Paris Ventures (Gerdau Next Ventures)

Paris Ventures is the historical Crunchbase identity of Gerdau Next Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Brazilian multinational steelmaker Gerdau S.A. Launched around 2020 and operating out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the program invests in and supports entrepreneurs transforming the built world, bringing Gerdau's scale in manufacturing, metallurgy, recycling, and construction supply chains to portfolio companies. Unlike a pure financial investor, Gerdau Next Ventures pairs capital with concrete operational support, including consultation on manufacturing and metallurgy, management advisory, executive connections across Gerdau's global footprint, and commercial introductions to large construction, automotive, and industrial customers worldwide. The investment focus spans construction technology, logistics and supply chain, recycling and advanced materials, data and artificial intelligence, and renewable energy. The firm has made approximately 15 investments. Notable portfolio companies include Plant Prefab (US-based prefabricated construction, Series C), Docket (business document management), Aifleet (trucking), Cubbo (e-commerce logistics in Latin America), and Instacasa (Brazilian proptech). The firm does not publicly disclose fund size, check sizes, or a named partner roster, reflecting its balance-sheet corporate venture structure rather than a third-party-raised vehicle. The unit underwent a significant restructure in 2024 and 2025, with Gerdau effectively re-internalizing its corporate venture activity under the parent company's own corporate structure, leaving the Paris Ventures and Gerdau Next Ventures brands in a quiet period with limited new public deployments. The firm's strategic value to portfolio companies historically derived from Gerdau's position as one of the Americas' largest steel producers with deep relationships across construction and industrial sectors.