Afonso Santos
Afonso Santos
Porto, Portugal

Logos don't sign contracts — people do. I sell retail media to enterprise, partner with founders, and invest in people building real value.

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About

Born in Braga, lived in London and San Francisco, now based between Porto and Esposende. Engineering degree, but I've been building and selling since I was 16 — from web design shops to outdoor advertising marketplaces to Customer Data Platforms. Co-founded Founders Founders, Portugal's first peer-mentoring community for scaleup founders. Today I run Kevel's retail media business across Southern Europe and LATAM, and advise and invest in early-stage companies on the side — including as a partner at Laika Ventures.

At a glance
6
Countries
170+
Clients served
3
Languages
Kevel retail media platform
Kevel · Day job
Head of Retail Media, Southern Europe & LATAM

Selling and deploying ad infrastructure for retailers, super-apps, and fintech players across Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru.
On the side
Advisor, mentor & angel investor

Backing early-stage founders with capital, GTM strategy, and sales playbooks. Mentor at START Esposende.
Founders Founders community space
Co-founder
Founders Founders

Portugal's #1 peer-mentoring community for scaleup founders. Porto & Lisbon.
Laika Ventures logo
Partner
Laika Ventures

Venture studio that creates and funds AI companies — from zero to take-off.
What I believe about retail media
On-site sponsored products are table stakes. The real growth is in off-site, in-store, and CTV — and most retailers aren't ready for it.
LATAM is 3–4 years behind the US in retail media maturity, but the velocity is faster. First movers will own the market.
Fintech ad networks — super-apps, neobanks, loyalty platforms — are the next wave. Same playbook, better data.
Owning your ad stack isn't a nice-to-have — it's the difference between 30% margins and 80% margins on every ad dollar.
Resources I recommend
US Retail Media Ad Spending Forecast eMarketer Guide to Retail Media in Europe IAB Europe Retail Media Cloud — Platform & Case Studies Kevel