Investing in Digital Transformation with Royal Eagle’s Mark Valdez & Alejandro Mendez

Timecoded Guide:

[00:00] Shaping entrepreneurial opportunities from successful corporate careers

[05:07] Understanding the investment thesis of Royal Eagle

[11:44] Motivating the startup potential in Latin America

[14:27] Connecting and colliding with Softeq at a kid’s soccer game

[24:09] Forging a fintech focused future with the Royal Eagle team

Did you feel concerned about leaving successful corporate careers in order to become entrepreneurs? 

Humble beginnings instilled hard work in both Mark and Alejandro from very young ages. Both men felt incredibly motivated to succeed in the financial space. Working successfully in the corporate world for several years, Mark and Alejandro had to take a frightening leap and risk failure to team up. Mark explains that they both felt the desire to go further and to take things to the next level, all in order to serve their families and their investment community.  

“It's not that you're perpetually looking for something that's better, but you're looking for something more meaningful. You’re looking for something that allows you to be able to serve your family, what you believe in, and people around you in your community.” — Mark

What are you trying to do with Royal Eagle that’s different from other firms?

Fulfilling their own desire to explore financial opportunities in energy, oil, and gas motivated Mark and Alejandro at the start. However, the opportunity to dive into technology has been especially motivating when differentiating Royal Eagle from others. Digital transformation is inevitable, and it's important to invest in those opportunities as they become available. Another focus Royal Eagle takes is investing in this tech in growing markets in Latin America.

“Being in Houston, coming from the financial industry, it was very natural for us to explore energy, oil, and gas at that point in finance. We are adding a strategy, too, that is linked to technology, because we can see there is that digital transformation everywhere.” — Alejandro

A couple of interesting connections and collisions happened to introduce you to Softeq. Who introduced you to this opportunity?

Connecting with Softeq occurred on the soccer field, where Alejandro got the chance to meet Softeq’s Head of Studio, Billy, because he was coaching Billy’s kid. The journey for Royal Eagle is full of moments where ordinary personal connections led to massively successful investment opportunities. Whether it's through their children or their friends, Alejandro and Mark have been thankful to receive so many unique opportunities for investment. 

“When you’re an entrepreneur, you never know how the person next to you is going to change your life. Being open to that really just gives every day its own unique sunlight. For me, that's very satisfying and I'm happy to embrace all types of relationships.” — Mark 

How is Royal Eagle invested in forging the future? 

Technology is the future and Royal Eagle hopes to expand that future, both in the US and Latin America. As new strategies for business and exciting opportunities continue to become available, especially in the world of fintech, Mark and Alejandro want to take full advantage to not only expand their reach, but give back to their personal network. Investing with Softeq and keeping connected with the tech community is how Royal Eagle aims to forge the future.

“Adding technology offers a unique opportunity to understand that path for our overall business. We are researching how to increase revenue by adding technology. Then, we want to bring solutions to markets we see here every day, as well as in Latin America.” — Alejandro