Investor, Operator, Scientist
Héctor J. Jirau-Colón (Hector Jirau, Ph.D)
Hector J. Jirau-Colon (Hector Jirau) serves as the Executive Director at Parallel18, backing and building capital-efficient companies across the Americas, with a specialty in venture-scale and cross-border investments.
Focus
At A Glance
Venture & Acceleration
Backing early-stage startups and helping founders scale across borders with evidence-based, capital-efficient strategies.
Private Equity & Rollups
Structuring and executing acquisitions, rollups, and growth investments in regulated or fragmented markets.
Quantitative Arbitrage
Applying data-driven analysis and financial engineering to unlock opportunities in complex or inefficient markets.
About Me
Who Am I?
Héctor J. Jirau-Colón (Hector Jirau in short) is a Puerto Rican investor, operator and scientist specialized in Cross-Border early-stage investing, with a base in Puerto Rico. He serves as the Executive Director of Parallel18, an international startup accelerator, where he leads investments across early- and late-stage ventures. His work and commentary have appeared in outlets including Bloomberg, Entrepreneur Magazine, Crunchbase News and The Fintech Times. Prior roles include operations and investment leadership at the Puerto Rico Science Trust. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and an M.S. in Financial Engineering.
Metrics
Personal Performance Metrics
Executive
Specialities
Base
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Roles
Executive Director, Parallel18; Investor & Advisor
Select stages
Pre-seed to Series B
Edge
Cross-border operations, regulated markets, financial engineering
Media & speaking:
Inc./InvestPR feature; HolonIQ 2024; Entrepreneur author index; NFX Signal investor profile
Value & Quality You Can Trust
Publications
Featured In Leading Publications
Extending impact
Board Memberships and Leadership Roles
I actively contribute to organizations that promote culture, education, and scientific advancement. As a board member of Pro Arte Musical and the UPR College of Natural Sciences Trust, I am a supporter of initiatives that foster artistic excellence and scientific innovation, reflecting my commitment to driving impact beyond business and investment
Current Role
Driving growth with a global investment footprint
As Executive Director of Parallel18, Puerto Rico’s leading global startup accelerator, I’ve:
- Angel Investor & Advisor
- Executive Director – Parallel18
Videos
Interviews and Podcasts
Featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Crunchbase, Entrepreneur Magazine, among other prestigious news & media outlets.
News updates
Press Releases and On the News
Funding for Latin America’s Unicorns Vanishes as Venture Capital Pulls Back
Venture capital funding for late-stage startups in Latin America has collapsed, dropping 92% in Q3 year-over-year, according to LAVCA. Once flush with investment, the region’s unicorns are now cutting staff, scaling back expansion, and increasingly relying on bank loans — borrowing $1.3 billion — to stay afloat.
Puerto Rico’s Growing Tech ScenePuerto Rico is emerging as a top tech hub
Venture capital funding for late-stage startups in Latin America has collapsed, dropping 92% in Q3 year-over-year, according to LAVCA. Once flush with investment, the region’s unicorns are now cutting staff, scaling back expansion, and increasingly relying on bank loans — borrowing $1.3 billion — to stay afloat.
Why LatAm Startup Founders Should Take A Practical, Pessimistic Approach In 2024
As optimism returns to venture markets, Latin American founders are urged to adopt “practical pessimism” in 2024. Instead of chasing inflated valuations, they should focus on resilience, sustainable growth, and proving product-market fit—using capital as a tool, not a crutch
Faqs
Frequently Asked Questions❓
Contact
Get In Touch
Whether you’re a founder seeking strategic guidance, an investor exploring opportunities, or a partner looking to collaborate, I’d love to hear from you!
Visit my Profile
linkedin.com/in/hjirau
Company
www.parallel18.com .