Luca Castellano
Luca Castellano

Brazilian entrepreneur Luca Castellano recently joined Beltic to tackle a less visible but critical challenge: the complex infrastructure of regulatory compliance.

His startup, Beltic, recently closed a $1.5 million pre-seed round to build AI-driven technology that helps organizations navigate an increasingly demanding regulatory landscape. The funding, led by U.S. investors with backing from strategic angels from companies including Canvas Ventures, ex-Coinbase, Nomad, Morgan Stanley, and Ramp

Today, companies worldwide are burdened by several processes - manual checks, fragmented data, and complex reporting requirements especially as the regulations tighten. These processes often become bottlenecks that slow down growth, frustrate customers, and drain operating budgets. A recent Deloitte study found that nearly 9 out of 10 executives view new technology for handling compliance as key to their future. The consequences of getting it wrong are costly too: in 2023, regulators worldwide issued billions of dollars in fines. With smarter technology, businesses can reduce errors, lower costs, and grow faster even as rules multiply.

"Compliance is usually treated as a cost center," Luca said. "It's seen as a point of friction that slows things down. However, with the right infrastructure, it becomes a competitive and strategic advantage. Companies that can onboard users, partners, or suppliers faster — while managing risk more effectively — are better positioned to grow. This is a fundamental shift - a fundamental and foundational shift in how businesses should operate."

To tackle such a complex issue, Beltic has assembled a team of seasoned operators. Isha Bhatnagar, who previously built infrastructure that onboarded tens of millions of users at Coinbase; Mike Allan, a second-time founder with a successful exit to one of Latin America's largest insurers; Farhan Afsahi, an AI and product specialist who founded compliance data firm Verifiet; and Theo Victor, an engineering veteran. Their experience spans building secure infrastructure at scale, navigating multi-jurisdiction operations, and developing strategic compliance focused AI products — a foundation for Beltic's ambitious roadmap.

Prior to Beltic, Luca was already a recognized builder in Brazil's startup ecosystem. He founded RIO Endowment, the country's first university-agnostic STEM fund, and later helped grow a high-growth startup from seed to later stages, attracting top-tier investors. That experience gave him firsthand experience into how regulatory friction can hold back innovation — lessons he now applies to Beltic's global strategy. As a Latitud fellow and member of The Residency network, he continues to bridge the Latin American and U.S. tech ecosystems.

In an era where regulatory missteps can derail entire companies, Beltic's effort to build a faster, smarter, and scalable compliance framework represents not just a business opportunity, but a necessity across industries.