Mexican startup Primero has emerged from stealth with a $12 million seed round, aiming to tackle one of the biggest hurdles to artificial intelligence adoption at large companies: the messy, disconnected software systems that still run much of the corporate world.
The round was co-led by venture capital firms Kaszek and General Catalyst, according to Reuters. Primero's pitch is straightforward: help big Latin American businesses connect their fragmented software and deploy AI agents that can actually get work done.
Why legacy systems are a problem for AI
Many large companies still run critical operations across a patchwork of tools that don't talk to each other. Key processes—like how an invoice gets approved or how a customer order is routed—often live in spreadsheets, emails, or in the heads of long-time employees. That fragmentation is a major reason why AI pilots frequently stall.
An AI assistant can't reliably complete a task if it can't pull the right data from the right system or follow the actual approval steps that a company uses. Primero aims to bridge those gaps, essentially acting as a translator and connector between old and new software.
This is a problem that extends well beyond Latin America. Companies everywhere struggle with legacy technology, but the issue is especially acute in emerging markets where many firms have grown through acquisitions or rapid expansion, leaving a tangle of systems behind.
What the funding means
The $12 million seed round is a notable vote of confidence in Primero's approach. Kaszek is one of Latin America's most prominent venture firms, with a track record of backing successful startups in the region. General Catalyst, a global investor, brings experience with enterprise software and AI companies.
Seed rounds at this size are relatively large, suggesting investors see a significant opportunity. The funding will likely be used to expand Primero's engineering team, build out its product, and sign up more enterprise customers.
Primero's focus on AI agents—software that can perform tasks autonomously—places it in a fast-growing corner of the tech industry. While much of the AI hype has centered on chatbots and content generation, the real business value may lie in automating complex workflows.
What it means for investors
For everyday investors, this news is a reminder that AI's impact isn't just about the big names like Nvidia or Microsoft. A wave of startups is working on the unglamorous but essential task of making AI work in real-world corporate environments.
Investors have poured money into AI infrastructure and model development, but the "last mile" problem—getting AI to actually function within a company's existing systems—remains a huge challenge. Companies that solve this could become valuable in their own right, or attractive acquisition targets.
This story also highlights the growing venture capital interest in Latin American tech. The region has produced several successful startups, and investors are increasingly looking beyond the US and Europe for growth opportunities. For context, other recent funding rounds in the tech space include Blackbird's A$1.05 billion raise for ANZ tech and AI startups and Xpeng's robotics arm raising $900 million in China.
However, it's important to keep expectations in check. Seed-stage startups are high-risk investments, and most will not become household names. The funding is a positive signal, but it doesn't guarantee success.
The bigger picture
Primero's launch comes at a time when many large enterprises are under pressure to show they can use AI effectively. Pilots that fail to scale are a common story, and the reasons are often the same: poor data quality, incompatible systems, and a lack of clear processes.
By focusing on integration and workflow automation, Primero is attacking the root cause rather than the symptom. If successful, it could help companies unlock real productivity gains—and that's a story worth watching.
For investors, the key takeaway is that AI's economic value will depend on more than just powerful models. It will depend on the plumbing that connects those models to the real world. Companies that build that plumbing, whether they're startups like Primero or established players, could be the quiet winners of the AI era.
