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Carmen Alfonso Rico is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Cocoa, an early-stage venture capital firm based in London, United Kingdom. Before establishing Cocoa in 2021 alongside Anthony Danon, she served as a Partner at Blossom Capital and held investment roles at Samaipata VC, Felix Capital, and Morgan Stanley. She holds degrees in Law and Business Administration from Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Throughout her career, she has built a portfolio of more than 20 angel investments, notably acting as the first investor in the virtual events platform Hopin by syndicating its pre-seed round in 2019. Under her leadership, Cocoa operates with an angel fund model and closed its second fund at $17 million in January 2024. Her current investment focus centers on backing European pre-seed and seed-stage technology companies across the software, fintech, and consumer sectors.
Carmen Alfonso Rico stands as a prominent figure in the European venture capital landscape, serving as the Managing Director at Cocoa. As the driving force behind this early-stage investment firm, Carmen is dedicated to identifying and empowering the most promising founders across the continent. Her work at Cocoa involves leading strategic investments in pre-seed and seed stage companies, providing not just capital but also invaluable guidance and network access to nascent startups.
Cocoa, under Carmen's leadership, has carved out a distinct niche by focusing on disruptive technologies and scalable business models. Her investment philosophy is broad yet targeted, encompassing sectors such as B2B SaaS, fintech innovations, consumer technology, artificial intelligence, and the future of work. She is particularly keen on companies that leverage deep technological insights to solve significant market problems or create entirely new categories. Carmen's approach emphasizes long-term partnerships, working closely with founders from the earliest stages to help them navigate growth challenges and achieve market leadership.
Before founding Cocoa, Carmen Alfonso Rico built a robust career foundation within the technology and investment ecosystems. Her background includes significant experience in venture capital, where she honed her expertise in deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio management. This prior experience equipped her with a deep understanding of the startup journey, from ideation to scaling, and the critical factors that contribute to success. Her entrepreneurial spirit, combined with her analytical rigor, makes her a sought-after investor for ambitious founders.
While specific individual investments are often confidential or part of broader fund portfolios, Carmen's focus at Cocoa is consistently on backing companies poised for significant impact. She seeks out teams with strong vision, execution capabilities, and a clear path to market disruption. Her dedication to fostering innovation in Europe is evident in Cocoa's portfolio, which aims to support the next generation of global technology leaders. Founders looking for strategic capital and a hands-on partner in the pre-seed and seed stages often find Carmen Alfonso Rico and Cocoa to be an an ideal match, offering a blend of financial backing and operational expertise crucial for early-stage growth.
Carmen Alfonso Rico is the Managing Director at Cocoa, an early-stage venture capital firm. She is a leading investor focused on disruptive technology companies across Europe.
Carmen Alfonso Rico invests in pre-seed and seed stage technology companies. Her focus areas include B2B SaaS, fintech, consumer tech, AI, and the future of work, primarily in Europe.
Carmen Alfonso Rico works as the Managing Director at Cocoa, an early-stage venture capital firm. Cocoa primarily invests in European startups.
