Wayra, NXTP Labs and ACE are among the best-known Latin American accelerators in recent years.
Many entrepreneurs would like to hear an investor say that he is interested in accelerating his business, because he has faith in the business idea and therefore wants to invest money to grow faster.
And with the creation of Latin American startups in full growth, the arrival of new investors and the need to be on par with the competition, the accelerators of companies gained more strength. These are private entities that invest in startups and companies that are up to now emerging in exchange for participation in the business.
The most active accelerators found in Latin America include companies such as NXTP Labs, Wayra and ACE. “Collectively these firms study thousands of startups and write hundreds of checks,” says Julie Ruvolo, director of venture capital of the Association for Private Equity Investment in Latin America (LAVCA), to BBC Mundo.
In terms of global level, the entities that have invested the most in projects in recent years are 500 Startups, an accelerator that has 14 regional investments between 2013 and 2017, in addition to Y Combinator with 12 investments in the same time, between companies accelerated are Dropbox and Airbnb, according to LAVCA data.
The success of the investment will depend on the performance of the enterprise or accelerated company, therefore, these entities offer management support and guidance of qualified professionals, so that this business grows and achieves the appropriate level.
“Global accelerators can help local startups get more visibility,” Ruvolo tells that media outlet. Also noteworthy are TechStars, Dreamit Ventures and AngelPad, among others.
The countries where most are invested
Brazil, Colombia and Mexico are the Latin American countries where most movements were recorded by accelerators during the first half of 2018.
- US $ 1,400 – Brazil
- US $ 188 Colombia
- US $ 154 Mexico
- US $ 110 Argentina
- US $ 35 Chile
Brazil, which is characterized as the largest economy in Latin America and an icon in technology companies in the region, received an investment by accelerators of US $ 1,400 million between 2017 and the first months of 2018, according to data from LAVCA.
During this same period, Colombia received a total of US $ 188 million in private investment for startups, while Mexico reached US $ 154 million. “We are seeing the emergence of a new generation of funds in more emerging ecosystems such as Carao Ventures and Pomona in Central America, which is very auspicious,” says Laila Choe, specialist at BID Lab, the IDB Group’s innovation laboratory, at BBC Mundo .
Also published on Medium.