Innovation Awards Latam is just around the corner •

Contxto – Latin America’s premier innovation event isn’t too far away. Seeking to foster cohesive entrepreneurial activity in the region, the Innovation Awards Latam intends to help participants thrive in the startup ecosystem.

Competing entrepreneurs can participate in one of eight categories at the São Paulo event. Startups must fall under Fintech, Retailtech, Agrotech, Healthtech, Construction/Proptech, Adtech, Smart Cities and Social Impact.

In Summary

The event announced its third edition earlier this month. The registration period ended on May 12 yet we can still look forward to tracking the progress of contenders in search of investments funds based on their innovative solutions.

“We are building a regional network directed towards the incentive of entrepreneurship,” said João Pedro Brasileiro, the mastermind behind the project.

“The Innovation Awards Latam is more than an event but a digital platform encouraging connection, alliances and international exposure. It’s meant for all players in the startup ecosystem and combines both the online and offline world fostering innovation.”

An international body of judges will first evaluate applications before deciding who comes to Sao Paulo. Many are specialists, corporate representatives and potential investors. Moreover, they all represent diverse nationalities that guarantee exposure and business possibility for participants.

In-Depth

“There are obstacles in the region that prevent the growth of the market and one of them is the lack of exposure and international visibility of startups,” said Brasileiro. “The tools of the Innovation Awards Latam try to solve this problem.”

For this, startups from various industries can partake as long as they fulfill the requirements. More specifically, the solutions must have been created since 2014 and apply to one of the tech sectors.

The competition specifically supports startups in “phases” ranging from MVP to scaling. Judges will evaluate applications according to the startup’s stage and overall business potential.

At the end of the competition, the jury will decide which startups yield the most potential to take top honors. All the while, the event will promote the exchange of knowledge between players and market experts.

To participate, startups had to access the Innovation Awards Latam’s website and complete the registration form. Besides the application, participants could have also attached images of the tools they developed. Another option was recording a video with a pitch and/or product presentation.

According to the organizing committee, video recordings positively impacted the jury’s evaluation of the proposed solution. Registration cost US$40 that will be used to translate the cases for English, Portuguese and Spanish audiences.

Here are some dates to keep in mind:

March 25: Start of registration
May 12: Last day of registration
June 3: Announcement of the semifinalists
July 20: Announcement of the finalists
August 26: Award Ceremony