Sofia Pessanha

Time to spill some facts about Sofia Pessanha – this girl is the real deal in the startup world. She’s been in tech for almost 20 years, no joke. Started out crushing it with her first companies, then jumped into the scene as a total serial entrepreneur and investor. Basically, she’s been building things that actually matter, not just bullshit projects.

She was part of YC’s S16 batch – that’s some serious cred. Co-founded Unbabel, this AI-powered translation platform – you know, breaking language barriers, helping global teams communicate, the whole nine yards. She was all in on making tools for translators and building communities around it. That thing grew to over 300 peeps across six offices worldwide. She’s all about making tech that connects people, and she’s good at it.

Then she didn’t stop. Her latest gig is CareRev, a healthcare staffing app. Imagine connecting nurses with hospital shifts – that’s what she built. Hospitals get the staffing they need, nurses get more shifts, everyone wins. It’s kinda crazy how she’s tackling B2C and B2B healthcare problems at once, but that’s Sofia – always jumping into the deep end.

Besides that, she’s more than just about startups. She’s a founding LP and investor at Shilling VC, helping fund the next wave of founders. Back in the day, she co-founded Beta-i, a nonprofit that really helped blow up the Portuguese tech scene. She’s not just building stuff – she’s all about community, mentorship, and pushing the whole system forward.

What’s wild about Sofia is her drive. She’s all about building early-stage startups that actually make an impact. That’s her thing. She’s also super into endurance sports – skiing, hiking, swimming, biking, running – basically, she’s all about pushing herself to the limit. That same grit shows up in her work.

So, what does this tell us? Sofia’s story is about never settling, always pushing boundaries, and using tech to solve real problems. She’s the kind of founder who’s in it for the long haul, who cares about community, and who’s not afraid to jump into new problems. She’s proof that if you’re passionate and you really wanna make a difference, you can turn crazy ideas into something that actually changes the game.

Bottom line, Sofia Pessanha is a force – a tech veteran, a builder, a community champion. She’s out here shaping the future of global communication and healthcare, all while staying true to her hustle and passion. No Cap.