Brazil Venture News Issue 19

The figures for venture capital and private equity activity in Brazil for 2002 confirm the lacklustre year for the country in this arena. Private equity firms invested $164m in 34 deals last year, which represents a reduction of 76 per cent in dollars invested and 50 per cent in number of deals compared to 2001. This poor performance could be attributed to a delay in implementing investment plans by private equity firms and portfolio companies and the high volatility of foreign exchange rates, according to Stratus Investimentos.