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Ant International Makes Strategic Investment in R2 to Expand Access to Credit for SMEs Across Latin America

29 October 2025

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Vicki Jacobson
[email protected]

Ant International Makes Strategic Investment in R2 to Expand Access to Credit for SMEs Across Latin America

 

Singapore / Mexico City, 29 October 2025 — Ant International today announced a strategic investment in R2, a leading Latin American fintech that enables digital platforms and marketplaces to embed financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The transaction includes a primary capital injection from Ant International to accelerate R2’s next stage of growth.

R2 operates across Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil, partnering with leading digital platforms such as UberEats, inDrive, Rappi, and PayU. Its AI-powered platform allows these partners to integrate financial services through simple APIs, helping millions of merchants access credit and other financial tools.

R2 has attracted backing from top global investors including Y Combinator, General Catalyst, Gradient Ventures (Google’s AI fund), and LAVCA Member Endeavor Catalyst. The company’s previous round was co-led by LAVCA Members Hi Ventures and Cometa, a collaboration of two of Mexico’s leading venture capital firms focused on technology and fintech innovation.

The new partnership with Ant International will enable R2 to scale its infrastructure and expand access to responsible credit for underserved SMEs, while the company’s management team continues to lead day-to-day operations.

“We invested in R2 to help the team leverage AI to transform SME lending across Latin America,” said Federico Antoni, Managing Partner at Hi Ventures. “The company’s technology and data-driven approach have redefined embedded finance in the region, and this new partnership marks both a milestone for R2 and a meaningful exit for Hi Ventures.”

“R2 is tackling one of Latin America’s largest market opportunities — the massive financing gap for millions of small businesses,” said José Bolaños, Managing Partner at Cometa. “This successful outcome not only validates R2’s model but also strengthens the region’s venture ecosystem by showing how global strategic players are engaging with Latin American innovation.”

R2 has grown its revenues more than 2.5x year-over-year and is on track to reach profitability in 2026. The company’s machine learning models leverage real-time transactional data from digital platforms to underwrite loans efficiently and safely, addressing an estimated $1.8 trillion credit gap that affects more than 30 million SMEs across Latin America.

About R2
R2 is a Latin American fintech providing embedded financial infrastructure for digital platforms and marketplaces. Through AI-driven underwriting and seamless integration, R2 helps partners extend credit and other financial services to their merchants and partners across the region.

About Hi Ventures
Hi Ventures (formerly ALLVP) is a venture capital firm backing Latin American founders leveraging technology and AI to transform large industries. Hi Ventures co-led R2’s previous round and supported the company’s evolution into one of the region’s leading AI-native fintechs.

About Cometa
Cometa is a leading Latin American venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology companies that solve large-scale challenges. Cometa co-led R2’s previous round and continues to support the region’s next generation of transformative fintechs.