ANIMO Ventures

Animo Ventures is a venture capital firm dedicated to backing early-stage founders who are passionate and willing to go all in. Based in Miami with additional offices in New York and San Francisco, Animo focuses on pre-seed and seed investments in the U.S., cutting checks that range from $500,000 to $2.5 million. The firm actively invests in sectors like fintech, enterprise software, digital health, B2B, and consumer-facing technology, aiming to nurture high-growth startups from ideation to early traction​. What sets Animo apart is its radically founder-focused approach. The firm operates without layers of analysts or associates, meaning founders work directly with general partners throughout the investment process. The team, led by Nico Berardi and Antonio Osio, is deeply involved in all aspects of the startups they back, offering not only capital but also strategic guidance. Animo reserves a significant portion of its fund for follow-on investments, ensuring long-term support​. Animo’s portfolio includes notable companies such as Nearpod, Intello, Morty, and Ironclad, with a particular focus on fintech and enterprise SaaS. The firm is not only a financial backer but also acts as a strategic partner, leveraging a dense network of connections to help with fundraising, hiring, and scaling. With its "people backing people" ethos, Animo builds genuine, long-term relationships with founders, committed to seeing them succeed through every challenge and milestone​.