Post by Carlos Lino

After two decades of building, breaking, and rebuilding—of chasing dreams, surviving storms, ,celebrating wins and meeting exceptional people—I’m stepping into a new role: investor. More than a career pivot, this feels like the natural evolution of my career—shaped by experience, purpose, and a desire to give back. I’ve lived the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. I’ve felt the thrill of the first sale, the sting of failure, the quiet resilience that comes from starting over. Every scar, every success has shaped me. And now, I’m channeling that experience and my energy into something bigger than myself. And I couldn’t be more excited to be being doing this alongside an exceptional team at 14B Venture Capital (f.k.a. Upload Early Stage) Partnering with Rodrigo Baer—one of the most experienced and insightful investors I’ve met on this journey—alongside Thomas Kuczynski and Allan Panossian Kajimoto, we’ve built a team that blends deep investment expertise with battle-tested operational grit. Together, we’ve been shaping 14B into something more than a fund. It’s a platform that doesn’t just invest in ideas—it invests in people. In the next generation of Brazilian entrepreneurs who dare to dream, who fight to build, and who believe they can change the world. This is about backing bold visions with lived experience. About turning belief into momentum. This is my way of giving back. Of being the mentor I once needed. Of turning lessons into leverage for others. Because behind every great venture is a story. And behind every story is someone who believed. Now, we get to be that someone. #14BVC #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #BrazilStartups #InvestInPeople #FounderToInvestor #NewChapter