Dear reader,
On one hand, you have the high-brow, frontier AI research. For mere mortals like myself, that field is difficult to intellectually engage with.
On the other hand, you have the implementation of AI in brick-and-mortar industries. Here, my interest piques. That process is tangible, messy, intensely human. Stuff we love to write about.
Today, we publish a deep-dive on Sanii, a Brazilian startup focused on the elder care market.
Sanii represents what running an "AI-powered" company means in a "human-powered" space - elder care. On the same day, Sanii's team is developing AI agents and dealing with an angry client who felt that their careworker was rude to them.
Sanii is also pioneering a new form of startup-building: an "AI roll-up". Or in more pagan terms, acquiring existing service businesses (in their case, small Brazilian home care agencies), and improving them with AI.
Sounds antithetical to the VC ethos? Maybe. Maybe not. I'll let you judge. Enjoy the read.
Biography
Michael Kapps is the co-founder of Sanii, a Brazilian startup providing home care for the elderly. Sanii onboards careworkers onto its platform, puts them in touch with families needing their services, and intermediates the relationship between them.
Sanii raised $2.5M in pre-seed funding and expects to provide more than 500,000 caregiving hours in 2026. It is currently active in 5 Brazilian cities, including São Paolo and Campinas.
Prior to Sanii, Michael founded Vitalk, a mental health startup acquired by WellHub in 2022.
What does Sanii do?