One-liner (25-35 words)

Manoel Lemos is a Brazilian computer engineer, entrepreneur, and VC bridging Silicon Valley and Brazil, known for shaping Latin America's tech ecosystem and backing transformative AI, fintech, and emerging technology startups.

Short paragraph (50-80 words)

Manoel Lemos is a Brazilian computer engineer, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist with nearly 40 years immersed in technology. With engineering education from UNICAMP and executive training from Stanford and MIT, he's led digital transformations at Abril, co-founded Brazil's largest blog aggregator BlogBlogs, and serves as Managing Partner at Redpoint eventures. Today, he advises Itaú Unibanco on AI strategy, actively connecting Silicon Valley innovation with Brazil's vibrant tech scene.

Two-paragraph version (150-200 words)

Manoel Lemos is a Brazilian computer engineer, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist who's been hands-on with technology for nearly 40 years. Starting as a self-taught programmer in his hometown of Araguari, Brazil, his curiosity exploded with the early Web at UNICAMP in 1993, sparking a lifelong passion. This led him to found pioneering startups like BlogBlogs, Brazil's largest blog aggregator, which was later acquired by Abril/Naspers. He then steered Abril's comprehensive digital transformation as Chief Digital Officer.

Since 2014, as Managing Partner at Redpoint eventures, Lemos has been instrumental in backing over 60 companies, including unicorns Creditas, Pismo, and WellHub, profoundly shaping Latin America's entrepreneurial landscape. With executive education from Stanford GSB and MIT Sloan, he currently advises Itaú Unibanco on AI strategy, dividing his time between Silicon Valley and Brazil. He’s enthusiastically focused on AI, robotics, blockchain, and quantum computing – technologies he believes will truly transform our future.

Mid-size bio (300-400 words)

Manoel Lemos is a Brazilian computer engineer, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist whose nearly four-decade journey in technology spans from the humble beginnings of personal computing to the exhilarating AI revolution we see today. Born in Araguari, Brazil, he taught himself programming as a child in the 1980s, and his professional path was set when he discovered the Web in 1993 while pursuing Computer Engineering at UNICAMP.

After graduating in 1997 and a pivotal first visit to Silicon Valley, Lemos founded his initial startup focused on mobile information services, an early glimpse into his visionary foresight. Following the dot-com era, he bootstrapped BlogBlogs in 2006, which quickly became Brazil's largest blog aggregator, ingeniously solving the discoverability challenge for Portuguese-language content. Its acquisition by Abril/Naspers in 2008 marked a significant turning point in his career. As Chief Digital Officer at Abril from 2008 to 2014, Lemos orchestrated a massive digital transformation, leading over 300 professionals and launching pioneering digital products, significantly boosting Abril's online presence and revenue.

Since 2014, as Managing Partner at Redpoint eventures, Lemos has been a key player in Latin America's venture capital scene. The fund, with $300M in assets under management, has invested in over 60 companies, including unicorns Creditas, Pismo, and WellHub, along with other notable ventures like RD Station, Memed, and Sami Saúde. Redpoint eventures also co-founded Cubo Itaú, reinforcing its commitment to Brazil's innovation ecosystem. Currently, Lemos serves as Strategic Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at Itaú Unibanco, passionately collaborating on AI strategy and bridging the bank with Silicon Valley's dynamic AI ecosystem. With executive education from Stanford GSB and MIT Sloan, he masterfully divides his time between Silicon Valley and Brazil, always with an eye on transformative technologies like AI, robotics, blockchain, and quantum computing.

Full bio (600-800+ words)

Manoel Lemos is a Brazilian computer engineer, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist whose remarkable journey spans nearly four decades of technological evolution, from the dawn of personal computing to the exhilarating artificial intelligence revolution. His story begins in Araguari, Brazil, where, as a child in the 1980s, he first encountered computers and, driven by pure curiosity and fascination, taught himself programming.

This early passion led Lemos to UNICAMP in 1993, where he began studying Computer Engineering. It was there he had what he describes as a life-changing moment: his first encounter with the World Wide Web in its infancy. Instantly captivated by the Web's immense possibilities, he delved into exploring its potential while simultaneously conducting high-performance computing research as a scientific initiation student under Professor Alcir Monticelli. After graduating in 1997, Lemos embarked on his first transformative visit to Silicon Valley in 1998, an experience that inspired him to found his initial startup. This pioneering venture, focused on information services for mobile devices in the nascent mobile internet era, showcased his ability to identify transformative trends ahead of the curve, even though it ultimately became a casualty of the dot-com bubble burst.

The late 2000s marked another significant entrepreneurial milestone when Lemos founded BlogBlogs, initially as a personal project to learn Ruby on Rails. This bootstrapped startup rapidly evolved into Brazil's largest blog aggregator, ingeniously solving a critical discoverability problem for Portuguese-language blogs. Entirely self-developed, BlogBlogs quickly built a vibrant community and achieved a top-100 website ranking in Brazil. Its acquisition by Abril/Naspers in 2008 represented both a personal success and the exciting beginning of his next professional chapter in the media world.

At Abril, one of Brazil's largest media conglomerates, Lemos served as Chief Digital Officer from 2008 to 2014, orchestrating a comprehensive digital transformation during a period of dramatic industry disruption. He restructured technology teams managing over 300 professionals across IT operations, product engineering, e-commerce, mobile, and digital content. Under his dynamic leadership, Abril launched its first digital magazines on the iPad and developed multiple digital products, alongside a robust content distribution platform, significantly boosting the company's online presence, revenue, and engagement.

This rich experience naturally paved his way into the investment world. Beginning as an angel investor in 2011 with a close friend, he was soon drawn to the venture capital industry. In 2014, he joined Redpoint eventures as Managing Partner, a pioneering fund with direct ties to Silicon Valley through partnerships with Redpoint Ventures and Headline (formerly eVentures). As Brazil's first venture capital firm deeply connected to the Valley, Redpoint eventures has managed $300M in assets under management and invested in over 60 companies. Under Lemos's insightful leadership, the fund has been instrumental in shaping Latin America's entrepreneurial ecosystem, with early-stage investments in unicorns including Creditas, Pismo, and WellHub. Other notable portfolio companies include RD Station, Memed, Sami Saúde, and Passei Direto. The fund also co-founded Cubo Itaú with Banco Itaú, further solidifying its commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship in Brazil's burgeoning tech ecosystem.

Currently, Lemos serves as Strategic Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at Itaú Unibanco, where he enthusiastically collaborates directly with teams responsible for the bank's AI strategy and practical implementation. His pivotal role involves bridging Itaú with the broader AI ecosystems in Silicon Valley and Brazil, supporting pioneering initiatives aimed at transforming customer experiences and operational efficiency.

Throughout his career, Lemos has seamlessly blended his hands-on practical experience with world-class executive education. He completed the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford GSB in 2023, an immersive experience that served as a powerful catalyst for his decision to spend significant time in Silicon Valley. From 2010 to 2014, he further enriched his expertise by completing several executive education modules at MIT Sloan, focusing on innovation, leadership, and technology.

Today, Lemos joyfully divides his time between Silicon Valley and Brazil, working with both startups and large companies at the forefront of technological innovation. Whether as an investor, mentor, or board member, he remains closely involved with founders and teams tackling complex challenges, supporting strategic decisions, and driving growth initiatives. His current, exciting focus encompasses technologies he passionately believes will profoundly transform society: artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain, and quantum computing.

Beyond technology, Lemos deeply values curiosity, hard work, and genuine connections. He truly enjoys building and sharing knowledge through writing, speaking, and mentoring, always connecting with people who, like him, view technology as a powerful force for positive global transformation. He shares this incredible journey with his wife, Isabella, and their daughters, Manuela and Maria Cecília, whom he lovingly credits as the fantastic women who inspire him and remind him of what truly matters. When he's not immersed in the thrilling tech world, he finds joy in exploring the world with his family, listening to music, and playing the guitar.