The large venture capital team at market giant Carey acts for domestic and international venture capital funds on their investments in early and growth-stage start-ups. The full-service group also advises on the acquisition and sale of companies, along with assisting start-ups at each stage of their development; its expertise including seed capital financings, Series A rounds, growth stage financings and exits. It is additionally able to leverage the firm’s venture capital-focused Miami office during clients’ internationalisation processes and financing rounds. Highlights include advising Zapping TV, a Chilean start-up that provides ‘multi-streaming’ services to Latin American users, on its crowdfunding financing round through Chilean platform Broota (the matter reportedly the largest crowdfunding round ever raised in Chile). Admitted as a lawyer in both Chile and New York, recent mandates for Francisco Guzmán (current President of the Chilean Venture Capital Association) include acting for large corporate ventures and venture capital investors on high-stakes matters, along with assisting start-ups with their internationalisation processes. In the firm’s associate ranks, venture capital-focused Carlos Alcalde advises companies on their Chilean operations and financing rounds (through equity and convertible securities); Andrés Latorre has notable expertise in transactions with international elements; and Carolina Miller is also a key member of the firm’s venture capital offering.

‘Always focused on achieving the desired results’, DLA Piper Chile's Santiago team comprises experts in early and late-stage financing rounds, including pre-seed and seed capital, Series A, B and C financing rounds, IPOs and exits. The six-member group also handles convertible note-related deals, corporate ventures, employee benefit plans and international expansions. Highlights include advising Chilean company Wild Foods, which develops healthy food products, on a $25m Series A investment round. The venture capital practice is led by Matías Zegers, who additionally co-heads the firm’s corporate, M&A and fintech practices in Chile. An ‘eminence in the Latin-American venture capital domain’, Zegers’ track record includes designing venture capital financing solutions, and assisting technology and biotech companies at both start-up and scale-up levels. The department further includes Jorge Timmermann, an adviser to venture capital firms and entrepreneurs on establishing and managing investment funds and start-up vehicles, along with applications for state-driven funding. At associate level, senior Pilar Ay, who is particularly focused on the technology sector, acts for venture capital investors and emerging growth companies throughout the corporate life cycle; mid-level lawyer José Ignacio Marín advises companies and investors on forming and operating private investment funds; and the practice of corporate and venture capital practitioner Vicente Sáenz de Santa María includes financing rounds through equity or debt instruments.

In addition to advising corporate investors, investment funds and family offices, ACU Abogados' four-member team acts for angel investors, entrepreneurs and business incubators; and it assists with establishing public and private investment funds, as well as the incorporation of legal entities. ‘Standing out for their approachability, speed, and deep understanding of the start-up ecosystem’, the firm’s lawyers additionally advise on capital raising, financing rounds, international investments and flip transactions, as well as due diligence on target companies, and stock option and vesting plans for executives and founding partners. Heading up the corporate, M&A and venture capital teams, firm founder Pablo Undurraga ‘combines deep expertise in venture capital with a patient, empathetic, and always-available approach’. Recent highlights for Undurraga, who is also a corporate, M&A, investment fund and private equity specialist, includes advising Kobra Holdings (Wift) on the restructuring of a credit agreement with BTG Venture Debt Fund; and assisting ALB Inversiones and Kayyak (and other investors) with their investment in the pre-series B funding of Chilean vertical farming company, AgroUrbana. In the associate pool, senior Francisca Urrutia advises on venture capital work, alongside her corporate, IP, investment fund and M&A practices; and Clemente Achondo focuses on venture capital, M&A, corporate law and investment funds.

The eight-member venture capital team at Barros & Errázuriz is sought out by both start-ups and investors to advise at every stage of companies’ development; and the full-service team’s assistance ranges from business and project planning phases, to assistance with companies’ growth and financings. It is additionally experienced in advising on exit stages; while the group’s sector expertise encompasses technology, artificial intelligence, retail, media, entertainment, fintech, and insurtech. Clients further benefit from the practice’s close relations with incubators, accelerators and investors in Chile, as well as the wider venture capital industry (including business accelerator StartUp-Chile). Also of particular note, the firm runs the B&E Impulsa programme, a mentoring and legal advice service for entrepreneurs, through which the practice promotes start-ups and their businesses. Co-leading the department, M&A, venture capital, corporate law and structured and corporate finance specialist, Sergio Eguiguren, both advises and mentors local and international entrepreneurs at different stages of their businesses’ development; and Lucas Marinovic, who, in addition to his venture capital sector expertise, has notable industry experience in financial services, retail, energy, real estate, technology and the internet. At counsel level, the workload of former Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría associate, Magdalena Munita, covers the tax aspects of corporate venture capital.

Focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and services, Flores Acevedo's corporate and venture capital department in Santiago is well known for its advice to start-ups, entrepreneurs, inventors, companies, and research and development entities. The firm’s start-up clients routinely receive early seed funding from public subsidies, predominantly Chile’s economic development agency (CORFO), or are part of business incubators and accelerators, such as Start-up Chile, Imagine Lab Chile, IncubaUdeC, G100, Startup Biobío and MadeInn Conce; the practice’s track record includes acting for start-up founders on both initial angel investments and follow-on investments by domestic and international venture capitalists. ‘Able to adapt to clients’ needs’, the group also advises on IP matters and capital raising processes, as well as assisting with initial sets of legal documents and acting as mentors to clients. In 2024, founding partner and corporate, venture capital and IP specialist, Pablo Acevedo, led the advice to Movener, the developer of a hybrid kit for the conversion of traditional diesel trucks into eco-friendly electric vehicles, on the negotiation of a $2m investment by SQM Lithium Ventures. Flanking Acevedo at senior associate level, Ignacio Guerraty also routinely assists with venture capital deals.

The large client base at full-service firm Guerrero Olivos comprises local and overseas investors, entrepreneurs, start-ups, incubators, and accelerators; its expertise ranges from the formation of start-ups and venture capital fund structuring, to initial financing rounds, follow-on investments, M&A, IPOs and exits. Other notable specialisms include licensing, IP, personal data, cybersecurity, stock plans, internationalisation processes, corporate and tax restructuring, and distribution and partner agreements. Heading up the ten-strong venture capital practice, Pedro Lyon's track record includes advice to venture capital (and corporate venture capital) investors, as well as start-ups with international market presences, on national and international M&A mandates. Lyons is additionally experienced in financing rounds and international corporate structuring. Also key to the group, Benjamín Ferrada advises on venture capital structuring (alongside his dispute resolution practice); and assists Chilean investors and venture capitalists with day-to-day matters. In the associate ranks, M&A and venture capital deal expert Francisca Martínez assists with structuring stock options, financing rounds and corporate structuring; fellow-senior Diego Rodríguez specialises in M&A, corporate law, foreign investments, asset management, debt issuances, and investment rounds; and Eduardo Larrain's recent mandates include assisting investors, intermediaries and start-ups with multiple investment rounds, as well as corporate governance issues.

Established in April 2024 by former CMS Carey & Allende partners, A/C/R Legal's lawyers ‘stand out for their knowledge of venture capital’. The seven-member team assists start-ups with each growth phase; while its advice covers employment issues, taxation, investment rounds, IP matters, geographical expansion and the negotiation of exits. Heading up the firm’s venture capital and innovation department, Diego Rodríguez's ‘active involvement helps clients resolve their concerns’. Rodríguez’s track record includes advising major start-ups from the fintech, biotech and cleantech sectors, as well as venture capital funds, corporate venture capitalists and family offices. Providing notable support, Pedro Allende's experience includes assisting start-ups with raising capital, along with advising foreign venture capital funds on their investments in Chilean start-ups.

Aninat Abogados’ six-strong venture capital team routinely assists investment funds, angel investors, family offices and other entities with creation processes, investment execution and relationships with entrepreneurs. It also advises on a range of financings; moreover, in addition to transactions in Chile, the practice’s track record includes deals involving the US, Spain, Switzerland, and Colombia. Leading the venture capital and private equity department, María Eugenia Sabbagh is experienced in advising individuals and companies on corporate, commercial and financial law, as well as corporate relations, M&A, and business and asset reorganisations. Sabbagh also acts for investment fund managers and investors on entrepreneurship matters; and assists start-ups at all stages of their business development. Providing key support, Martin Mois, predominantly focuses on technology, corporate, commercial and real estate mandates.

Egaña Abogados' seven-lawyer venture capital team acts for high-growth Fintech companies, investment funds, high-impact businesses and socially-driven organisations; in addition to venture capital, the group’s specialisms cover private equity, technology, social innovation and sustainability. Firm founder Andrés Egaña assists both domestic and international clients with launching investment funds, as well as advising start-ups throughout capital-raising and internationalisation processes. Egaña is also experienced in acquisitions, corporate finance, growth capital, mid-market private equity transactions and restructuring. In the associate group, Catalina Ugarte Millan advises venture capital investment funds and companies on financings through the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO); and assists technology entrepreneurs with day-to-day matters; fellow-senior Juan Ignacio Pitta advises on sustainable development and impact investing-related venture capital and private equity deals; and Andrea Álvarez, Sara Prats and José Manuel De La Vega H complete the group.

Lembeye's eight-strong venture capital team acts for founders, start-ups, and investment funds throughout the life cycle of venture capital and private equity transactions. Examples include strategic investments and liquidity events, as well as M&A deals and public offerings; and the practice’s expertise extends to stock option plans, initial funding rounds with angel investors and venture funds, shareholder agreements, governance frameworks, and assisting with clients’ international expansion efforts. Venture capital, private equity, M&A, corporate law and banking and finance specialist Nicolás Espina acts for start-ups throughout their growth stages, including both early-financing phases and international expansion stages; and senior associate Camila O’Shea is a key member of the firm’s venture capital and corporate team. Director María Paz Aguirre, whose wide-ranging practice includes venture capital mandates, is a 2024 hire from Chirgwin.

The venture capital and technology team at Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría's Santiago office acts for start-ups, venture capital funds and investors, as well as companies with corporate venture capital initiatives. The group’s expertise encompasses fundraising rounds, internationalising operations, tax planning, re-domiciling and fintech (including crowdfunding and digital lending platforms). Of note, the firm has a longstanding strategic alliance with New York-headquartered Endeavor, an organisation that assists entrepreneurs with growing ventures, creating jobs and transforming economies. Nicolás Santana, who ‘stands out for his speed and transparency’, advises start-ups on capital raising; assists foreign venture capital funds with investments in Chilean start-ups; and acts for multinationals on corporate venture capital projects. Director of innovation and technologies, María Jesús Ibáñez is an international taxation practitioner who advises on investment structuring, financing and reorganisations.

The venture capital practice at Álamos Álvarez y Aldunate acts for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and domestic and foreign investors on fintech, proptech, insurtech and edtech deals; the team’s experience ranging from private equity transactions and financings, to debt and capital raising rounds. Focused on corporate law, capital markets and private equity mandates, Felipe Álvarez advises investment funds, family offices and business groups on day-to-day matters, business structuring, and company purchases and sales; and Alfonso Álamos is a taxation, capital markets and corporate governance specialist.

With access to a large network of investors, high-net-worth individuals and significant companies, Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos is mandated by start-ups and emerging companies to advise on corporate issues, M&A, IP and financing rounds. The eight-member venture capital team also assists with shareholder agreement negotiations, compensation plans, due diligence processes and tax-related restructuring. Of particular note, the firm recently developed a multidisciplinary committee - comprising lawyers from its venture capital, emerging companies, IP, technology, privacy, media, corporate, M&A and tax teams - so as to facilitate private equity and family offices’ start-up and venture capital investments. Team head Andrea Saffie advises on family business-related M&A; finance leader Juan Antonio Parodi acts for venture capital and fintech clients; and tax head Javier Cerón advises on start-up and venture capital-related businesses.

CMS Carey & Allende's venture capital practice has significant experience in start-up and investor-related matters. The four-member group’s expertise covers emerging companies’ entire life cycles, from formation and early-stage financing to high-stakes M&A deals; and its track record ranges from establishing large-value venture capital funds and facilitating equity financing rounds for international corporate venture capital firms, to structuring innovative financing solutions. It has particular sector expertise in fintech, biotech, e-commerce, and clima-tech-related start-ups. The practice is led by Ernesto Eckholt, an October 2024 hire from NexLegal, who has notable expertise in the Chilean start-up ecosystem, as well as enviable Silicon Valley connections. Providing key support, co-head of the firm’s corporate and M&A team, Jorge Allende Destuet, advises on fund formation, venture finance, M&A and corporate governance.

In addition to finding ‘legal solutions that are tailored to dynamic start-ups’, Cuatrecasas' Santiago practice assists venture capital investors with structuring funds and other investment vehicles, as well as the regulatory and tax aspects of investment strategies. It also advisers investors on the investment documents for venture capital financing rounds, along with preparing exit strategies from the outset. The department further advises entrepreneurs on angel, seed and preferred series financings rounds, implementing stock option plans, and internationalisation processes. The five-member team is led by Josefina Yávar, whose expertise encompasses advice on the legal structuring for funds and investment vehicles (including corporate venture funds). Yávar is also regularly mandated by investors and entrepreneurs on investment and financing processes.

The venture capital practice at full-service firm HD Legal acts for entrepreneurs and project managers, as well as investors, on a range of financing structures. The team advises at various investment stages, including project development, seed capital, early stages and growth phases. The department’s principal figures are firm managing partner Sebastián Delpiano, who has notable experience in corporate and financial matters; and fintech and banking practice head Matías Langevin, whose experience encompasses international M&A, capital markets and project finance transactions. At associate level, Ignacio Ruiz-Tagle specialises in corporate and securities work.

The key practitioners in Montt Perez-Cotapos Abogados' group are Sebastian Perez-Cotapos, who focuses on venture capital mandates, along with corporate matters, M&A, asset purchases and sales, energy and mining project developments and financings, shareholder agreements, joint ventures, investment funds and corporate reorganisations; and Santiago Montt, an adviser on corporate and commercial law, as well as M&A deals.