more than 170 locally-based startups working in sectors such as economic mobility, financial health, and sustainable agriculture. Learn more at [www.vilcap.com](http://www.vilcap.com/) and follow @vilcap\_latam.  **About Moody’s Corporation ** Moody’s (NYSE: MCO) is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions. Its data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others. We believe that greater transparency, more informed decisions, and fair access to information open the door to shared progress. With approximately 14,000 employees in more than 40 countries, Moody’s combines international presence with local expertise and over a century of experience in financial markets. 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