MAR ventures

Overview

MAR ventures (originally e-Genius when I joined as a partner in 2016) was a venture builder, a model still uncommon in Brazil at the time, sitting somewhere between a VC fund and an operating company. Instead of writing a check and hoping for the best, MAR embedded itself inside each early-stage company in the portfolio, contributing capital plus a full operating layer: technology, design, HR, finance, brand and the day-to-day discipline most founders haven't yet built. The bet was that this combination would shorten the path from idea to product-market fit and let founders concentrate on the parts only they could do.

I joined as Partner and Head of Design, responsible for the design capability across the entire portfolio. That meant shaping the first product surfaces and brand systems for each new company we incubated, then growing and operating a single design organization that could move between those companies as they scaled. In 2017, working with brand designers and writers, we rebranded e-Genius into MAR ventures, a name that captured what the work had become: adaptable, current-aware and committed to forward motion.

The model produced results that were easier to read in retrospect than they were to predict. Portfolio companies raised funding rounds roughly every eight months. The team grew from thirty people sharing a small house in Pinheiros in 2016, close enough that you could overhear every meeting, to more than two hundred occupying a full floor on Faria Lima by 2019. The portfolio itself included Remessa Online (eventually acquired by EBANX for US$229M), alongside Easy Carros, Finpass and Modiax. More than any single exit, what stayed with me from MAR was a simpler conviction: design, when it shows up early and stays close to the operating problem, doesn't just produce screens. It changes how a company decides.

Challenges

The primary challenge was establishing an infrastructure robust enough to allow each startup to grow rapidly without losing quality. As Head of Design, I focused on creating initial product frameworks for each startup, scaling the design team thoughtfully, and aligning design strategy with business objectives.

Solutions

• —Initial Design and Development: Led the creation of the first interfaces and user journeys for each startup in the portfolio, carefully balancing UX best practices with each startup's unique goals.
• —Building a Scalable Design Team: Led hiring, interviews, and training to ensure every new team member understood our culture and strategic vision.
• —Rebranding to MAR Ventures: In 2017, collaborated with brand designers and writers to rebrand e-Genius as MAR Ventures, a name that captures our adaptability and commitment to progress.

Results & Impact

• —Portfolio companies secured funding rounds at an average of every eight months.
• —Expanded from 30 people in a small house in Pinheiros (2016) to a team of over 200 in 2019, occupying a full floor on Faria Lima.
• —Portfolio successes: Remessa Online (acquired by EBANX for $229M), Easy Carros, Finpass, and Modiax.

Key Insights

Working with MAR ventures reinforced my belief that with the right combination of strategic insight and passionate execution, even the most complex challenges can become opportunities for growth. These experiences remain central to my approach in new projects and consulting roles.