Lup one of 35 start-ups selected to participate in MassChallenge Mexico's 2019 Accelerator program
MEXICO, JUNE 6, 2019 - MassChallenge Mexico, part of MassChallenge’s global network of zero - equity startup accelerators, today announced the 35 high-impact startups invited to be part of its 2019 accelerator program in Mexico. The chosen startups will compete for a portion of $2 million equity-free Mexican pesos while they participate in a one-of-a-kind program.
Through a global network of zero-equity accelerators, MassChallenge helps the world's highest-impact and potential startups successfully launch, grow, and create impact across industries. This proven model has accelerated more than 1,900 alumni that have gone on to raise more than $4 billion in funding, generate over $2.5 billion in revenue, and create over 120,000 total jobs.
“This year is incredibly relevant due to the high-quality applicants we received, specially from sectors such as financial technology, food and beverages, online commerce and social impact. Having a predominant number of high tech, consumer goods and health care focused startups in the program reflects a growing interest to solve local problems with solutions that could have a global reach", said Camila Lecaros, Managing Director of MassChallenge Mexico.
This impact would not be possible without the industry - leading organizations that are part of the MassChallenge Mexico’s partner network, which includes Accenture, Coca-Cola México, SURA Asset Management, Facebook, Nestlé, CEMEX, Greenberg Traurig, Baker & McKenzie, Simon Kucher, INADEM, and SEDECO CDMX-FONDESO. "Partnering with MassChallenge enhances our commitment to build a better future. Working together towards a common goal by fostering and strengthening Latin American entrepreneurs is the best way to guarantee a greater impact” said Héctor González García, Social Innovation Director at CEMEX-Tec Center.
Since March, top investors, serial entrepreneurs, corporate executives, academics, and more have evaluated over 700 applications based on each startup ability to demonstrate impact and potential, which ranges from scientific breakthroughs to industry disruptions. Many of these judges remain actively involved throughout the four-month MassChallenge Mexico program as mentors, speakers, and even potential partners.
After an intense selection process, in which more than 70 global judges evaluated 745 startups, 35 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 high tech and consumer goods solutions have been showing a predominant interest as well as new business models in the FinTech, food and beverages, agriculture and the online commerce sector.
Of the 35 startups selected:
· 38% are general, retail and consumer goods
· 35% are high tech
· 15% are healthcare and life sciences
· 9% are social impact
· 6% are cleantech and energy
This year, 38% 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 launch businesses that address or solve a specific issue that they have encountered. In Mexico, women primarily launch businesses in sectors such as clothing and accessories (42%), cosmetics and personal care (38%), food and beverages (14%), maternity (10%), and flowers and gifts (9%). It is also known that only the 9% use digital platforms to promote their initiatives.
Founded in 2016, MassChallenge Mexico has supported more than a hundred startups that have raised over $23 million dollars of investment; working with startups from Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia.
As part of the 2019 cohort, startups will have unrivaled access to top corporate partners, expert mentorship, tailored curriculum, and more than 1,100 square-feet of co-working space in Mexico’s dynamic ecosystem, all at zero cost and for zero equity.
The accelerator program will culminate on November 6th, 2019 at the MassChallenge Mexico Awards, where the most-promising startups compete for shares of more than $1.5 million in equity - free awards.
2019 MASSCHALLENGE MEXICO COHORT
GENERAL / RETAIL / CONSUMER GOODS
Abeja Reyna (Mexico): Abeja Reyna is an organic honey beauty and skincare brand.
Bellezacheck (Mexico): Bellezacheck is a digital, community-driven platform for consumer reviews and ratings on beauty products.
Central de Ofertas (Argentina): Central de Ofertas is the B2B Marketplace for the traditional channel in the FMCGs industry.
Check-Eat (Mexico): Check-Eat is a free mobile app that streamlines the food ordering process at restaurants, bringing convenience and a great experience to the customers.
CONSOLHUB (Mexico): Consolhub is the Expedia for Consolidated Ocean Freight bookings. Its platform speeds up the booking process time from 1 week to 30 mins.
FUTZ (Mexico): FUTZ is the 1st food outlet app, where they connect restaurants with people offering fresh daily food at a 50% discount from its store value.
Just B-D (Germany): Just B-D created the platform FairMeals to provide an incentive for gastronomy businesses to not simply throw away their food but to offer it to clients at a reduced price at the end of the day.
Legalario (Mexico): Legalario is an affordable legal services platform for individuals and companies. It allows you to create contracts through programmed templates, also you can manage and e-sign them.
Polybion (Mexico): Polybion uses local waste as bio fabrication feedstock, to grow biomaterials.
Rutopia (Mexico): Rutopia is a web platform that enables indigenous communities to create and sell integrated touristic experiences, continuously improving with data.
Sensegrass (India): Sensegrass is a smart farming solution for fertilizer management and crop diseases detection to increase crop yield with smart NPK Soil Sensors.
Symplifica (Colombia): Symplifica makes easier for employers the process to regulate their domestic workers and enroll them into a social security system.
HIGH TECH
Baubap (Mexico): Baubap is a microlending financial inclusion platform that delivers a world class financing service to Mexico's base of the pyramid population.
Cambas Collective Innovation (Mexico): Cambas Collective Innovation enables companies to recruit from a talent pool with the largest and fastest growing creative community in Latam.
Dartspeed.com, Inc. (Colombia): Dartspeed cloud solution makes your webpages load in less than 1 second.
Facturedo (Mexico): Facturedo provides a transparent, economic and seamless tool for SME’s to obtain liquidity from their receivables and electronic invoices.
Findo (Mexico): Findo is a family game app to encourage kids to set goals and practice good habits and saving in a fun and disruptive way.
Fondeo Directo (Mexico): Fondeo Directo is a market platform that connects companies that need immediate payments with investors willing to finance them.
Karbook (Mexico): A cloud-based management tool for auto repair shops, to potentialize their growth and customer relationships.
LikeU (Colombia): LikeU is a platform that selects, trains and gives women digital skills in order to provide world-class services such as customer service, marketing and sales, among others.
OpenBlender (Mexico): Openblender’s time-location algorithm allows you to search, filter, blend and correlate datasets from any source to enrich your own.
Refly (Mexico): Refly is the #1 peer to peer marketplace to sell and buy flight tickets.
Soy Agencia (Mexico): Soy Agencia is a digital platform that connects small to medium companies with freelancers who are looking for their next job opportunity.
Talent on Demand (Mexico): Talent on Demand (TOD) is a marketplace that connects independent experts to companies that need on-demand and cost-effective solutions in a flexible way.
Wimet (Argentina): Wimet is a marketplace that allows you to publish, discover and rent spaces for meetings, events and productions.
HEALTHCARE / LIFE SCIENCES
Actipulse Medical (Mexico): Neuro-tech company specialized in the clinical research, engineering and manufacturing of neuromodulation devices.
DetectAn (Mexico): DetectAn is a quick, efficient, and disposable screening diagnostic test device, that uses saliva rather than blood to detect iron-deficiency anemia and pre-anemic iron deficiency.
Elion (Mexico): Elion built a platform that centralizes and analyzes data to process claims faster, better and cheaper. At its heart are their proprietary diagnosis and therapy algorithms that check if the disease was diagnosed and treated correctly.
Moons (Mexico): Moons is making orthodontic treatments accessible to everyone.
KetherLabs (Mexico): KetherLabs is a patch that diagnoses non-invasive vaginal infections with a friendly price point.
SOCIAL IMPACT
Golgi Technology S.A.P.I. de C.V. (Mexico): Golgi Technology is dedicated to the research and development of biodegradable plastics.
La Cana (Mexico): La Cana works with imprisoned women, by bringing productive programs into prison, aimed at achieving the inmates' reintegration into society.
Lup Colombia (Colombia): Lup Colombia aims to create a centralized recycling and manufacturing plant for glass waste.
CLEANTECH / ENERGY
CPlantae (Mexico): CPlantae develops wastewater treatment ecological systems that use worms, insects and aquatic plants.
Weav-Air (Canada): WeavAir offers advanced sensors and predictive analytics solutions to save energy and reduce costs of high value air distribution systems.
---
Celebrating 10 Years
Now in its 10th anniversary year, MassChallenge Inc. has continued to scale its high impact model around the world, with operations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Rhode Island, Switzerland, and Texas. In addition, the organization experienced significant industry growth with its later stage vertical accelerators MassChallenge FinTech and MassChallenge HealthTech.
About MassChallenge
MassChallenge is a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators. Headquartered in the United States with locations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Rhode Island, Switzerland, and Texas, 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 1,900 MassChallenge alumni have raised more than $4 billion in funding, generated more than $2.5 billion in revenue, and created more than 120,000 total jobs. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.