Juliana Sarilio, corporate venture capital manager at BB Ventures, is one of our top 50 Emerging Leaders in corporate venturing for 2026.
In 2018, when Juliana Sarilio worked as an advisor in private equity investments for Banco do Brasil, the bank first engaged with a startup. That initial contact ultimately led to the creation of a formal venture programme in 2020.
Fast forward to today, and BB Ventures has exposure to more than 50 startups across its five fund-of-funds investments in the areas of agtech, fintech and govtech.
What Sarilio values most about her role is the ability to engage with entrepreneurs and new technologies, while also translating those insights back into a large organisation. She describes corporate venture as a way to see the future of multiple industries and, at times, to help colleagues imagine new solutions for customers.
“Now there are many startups with good standards and good business plans. I believe this is a good moment to build a good portfolio”
The challenges are substantial. Sarilio points to the equilibrium between financial returns and strategic impact, as well as the time required for venture programmes to deliver results. Over a long-term horizon, large organisations need to demonstrate progress quickly to shareholders.
In a high-interest-rate environment such as Brazil, investors face added difficulties, but Sarilio believes periods of macroeconomic stress can be the right time to build strong portfolios, as high-quality startups emerge. “Now there are many startups with good standards and good business plans. I believe this is a good moment to build a good portfolio,” she says.
“Some companies have halted their corporate venture capital programmes in Brazil, but I do not believe that is a wise decision, as CVC remains a key tool for open innovation.”
Looking ahead, she expects growing focus on AI use cases, blockchain applications, cybersecurity and ESG-related assets, particularly given Brazil’s scale and institutional complexity. Her advice to newcomers is pragmatic: corporate venturing is not just a trend. It requires preparation, sector knowledge and strong internal sponsorship. Without that foundation, she says, even well-intentioned programmes struggle to endure.
The Emerging Leaders are mid-career corporate venture professionals who are making an outstanding contribution to their teams and the industry.
See the full list of Emerging Leaders here.
