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Fernando Gouveia
Managing Partner at Compa Capital
Fernando Gouveia is the Founder and Managing Partner of Compa Capital, an early-stage crypto fund focused on investing in ventures that aim to redefine ownership through open, inclusive, and permissionless networks.1
Background and Experience
Gouveia has been involved in the cryptocurrency space for over a decade, working as both a founder and operator.1 His experience includes:
- Building consumer-facing and institutional-focused products used by more than 20 million people1
- Creating a startup accelerator with Abril, Brazil's largest media conglomerate, to co-invest and support top Brazilian startups4
- Previously working at Plug & Play Venture5
Leadership Style
As a leader, Gouveia is known for:
- Leading by example
- Effectively communicating team responsibilities
- Trusting his team members to perform their roles well2
Compa Capital
Gouveia founded Compa Capital in 2022.5 The fund's name, "Compa," is derived from a term of camaraderie used in various global cultures, reflecting the company's approach to founder relationships.1 Compa Capital focuses on several key areas:
- Decentralized Infrastructure
- DeFi & NFTfi
- Open Media
- Data & Analytics
- Identity
- Gaming & Entertainment1
Investment Philosophy
Gouveia and Compa Capital are particularly interested in:
- International and immigrant web3 founders3
- Both venture and liquid opportunities that upgrade commerce, content, and community1
Gouveia is described as empathetic to a founder's emotional journey, stoic during market fluctuations, and dedicated to uplifting industry-transforming leaders.1
Highlights
Compa Capital just turned one so I figured it would be a great opportunity to reintroduce it and remind you and the media that crypto-native firms still exist and are actively deploying regardless of a bear market 👇
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Compa's name originates from what I called my best mates while growing up in different countries. A compa is a trusted friend who always has your back and will give you unfiltered feedback that may flatter and sometimes hurt because they care and want what is best for you
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As the sole partner I run Compa as a super angel, a term that was often used in the 2010s. That means having the speed of an angel investor (committing or passing quickly) but the capital of a firm (investing up to $500k)
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We don't lead but don't care if you have a lead. We invest in high market cap tokens but don't invest in token sales
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Somehow I've managed to survive this industry for a decade, driven primarily by my curiosity to build crypto products that overlap with fintech, social media, rewards and gaming. In total these products have had over 20MM users across 100 countries, which has opened my eyes to how people view crypto differently based on the cultures and economies they are from, and how these perceptions change over time
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I've also gotten my ass kicked doing many of these things. My goal is to save founders time with best practices, find opportunity for growth and avoid some of the mistakes I made
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I tend to favor immigrant and international founders because I was once one and they're the ones I relate to most. After all, I believe I can have the most impact investing in people and products I understand. However, Compa as a firm is crypto and region-agnostic. Most of the companies we've backed have raised seed rounds with products that are close to or just recently launched. They span across the whole stack, from companies that use the best practices of the past (web2.5) to those creating brand new business models and paradigms (web3). Some of these include Fuul (Argentina), Lava (Israel), Jia (US, Kenya), Karma3 (US, India), Falco (Brazil) Botanix (Belgium) and others
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I'm more bullish about crypto now than I've ever been. Why? Since getting my first couple satoshis crypto always felt like a distant dream. For bitcoin it was a digital gold to counter fiat currencies. For ethereum it was a supercomputer that could infinitely scale while remaining fast and decentralized. But we always spoke in hypotheticals and there were always giant obstacles we didn't know we could overcome. Now, in mid 2023, it feels like the foundation is set (and not cracking) and we are waking up to a reality where blockchain and decentralized tech can succeed in upgrading how we earn, work and play
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