Branddu, Reno merge to launch Branddu AI with $800K raised
What's the deal? BrandduDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and RenoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → have merged to launch Branddu AI, a B2B MerchTech platform for Latin America that combines AI, proprietary software, and a regional supplier network. The launch comes with a US$300,000 pre-seed investment from 500 Global, bringing total capital raised to US$800,000.
What's the endgame? The combined company wants to replace manual merchandising procurement with a single digital platform. It merges Branddu's regional commercial footprint with Reno's technology-focused approach, targeting expansion across Latin America and a stronger US presence.
Branddu, founded in Bogota in 2019 by Mariana VelásquezDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, began as a marketplace consolidating promotional product suppliers, offering instant quotations, online customization, and inventory visibility. Reno, founded in Mexico by Sebastián Illescas, built the MerchTech concept that now anchors Branddu AI's strategy. The platform lets businesses search, quote, customize, and purchase promotional products within minutes.
Why now? Corporate merchandising still relies heavily on manual workflows despite its size. Grand View Research valued the global industry at US$355.4 billion in 2025, with Mexico holding the largest market share.
"Uniting Branddu and Reno allows us to accelerate something we had been pursuing separately: fundamentally digitalizing an industry that operated through slow and manual processes for years," says Velásquez, now chief executive officer and co-founder. Illescas, now chief revenue officer and co-founder, adds: "Technology does not replace people; it optimizes processes."
By the numbers: The company employs 21 people across Mexico and Colombia. Together, Branddu and Reno have served more than 700 clients, completed over 4,150 projects, and built a catalog of more than 35,000 products. Customers include Netflix, Canva, Kavak, JP Morgan, AXADealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, SamsungDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Warner Bros. DiscoveryDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and WeWorkDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
The signal: The deal reflects a wider trend of small and mid-sized firms combining to push AI-powered platforms in niche B2B markets. For Latin America's fragmented merchandising sector, it is a bet that pooling technology, data, and supplier networks can modernize a process still stuck on days-long quotes.
Read more: Mexico Business
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
