MassChallenge

News

36 Latin American Startups Compete for $2 Million Pesos

MassChallenge, a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators, today announced the 36 high-impact startups that will be part of its 2018 accelerator program in Mexico. The chosen startups will compete for a portion of $2 million equity-free pesos while they participate in a one-of-a-kind program.

After an intense selection process, in which 120 global judges evaluated 660 startups, 36 startups were selected – representing approximately 5% of all applicants. This year cohort shows clear industry trends for the entrepreneurial ecosystem: a significant increase of startups that focus on mobility and smart cities, and startups with new business models in the food, beverages, and agriculture sector.

The 36 startups represent 6 major industries: 

  • 17% Agriculture, Food, and Beverages 
  • 17% Mobility & Smart cities
  • 14% Social Impact
  • 11% Online commerce & marketplaces and Fintech sectors
  • 8% Education & Healthcare / Life Sciences
  • 6% Cleantech/Environment

This year, 58% of founder participants are women. This figure represents a breakthrough in an ecosystem that, until now, has supported few female founders.  According to the Hear Her Voice study from 2016, female founders are more likely to found businesses that address or solve for a specific issue that they have encountered. In Mexico women primarily launch businesses in clothing and accessories (42%), cosmetics and personal care (38%), food and beverages (14%), maternity and babies (10%), flowers and gifts (9%), while only 9% use digital platforms to promote their initiatives. The gender and industry breakdown in MassChallenge Mexico’s 2018 cohort proves that female founders are increasingly developing the emerging tools, technologies, and services that will change the world for the better. 

“This is a key year to analyze the trends in the startup market in Mexico. Having more mobility and transport startups in the program show that there is growing attention to solving local problems but with solutions that could have a global reach. On the other hand, it is great to see an increase of 20% of women co-founders in the program – incredible growth over the past year,” said Camila Lecaros, Managing Director of MassChallenge Mexico.

MassChallenge Mexico is also announcing four new corporate partners: Axtel, Coca-Cola México, SURA and Microsoft. These industry-leading organizations will be part of the MassChallenge partner network, which includes Facebook, Nestlé, Axtel, Fiinlab, Promotora Social Mexico, CEMEX, Bosch, INTER Protection, Greenberg Traurig, Baker & McKenzie, HDI Seguros, Simon Kucher, INADEM, and SEDECO CDMX-FONDESO.  

The global MassChallenge partner network foments collaboration between corporates and startups. It offers direct access to the largest startup ecosystem in the world to accelerate, amplify, and support corporates’ existing programming. The accelerator also streamlines the process of working with startups, by helping corporates develop more productive working relationships that drive actionable and visible innovation that impacts ROI.

“Being partners of MassChallenge means strengthening the commitment we have as a company to build a better future. We know that working together with a common goal, the strengthening of entrepreneurs in Mexico and the world, is that we can have a greater impact, adding other actors that share the vision and compliment us,” said Héctor González García, director of social innovation at CEMEX-Tec Center.

Founded in 2016, MassChallenge Mexico has supported 64 startups that have raised more than 23 million dollars of investment; working with startups from Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia.

MassChallenge 2018 Cohort

Agriculture, Food and Beverage

  • Buho Soda (Queretaro, Mexico): Buho Soda is the Mexico’s first all natural soft drink, low-calorie, free of any preservatives and other artificial ingredients. 
  • MercaRancho (Mexico City): Merca Rancho offers a tool between the people who are dedicated to buy or sell everything related to the agricultural and livestock sector.
  • Plataforma Nuup AC (Mexico City): Nuup bridges smallholder farmers and agri-food companies by gathering and sharing information, facilitating collaboration and increasing transparency. 
  • Productos Zero Lacteo S.A. de C.V. (Mexico City): Zero Lácteo is the brand that focus solely on dairy-free products, including coconut milk, based yogurt, ice cream, desserts, cheese, chocolate and milk.
  • Simbiótica (Morelia, Mexico): Simbiótica’s goal is to observe, replicate and maximize nature’s work through products specifically made to potentialize the yield of crops.
  • XiliNat (Mexico City): XiliNat transforms corn residues from farmers into xylitol, a natural sweetener substitute that tastes identically to sugar, is ideal for diabetics, low in calories and protects teeth against cavities.

Cleantech/Environment

  • KEEUI SOLAR (Puebla, Mexico): KeeUI Solar empowers SMEs by providing a digital mobile platform for the dimensioning and acquisition of solar energy equipment.
  • PROTRASH (Guadalajara, Mexico): PROTRASH tackles wealth polarization, waste accumulation, and poverty by exchanging recyclable waste for money in a saving card that can only be used to cover basic necessities of women in low-income communities.

Education

  • Applica2 (Mexico City): Applica2 designs education programs for children with the use of digital and printed resources; contents and technology for pedagogical purposes.
  • EduEMPLEA (Bogota, Colombia): EduEmplea increases productivity/competitiveness of companies through tailored-made education for employment, enhancing professional and personal development of individuals, by intentionally integrating teachers, students and companies.
  • Zegments (Mexico City): Zegments is a web education platform that help students learn through an extensible set of tools that expand beyond a video.

Financial Technology/Online Commerce & Marketplaces

  • Cuenca (Mexico City): Cuenca’s banking services are oriented for the bottom 95% of Latin Americans, it offers money transfer, bill payments, debit cards, and line of credit in a single, unified, virtual account.
  • DAPP (Queretaro, Mexico): DAPP is the app that allows merchants to charge inshore or online in a simple and safe way with a cellphone or computer.
  • Host a Pet SAPI de CV (Mexico City): Host a Pet is an online marketplace that connects pet owners with a wide list of certified nearby places that provide pet boardinghouse services.
  • Jelp mi! (Mexico City): Jelp mi! Is an on demand based platform that connects trustworthy professionals to clean homes. 
  • Now Print (Mexico City): Now Print is the main ally of SME’s and designers who seek quality in print and promo materials, offering a solution that will help SME’s market themselves effectively.
  • SEA SHELL TECHNOLOGIES (Queretaro, Mexico): Nauphilus was developed in order to allow any financial company to receive, register, process and analyze the credit risk, through a new credit risk model and AI.
  • SOOFI your digital insurance advisor (Guadalajara, Mexico): SOOFI is the personal digital insurance advisor available 24/7. SOOFI manages all the insurance policies in one place offering a team of advisors for personalized support.
  • Zomoz (Caracas, Venezuela): Zomoz is an in-destination tours and tourist activities platform for locals and travellers in Latin America.

Healthcare/Life Sciences

  • aidy (Monterrey, Mexico): aidy’s mission is to prevent health care associated infections by changing the culture of hand hygiene among health care workers using IoT, wearables, and AI.
  • Cuéntame (Mexico City): Cuéntame is an online personalized psychological platform that helps young people become their best version with a goal-oriented technology.
  • Genómica Médica: Genómica Médica develops DNA tests in saliva to prevent common diseases, avoid adverse drug effects & promote healthier lifestyles.

High Tech

  • Decidata (Mexico City): Decidata goal is to standardize and unify processes and metrics between the different screens to allow advertisers to compare with a few clicks the available inventory, then monitor in real time the performance of each marketing campaign.
  • Scintia (Monterrey, Mexico): Scintia aims to solve the barriers that hinder biotech development by providing innovative and affordable equipment, producing and selling reagents as well as sourcing DNA for the education.
  • Simplii (Mexico City): Simplii mobile services create an easy and valuable customer experience based on a helpful and effective customer service, no commitment, hassle-free services and the best data plans.

Mobility and Smart Cities

  • CLUPP (Mexico City): CLUPP app detects the driving activity of it’s users and awards points which can be redeemed for hundreds of driving-related benefits, making life cheaper for prudent drivers and contributing to a world with fewer car accidents.
  • CoVive (Mexico City): CoVive is the platform that aims to offer affordable rooms in spaces designed and operated to improve the quality of sharing a place.
  • Eiya (Mexico City): Eiya provides an outstanding immediate and same-day pick up/deliveries. Empowering SME’s to create the best same day delivery experience for its customers.
  • GoFlit.com (Monterrey, Mexico): GoFlit makes logistics less complicated by connecting SME´s shippers with trusted carriers for local freight, delivering goods with the right vehicle at the right time.
  • Kwema (Cincinnati, United States): Kwema’s products and services provide an immediate response for women in dangerous situations.
  • Pronto (Mexico City): This is the first platform who offers private transportation without any additional fee, just the monthly payment . 

Social Impact

  • Folia Water (Pittsburgh / Philadelphia, United States): Folia Water retails nanosilver-infused water filters providing germ-free water to anyone.
  • Girls United Football Association (London, United Kingdom): Girls United is an organisation that provides leadership training through football for girls in low-income areas.
  • Innpactia (Bogota, Colombia): Innpactia is the centralized platform where Latam social impact agents discover talent and funding through an efficient match-making search.
  • Lady Meche (Mexico): Lady Meche is a collective of social workers oriented to social intervention with women immersed in sex trade inside the neighborhood of La Merced, Mexico City.
  • Tumbiko Joyeria (Mexico City): Tumbiko links emergent designers with a wide network of Mexican craft jewelers to create unique handmade pieces.

About MassChallenge
MassChallenge is a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators. Headquartered in the United States with locations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Switzerland, Texas, and the UK, MassChallenge is committed to strengthening the global innovation ecosystem by supporting high-potential startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world. To date, more than 1,500 MassChallenge alumni have raised more than $3 billion in funding, generated more than $2 billion in revenue, and created more than 80,000 total jobs. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.