Daniel Santamarina

Daniel Santamarina is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Dux Capital, an early-stage venture firm he launched in 2017 alongside José Luis Silva. The firm was built around a specific gap: although Latinx individuals make up roughly 19% of the U.S. population and generate trillions in economic output, they historically receive only about 2% of venture funding. Dux pairs capital with hands-on operational support for first-generation and cross-border entrepreneurs bridging the U.S. and Latin America, and has grown to a portfolio of 20+ companies with a Fund II of roughly $35 million.

Before founding Dux, Santamarina served as CFO and Director of New Business Development at Residencia, part of the Archipelago Group, where he ran operations and built out new business models. His path into investing is rooted in his own entrepreneurial experience — he bootstrapped a business while in college that he ultimately had to shut down because of capital constraints, an experience he credits with shaping his conviction about the importance of access to funding for diverse-owned companies. His earlier ventures spanned marketing, CPG, and services.

He holds a BA in Business Administration from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico, with an emphasis in finance and marketing. As a partner he takes an active, involved role with portfolio founders and has served as a board observer for companies such as Zubut.

In 2024 the firm expanded its leadership, adding Susana Espinosa de los Reyes as a third partner, and reached the first close of its second fund — a milestone anchored by Bank of America and a group of prominent Hispanic-Latino investors. Dux has since introduced a Fund III strategy ("Investing in the investors' edge") oriented toward backing emerging fund managers (GPs).

• Backs early-stage, tech-enabled companies at pre-seed, seed, and seed-plus — typically writing $50K–$500K initial checks (range up to ~$2M, sweet spot ~$500K).
• Explicit focus on underrepresented Latino/Latinx and cross-border founders: "Investing in Latinx isn't just a strategic move; it's an embrace of opportunities waiting to unfold."
• Backs "founders who think differently and operate with discipline," seeking "innovation meets resilience" in scalable markets — a preference for disciplined, risk-adjusted execution over hype.
• Sector interests are eclectic but concentrated in fintech, consumer/retail, delivery & logistics, healthcare, edtech, marketplaces, and AI.
• Values cross-border potential between the U.S. and Latin America — companies that can scale operations, improve margins, and grow across both markets.
• Personally drawn to early-stage product development and disruptive business models aimed at historically underserved markets.