We’re thrilled to share that Samuel Carvalho, founder and CEO of Praso — a Valor Capital Group portfolio company — has been selected as a 2026 Thiel Fellow, the only Latino founder in this year’s cohort. Founded by Peter Thiel in 2011, the Thiel Fellowship awards $250,000 over two years to a handful of the world’s most exceptional young builders, backing them to create new things rather than stay in the classroom. Being chosen places Samuel among a rarefied global group recognized for ambition, conviction, and the potential to build enduring companies.
The honor is a powerful validation of Praso and the market it’s transforming. From Recife, Samuel and his team are building the new infrastructure for wholesale commerce — powering procurement, credit, and workflow tools for small and medium-sized businesses across underserved regions of Brazil. It’s a deliberate bet that the Northeast’s overlooked market can compound faster than any crowded startup hub, addressing a wholesale opportunity worth trillions of reais. We’ve backed Samuel from the start, and this recognition affirms what we saw early: a generational founder redefining an entire category. Congratulations, Samuel and the entire Praso team.