Seedstars World, one of the largest startup competitions for emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes, has concluded its third edition of the annual Seedstars LATAM Summit in Lima, Peru this week. During the event, the Launch of Seedspace Lima was announced at the Summit in the aim of continuing Seedstars efforts in building a thriving startup ecosystem in Peru.
Over 300 participants, including startups, investors, and ecosystem leaders came together at UTEC to discuss the Summit’s overarching theme on how Latin America can be part of the change proposed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The Summit really demonstrated the importance that innovation plays in our society and why Latam entrepreneurs need to look towards building out solutions horizontally, not just vertically within their fields. This way they can grow their business whilst tackling larger social and environmental issues,” said Karina Chez, CEO and partner of KAYA Energy Group.
Key highlights included talks from notable entrepreneurs and clean-tech experts, and workshops where the startups brainstormed actual business models and solutions to problems. One such workshop utilized the ideation methodology to focus on finding the best edtech solutions for the 57 million primary-age children still out of school.
“Seedstars was the first real exposure to high-quality entrepreneurs and startups, it was the first window we had to understanding a true startup ecosystem. Our partnership with Seedstars has been crucial for getting us to where we are now, particularly in helping us receive one of the highest rounds of investment for a digital startup,” said speaker and Seedstars Alumni, Carlos Jordan, CEO and founder of Ultracasas.
“The best thing about the event was connecting with other startups and investors,” added Sully Siucho from Rebaja tus cuentas, and the winner of the Public Prize at the event.
12 startups from Latin America and the Caribbean also got to participate in the Seedstars Growth Bootcamp where they had sessions on growth models, experiment design, and implementable management techniques.
The summit held a side competition hosted by Inicia Educacion for pre-selected EdTech startups, where Processim Labs was crowned champion. The Costa Rican startup is transforming smartphones into teaching devices that college professors can use as powerful and convenient teaching games.
Seedstars continues to build a lasting presence after the event with the announcement of the opening of Seedspace Lima in April. The co-working space, opening in collaboration with Swisscowork, will have a clear focus on innovation and technology. Located in Miraflores, entrepreneurs and professionals will have access to a global network of contacts, trainings and workshops to learn the key skills to grow and scale their business, access to acceleration programs and investors.“These spaces are not just co-working. They cultivate productivity, connections, and become a place where people can collaborate within the ecosystem. That’s why we’re so excited to bring a Seedspace to Peru,” summarized Juliane Butty, Seedstars LATAM Regional Manager.
