Vicente Sáenz de Santa María concentrates his practice in the corporate and venture capital area, advising companies and investors in financing rounds through equity or debt instruments, such as convertible mutuals or SAFE contracts. In addition, he has extensive experience in planning strategies and implementing compensation plans for workers, consultants, or ESOPs.
Vicente also advises companies and startups in the expansion and internationalization of their businesses, either through company flips abroad or through domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
Regarding mergers and acquisitions (M&A), his practice includes structuring, drafting, and negotiating share purchase and sale agreements, asset purchase and sale agreements, and shareholders' agreements, among other corporate documents, and assisting and leading due diligence processes.
In corporate governance best practices, Vicente has advised leading companies, such as open corporations of significant national and international relevance, in preparing corporate governance codes, manuals and policies, boards and committees, directors' responsibilities, evaluation procedures, and ESG issues, among others.
Employment History
- Associate, 2021 to date
- Associate, Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos, 2019-2021
Experience
Venture Capital
- Fen Ventures - Investment in Shinkansen: Advised on the negotiation and investment of US$200,000 in a SAFE instrument in Shinkansen SpA, a Chilean fintech specialized in fast money transfers and payments. The advisory included full due diligence of the company.
- Betterplan: Advised the client, a Chilean fintech company consisting of a customized investment platform, in the structuring, negotiation, and preparation of the investment documents for a Series A equity round amounting to approximately USD 1,850,000. In addition, convertible notes and previous SAFEs were converted, and the transaction was performed in connection with a change in the company's legal structure, moving from Chile to Delaware.
- Carvuk: Advised the client, a startup that developed an online platform for providing mechanics and car repair services to car owners, in the negotiation, structuring, execution, and closing of a seed round through SAFE instruments subscribed with several investors.
- RentApp: Advised the client, a proptech that developed a software and platform for lease management, in the negotiation and execution of a Pre-Seed investment round with local investors through SAFE instruments.
- Caja de Compensación Los Andes: Advised the client and its subsidiary CLA Digital SpA in the negotiation, execution, and development of an alliance/business partnership with SoyFocus and its related companies, a Chilean fintech consisting of a specialized investment platform. The advisory included an investment by CLA in SoyFocus through a convertible note.
- Dily (formerly TransaTuAuto): Advbised the client, a startup that developed a platform for the secure and online transfer of vehicles, in the negotiation and execution of a seed round in equity in which the entry of new strategic investors materialized, including a significant Chilean family office.
- Checkeados: Advised the client, a technology platform for the online purchase and sale of used cars, in the structuring, negotiation, and implementation of financing granted by BTG Pactual Venture Debt I Investment Fund and BTG Pactual Venture Debt II Investment Fund through the opening of a credit line with two disbursements; and in the negotiation, implementation and subscription of an option agreement for BTG to invest in Checkeados in a future round of venture capital financing.
- Wareclouds: Advised the client, a platform that uses space in private homes for storage and dispatch of products to e-commerce, in the negotiation and preparation of investment documents for a Series Seed-3 equity round. In addition, convertible notes and SAFEs were converted. The transaction was carried out in conjunction with a change in the company's legal structure, moving from Chile to Delaware.
- Pawer: Advised client, a startup that provides pet insurance through digital media, in the structuring, preparation and negotiation of the necessary documentation for an investment of US $100,000 in a bridge round through convertible notes, which included several investors.
- The Live Green Co.: Advised in the US $7,000,000 investment in their Pre-Series A round, a Chilean company dedicated to developing clean and vegan food formulas.
- Fen Ventures: Advised in the US $250,000 investment for the seed round of Wibond, a Fintech that offers, through its platform, installment payments without the need for a credit card.
- Fen Ventures: Advised in the US $400,000 investment for the bridge round of Vita Wallet, a Fintech that allows companies and individuals to send or receive international payments quickly and easily.
- Fen Ventures: Advised in the US $350,000 investment for the seed round of Flycrew Chile, a company that manages a training hub.
- Customer Scoops: We advised Customer Scoops in their series seed investment round of US$220,000 subscribed by local investors with convertible instruments.
- Vestuá: Advised in a series A investment round of US $1,500,000 subscribed by local investors.
Merger and Acquisitions
- Modyo: Advised the client, a Chilean company that developed a SaaS (Software as a Service) leader in modular frontend solutions for financial, banking, and insurance companies, on the sale of 100% of its stake to a Chilean subsidiary of Constellation Software Inc. (TSX: CSU), a leading Canadian software and services company.
- Talana (Linq SpA): Advised the client, a Chilean start-up that developed and commercializes a software for software to digitize and automate the processes related to employee management within companies, in the acquisition of 100% ownership of Key Clouding (Tescloud SpA), a Chilean company that offers software solutions to streamline and simplify the selection of talent, improving recruitment processes within companies.
- Soluciones en Minería y Energía SpA (“Zyght“): Advised in the sale and transfer of the commercial operations of Zyght, including all its technology, assets, certain liabilities, and business, to the company Datamine Chile S.A., a Chilean subsidiary of Vela Software International, Inc., a well-known global company in software development, marketing, and related services.
- Beetrack: Advised the client, a Chilean start-up that developed SaaS (Software as a Service) for fleet management and parcel tracking for shipping and delivery companies, on the sale of their 100% ownership to DispatchTrack, LLC. and DispatchTrack Intermediate, LLC., a US group of companies dedicated to last-mile delivery and route optimization.
- Advent International: Advised the client, one of the world's largest and most experienced private equity investors, in conjunction with our offices in Colombia, Spain, Argentina, and Peru, in the due diligence process and other local legal matters for a joint venture with CEMEX for the acquisition of its subsidiary NEORIS, a technology and digital transformation services consulting firm.
Corporate Governance
- Cámara Nacional de Comercio: Advised the client, the most important national trade federation that brings together companies and guilds in the areas of commerce, services, and tourism throughout Chile, in the process of reviewing, updating, and modernizing its corporate governance practices through the preparation and drafting of a new proposal of bylaws.
- Aguas Andinas: Advised in analyzing and adopting the OECD and G20 Corporate Governance Principles as the company's corporate governance framework and standard.
- Aguas Andinas: Advised on the analysis, review, and adaptation of its current General Policy of Habituality for its operations with related parties by the regulations in consultation with the Financial Market Commission (CMF) ("General Rule No. 501"), which aims to establish the minimum matters and mentions that should contain the policies of usual operations of open corporations.
Admissions
- Chile (2020)
Languages
- Spanish
- English
Education
- Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2018
Publications
- Industria VC en Chile: ¿cambio en la mentalidad? (El Mercurio Inversiones - August 24, 2023)
News
- Los 17 abogados que lideraron las mayores transacciones del mercado chileno en 2022 (Diario Financiero - March 15, 2023)
- Dispatch Track compra Beetrack y se expande en América Latina (Lex Latin - January 5, 2022)