Seedstars Summit Latam 2019

Contxto – Seedstars Summit Latam 2019, came to a close on November 29 in Medellín, Colombia. But there’s more to come for the nine winners that emerged from this regional competition for early-stage startups. 

Following their successful one-minute pitch, the victors have moved onto the ultimate event: Seedstars World. 

This grand finale is scheduled to take place in April of next year in Lausanne, Switzerland. During their time on the shores of Lake Geneva, over 80 startups from more than 75 emerging countries will participate in bootcamp sessions, workshops as well as one-on-one meetings with mentors.

Of these, 12 will be chosen to pitch on the main stage during the Final Summit Day where they’ll compete to receive an investment of up to US$500,000 in equity to scale their businesses.

Now as for the triumphant nine to make it to the regional top in Latin America, here they are—from north to south!:

Baubap (Mexico)

Financial inclusion is at the heart of this fintech. Through its platform, Baubap enables quick micro-lending that lets many first-time borrowers build their credit history. The startup doesn’t consult your typical credit bureau to approve financing, but has designed its own credit score system.

Afinidata (Guatemala)

Quality education during early childhood has the potential to shape the bright minds of the future. However, in many places access to this invaluable resource is limited. This is why, through features similar to companies like Schoology, Afinidata uses an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to connect parents on Facebook chat to personalized, educational programs for their little ones.

Pixdea (Costa Rica)

Pixdea brings more pragmatism to the classroom through virtual reality (VR). Through this digital “hands on experience” children can get a better grasp on abstract concepts taught in traditional schooling methods. Moreover, kids remain more engaged as the learning experience is much funner.

Ruedata (Colombia)

Ruedata is a B2B (business to business) startup that advises businesses on how to be more eco-friendly through data analytics software that studies tire collection and waste processes. It then informs companies how they can save on tires and gas through the crunched data.

Mynkana (Ecuador)

This startup is a crowdsourcing marketplace that connects businesses looking for data and research with professionals that can get the job done. Price studies, merchandising, as well as exploring new markets are just some of the tasks Mynkana can offer. 

Ribon (Brazil)

This startup makes donating money a simple process. Users are given virtual coins or “ribons” on the app. They then select the causes towards which they’d like to donate to by surfing the application and awarding them their ribons. Once a ribon has been assigned, it’s converted into real money to serve that cause. No pressure when to donate nor limit the cause that moves you. 

Manzana Verde (Peru)

Obesity is a critical issue in Latin America and across the globe. This is why Manzana Verde is stepping in to provide customized meal plans and advice for those looking to be healthy and reach their nutritional goals.

Mesa (Chile)

Restaurants’ revenues often suffer during off-peak times. Which is why Mesa’s solution is so meaningful. Based on a dining location’s down times, the startup’s application displays available discounts to encourage those with an empty stomach to eat out. Booking a reservation online is also possible through this solution. 

EviMed/redEMC (Uruguay)

Medicine is one field in which ongoing learning is imperative to saving lives. Knowing that there are many practitioners in remote locations, this solution offers online courses for medical practitioners.

-ML