Costa Rica has one real seed VC. The rest fly in from abroad. DFIs and accelerators fill the gaps. The local bench is thin but growing. Here are 10 seed investors backing San Jose startups in 2026.
Costa Rica has few local funds of its own, and Carao still leads almost everything at the seed stage. The bench behind it is shallow, so one name carries most of the weight.
Pan-LatAm funds drop in to scout deals, but most of them sit outside the country. They show up for the right team, then run the round from another capital.
DFIs supply much of the cash that keeps the scene alive, and accelerators back the rest with first cheques. Between them you will pitch a mix of funds and programs, and Ellty keeps all of your data behind one shareable link.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carao Ventures | Costa Rican seed VC | Pre-seed to Series A | Fintech, SaaS, healthtech | caraov.com |
| 500 Global | Accelerator + seed fund (US) | ~US$300K | Generalist tech | 500.co |
| NXTP Ventures | Pan-LatAm B2B VC (Argentina) | US$500K-$5M | B2B, SaaS, fintech | nxtp.vc |
| Newtopia VC | Pan-LatAm pre-seed (Argentina) | US$100K-$500K | Generalist tech | newtopia.vc |
| Magma Partners | Pan-LatAm seed VC (Chile) | Seed stage | Fintech, insurtech, SaaS | magmapartners.com |
| Caricaco | Accelerator + seed VC | Seed-stage | Agtech, health, enterprise | caricaco.com |
| ParqueTec / InvertUp | Accelerator + seed fund | Under US$50K | Scalable early-stage tech | parquetec.org |
| Pomona Impact | CentAm impact fund (Guatemala) | US$0.5M-$2M | Health, agri, basic services | pomonaimpact.com |
| IDB Lab | DFI (development bank) | ~US$0.75M-$2M | Inclusion, fintech, health | bidlab.org |
| IFC | DFI / fund LP | Backs funds, not startups | Broad, via local funds | ifc.org |
Pitch every seed fund from one link
Seed funds move fast on team and traction. Ellty shows who opened your deck so you follow up first.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a seed investor backs
Seed investors back early traction and a team that can run, and a clear market makes the case far easier to believe. They are funding momentum more than a finished product.
They want a credible path to Series A, and the growth in front of them has to look real rather than projected. A sharp pitch deck earns you the time to make that case, so show why this is the moment.
Ellty gives each fund its own link to that deck, and you see exactly who opens it and when. That signal tells you where the real interest sits before anyone replies.
Latin American seed funding fell to its lowest level in five years in 2024, leaving development banks and local funds to carry the early stage.
10 San Jose seed investors
1. Carao Ventures
Carao is Costa Rica's main seed VC.
Recent Activity: ~3 new deals a year; CR's main seed VC
LinkedIn: Carao Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, SaaS, healthtech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
Check Size: Pre-seed to Series A
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Website: caraov.com
2. 500 Global
500 Global runs a LatAm seed fund.
Recent Activity: Fund IV names Costa Rica as a target
Sector Focus: Generalist tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: ~US$300K
Location: San Francisco, USA
Website: 500.co
3. NXTP Ventures
NXTP backs B2B seed across the region.
Recent Activity: Backs B2B seed across the region
Sector Focus: B2B, SaaS, fintech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
Check Size: US$500K-$5M
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Website: nxtp.vc
4. Newtopia VC
Newtopia runs a pre-seed fund for LatAm.
Recent Activity: Pre-seed fund active in LatAm
Sector Focus: Generalist tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: US$100K-$500K
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Website: newtopia.vc
5. Magma Partners
Magma backs fintech seed across LatAm.
Recent Activity: Backed CR payments fintech Onvo
LinkedIn: Magma Partners LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, insurtech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: Seed stage
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: magmapartners.com
Give each seed fund one trackable link
Ellty logs when a fund opens your deck. Chase the keen ones first, not days too late.
Start free 14-day trial6. Caricaco
Caricaco backs Central American founders.
Recent Activity: Partnered with Newtopia and Carao
Sector Focus: Agtech, health, enterprise
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: Seed-stage
Location: Escazu, Costa Rica
Website: caricaco.com
7. ParqueTec / InvertUp
ParqueTec runs an accelerator and seed fund.
Recent Activity: Runs a nine-startup seed fund
Sector Focus: Scalable early-stage tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: Under US$50K
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Website: parquetec.org
8. Pomona Impact
Pomona backs impact startups in the region.
Recent Activity: Backs impact startups in the region
LinkedIn: Pomona Impact LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Health, agri, basic services
Stage Focus: Seed to growth
Check Size: US$0.5M-$2M
Location: Antigua, Guatemala
Website: pomonaimpact.com
9. IDB Lab
IDB Lab funds the local seed players.
Recent Activity: Put US$2M into 500's LatAm Fund IV
LinkedIn: IDB Lab LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Inclusion, fintech, health
Stage Focus: Early
Check Size: ~US$0.75M-$2M
Location: Washington, USA
Website: bidlab.org
10. IFC
IFC backs the funds behind CR startups.
Recent Activity: Anchor LP in Carao's US$35M fund
Sector Focus: Broad, via local funds
Stage Focus: Fund-level
Check Size: Backs funds, not startups
Location: Washington, USA
Website: ifc.org
Why funds fly in
Local seed money is scarce in Costa Rica, so regional funds step in to fill the gap. They keep early rounds moving when the home bench cannot.
These funds scan the country for deals worth a flight, even though most of them sit in other capitals. They will travel for a strong team, then close the round from afar.
A warm introduction is what opens those doors, and a relevant track record helps the meeting happen at all. See our fintech investors guide too, and let Ellty show you who actually studies your deck so you can track every open in one place.
How DFIs back the scene
DFIs fund the local players rather than chasing startups directly, and IDB Lab and IFC lead that effort. Their money is what gives the regional funds room to write cheques.
That cash flows through the funds and eventually reaches Costa Rican startups, often without the founder ever seeing the source. The chain is quiet but it shapes who can raise at all.
It pays to know who backs your backers, because their mandates trickle down into your terms. Keep investor relations warm, and let Ellty log who reads your numbers so you can read real intent.
Raising seed money in San Jose
Map the local, regional, and DFI cash before you start, then line up the warm intros that get you in the room. A clear list saves you weeks of cold outreach.
Run clean due diligence prep early, because tidy answers build trust fast with a careful seed fund. Keep every document in one virtual data room so you can share the whole package in a single click.
Ellty logs each read with document analytics, so you know which fund is genuinely working through your files. Lock those files down with granular permissions to keep sensitive numbers with the right people.
How to pitch a seed investor
Show early traction and a team.
- 1.Show early traction and a team.Prove the market is big enough to matter, and back it with numbers a fund can check. Pair that with a team that has already shipped something real.
- 2.Map your path to Series A.Show how this seed round sets up the next one, not just the next quarter. Keep the milestones and metrics clear so nobody has to guess your logic.
- 3.Name your raise and runway.State exactly how much you want and how many months it buys you. Keep the ask tight and tied to the milestones you just laid out.
- 4.Send one Ellty link to your deck.Give each fund a single trackable link instead of a heavy attachment. Watch who digs in so you know where the real interest sits before you follow up.
How Ellty helps you land a seed investor in San Jose
You have your San Jose seed list ready. Set up a data room first.
- 1.Upload your deck, metrics, and model.Set access per fund.
- 2.Share one trackable link per fund.Each fund gets a unique link.
- 3.Watch opens and reply on time.Use analytics to time each nudge.
San Jose seed investor questions
- Carao and regional funds. DFIs help too.
- No, the local bench is thin. Funds fly in from abroad.
- Often US$100K to US$2M. Some go higher.
- Yes, IDB Lab and IFC do. They back local funds.
- Yes, ParqueTec and Caricaco do. They write first cheques.
- Before your first seed call. Track who opens your deck.
