Pedro Lopez Sela joins Sunny Ray to trace an unconventional path from teenage entrepreneur in Mexico to founder of Frizon Capital, a US investment firm backing deep tech founders across the Global South. Pedro shares how curiosity, not strategy, pushed him through degrees in law, biotech, public policy, and philosophy across four countries, and how mentors like Norman Borlaug, Mario Molina, and Peter Diamandis shaped his belief in generosity as a business principle. He recounts a devastating betrayal by a business partner who embezzled company funds and later died before restitution could be paid, and reflects on how it changed him without destroying his trust in people. The conversation turns to why Frizon focuses on health tech and frugal innovation in Latin America and Southeast Asia, why AI should remain a tool rather than a strategy, and how the fund builds entire ecosystems, communities, training programs, and company builders, around underserved entrepreneurs. Pedro closes with an optimistic look at longevity, regenerative medicine, and climate technology reshaping the next decade.
A Nobel laureate mentee turned investor on betrayal, deep tech, and backing Global South founders others overlook.
What are you working on today and what's the mission behind it?
We're building deep tech ecosystems for entrepreneurs in the Global South, where 85% of the population lives with the hardest problems. These founders now have Ivy League level knowledge and infrastructure but very few platforms supporting them with capital or business development. We're trying to solve big problems alongside brilliant people building technology out of scarcity in a frugal way.
You've been an entrepreneur since the early 90s. What was the first thing you ever built?
At 16 I helped a friend of my father with a legal issue even though I wasn't a lawyer, by finding a client and subcontracting a lawyer to manage it. It worked and I got paid, so I started a law firm. I spent all the money too fast on offices and staff and was broke before I even landed a second client. It lasted about six months.
You studied law, biotech, philosophy, and engineering across four countries. What were you actually looking for?
Honestly, just curiosity. I went to law school because my family is full of lawyers, then got introduced to biotech through intellectual property work and got hooked. Understanding biotech led me into public policy and regulation, then international commerce for the market side, then philosophy to understand the basics of everything. It's been a fun, liberating journey of jumping to the next chunk of knowledge.
You co-founded over 20 companies, many acquired or merged. What's the failure that shaped you the most?
A partner who managed our group's money for about seven years disappeared along with all the funds. We had to close companies, fire people, and pursue a criminal case that took three years due to slow Mexican legislation. We finally won, but a week before we were set to recover the money, he got shot and died. I'm still processing it, but I refuse to let it stop me from trusting people.
When did AI stop being a buzzword for you and start feeling like something that changes everything?
Honestly, it hasn't felt that way to me. Having lived through the dot-com and smartphone revolutions, I've learned these groundbreaking moments take time for people to truly understand. Some funds dropped everything to chase AI alone, which I don't believe in. It's a fantastic tool for human augmentation, but as an investor you specialize in the market, not the technology.
Why did Frizon Capital choose health as a focus?
Because nobody else was doing it well. When mapping the ecosystem we found about 400 health startups supported by entities that didn't understand FDA regulation, which is nearly as complex as building the technology itself. We found 120 support entities and 140 investors, but none understood local regulatory bodies, so we saw a massive opportunity and spent four years building that ecosystem.
What does the world look like in ten years if the bets you're making pay off?
It's almost impossible to predict given how fast technologies like CRISPR, AI, and quantum computing are multiplying. I'm confident we'll live longer, with medicine advancing toward building spare parts for the body and even transgenic organ sources. There's also a return to traditional and preventative medicine, plus exciting movements in climate technology and space that will reshape our relationship with the world.
Can you close by explaining the 'from Nobel laureate to AI startup investor' framing of your journey?
I've been blessed to stand on the shoulders of giants like Norman Borlaug and Mario Molina, and to work alongside Salim Ismail, Peter Diamandis, and Jeff Hoffman. What I learned is that people are incredibly generous, which is why we do so much pro bono work ourselves. That exchange of generosity is the reason we've been able to build communities and become successful entrepreneurs solving real problems.
Building something daring? Sunny talks to founders like this every day. Fifteen minutes to see if your story belongs on the stage.
Claim your pre-interview