During this uncertain year, we have seen even more startups adapting and reinventing themselves to survive and scale in the region.

A report published by LAVCA at the beginning of the year, showed that the VC investments in the region had doubled from 2018 to 2019, extending more than $4.6 billion worth of investment to Latinamerican companies. This year due to COVID-19, the region was strongly impacted economically, socially and politically. But despite the current struggle, in October, KAVAK, became the first Mexican startup to become a unicorn.

It appears that the only way to end this crazy year is for entrepreneurs to keep pushing towards new opportunities to grow and to create an impact for themselves and for their communities. Let’s take a closer look at some of the promising startups in the region that have made it to the LATAM Regional Finals of the Seedstars World Competition 2020/21.

Four enterprise tech startups are solving a variety of enterprise grade issues utilizing, AI, IoT, automation, and digitization: Cuantix (Chile), EDNA (Costa Rica), Cognitiva (Ecuador), and SIA (Panama). Fintech Alfi (Peru) is also infusing financial education with their marketplace for financial products.

Making up the HealthTech startups joining the LATAM regionals are Creotec (Bolivia), a startup producing accessible prosthetics; Bitmec (Guatemala), a digital healthcare platform empowering the underserved rural communities; and PEGASI (Venezuela), a company that helps make healthcare information accessible. Online EdTech platforms Boki (Uruguay) and EduSynch (Brazil) are delivering fun educational tools for students and effective online assessment tools for institutions.

Retail-focused startups helping local businesses increase their sales and digitize their offerings are TiendApp (Colombia) and Aumenta (Paraguay). Through their AI technology, Own The Trip (Dominican Republic) offers travel solutions to travelers and Aiwifi (Mexico) brings wifi as a marketing and CI tool for businesses. Lastly, Klouser (Argentina), a service provider for digitizing businesses, is also advancing to the next stage.

What’s new in this year’s SSW Competition?

This year, we received 500+ applications from LATAM. This batch brought in interesting startups that made it difficult to choose which ones are set to represent their country for the next stage of the competition. The startups that did make it to the list are working in a variety of industries, building solutions that aim to meet specific problems that are widely faced in the region.

During the selection process, startups were invited to utilize the Online Seedstars Academy (OSA), where they were able to access an extended list of educational resources that would help them learn, review and apply the concepts to their own businesses. Additionally, the top 5 startups from each country had mentoring sessions with our LATAM experts, and the top three startups received access to Seedstars Perks, provided by our global sponsors.

As Diana Poppa, one of our mentors, said during the Winner Announcement Day, “You need to define winning. What is success and winning for you? This competition, yes it has a prize for the Global Winner, but you need to define what you are willing to get from this competition. Beyond the money you are gaining knowledge, tools to define your market and customers, structure for your business and a mentors network. You are getting to know mentors and advisors to build the best out of your company.”

Get to know the startup who made it to the LATAM regionals:

PERU

Alfi: Alfi is a marketplace for financial products based on financial education. They educate and include people through a single digital channel.

COLOMBIA

TiendAPP: TiendAPP is a communication startup that allows store owners to increase sales, make purchases and control their business.

VENEZUELA

Pegasi: They make Healthcare information accessible, clear and useful for patients, physicians and service providers in the developing world.

ARGENTINA

Klouser: A platform that helps thought leaders to digitize their business, retain and engage their customers through their own membership business.

URUGUAY

Boki: Boki is an educational tool with challenging activities and really fun exercises that helps students learn while enjoying it.

CHILE

Cuantix: Cuantix is a web platform that makes the impact measurement process more efficient, through technology.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Own the Trip: A platform where travelers create a trip idea without inventory and through A.I.

PARAGUAY

Aumenta: Is a platform when people can create AR content without programming knowledge, for APPs and Web Mobile.

COSTA RICA

EDNA: EDNA is a natural language platform that adds artificially intelligent conversational interfaces to apps, devices and bots.

ECUADOR

Cognitiva: Is a SaaS platform that uses Digitalization, IoT and RPA (robot process automation) technology to solve industrial common issues.

BRAZIL

EduSynch: EduSynch is an online assessment platform for institutions to deliver tests remotely, securely and at scale.

BOLIVIA

Creotec: They make custom upper extremity prosthetics accessible through the use of custom high-tech tools, design, printing, and virtual care.

GUATEMALA

Bitmec: Through a digital healthcare platform, they bring quality medical care to underserved rural communities in developing economies.

PANAMA

SIA: SIA is an enterprise grade time & attendance solution for LATAM. Their touchless technology eliminates the need for fingerprint based systems.

MEXICO

Aiwifi: They connect the physical with the digital world through an AI based Wifi captive portal solution, giving businesses a loyalty and CI tool.

“It's been an amazing experience to watch all of these Latin American startups putting all their efforts and participation into being a part of the SSW 2020/21 Competition. As a Latin American woman, I can say that there is so much to do in the region and that the world needs entrepreneurs just like the ones we have met, who are willing to change our reality. The competition has been way better than what we expected in these uncertain times, so the only thing that I can say is: KEEP IT UP. I can't wait to see the startups representing their country on the Regional Stage and competing to be the Global Winner,” shares Paulina Zibara, Community and Events Manager of LATAM.

We want to give a big thank you to our Latinamerica partners that made this competition possible. From Costa Rica, a special thanks to Accenture and Procomer for supporting the startups and hosting the Costa Rica Local Stage.

Also, a special thanks to our Bolivian partners, Cainco, BID Lab, and Revista Emprendedores for the Bolivia Local Stage Event. A big thank you goes out to swissnex Brazil and Sai do Papel as well for their support with the Brazil Webinar.

We’re grateful to have worked with Cibersons and MIC Paraguay who provided support during the local stage of the competition. The team also thanks AWS, our Regional Partner, for all the initiatives, resources and support they have provided for the startups. And last but not least, we want to express our gratitude to all of our Latinamerica Ambassadors and Swiss Embassies who were key partners in making all this happen.

What to expect from the Regional Stage?

For the LATAM Regional Stage, the 15 startups competing will be featured in our Regional Stage Broadcasts. Stay tuned to watch the startups as they pitch and answer burning questions from the jury panel, all for a chance to move to the Global Stage in Switzerland. Expecting competitive and exciting broadcast.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest updates on the Seedstars World Competition 2020 here: https://seedsta.rs/39cG8Vw.