- The program has an open call throughout Latin America, seeking to support technology-based companies whose business model generates a clear positive social or environmental impact.
- There will be up to 10 ventures that will be able to receive mentoring, access relationships with investors, capital rounds and strategies to improve business models for products and services.
- This is one of ISA Group’s initiatives to leverage economic reactivation in the region.
This alliance stems from ISA’s purpose to inspire and convene others to work on solutions for the benefit of humanity, and Rockstart’s extensive experience investing and accelerating startups for more than 10 years globally, being one of the leaders in Colombia and Latin America.
Both companies believe in entrepreneurship and are committed to innovation as an engine of change for society. Therefore, through the creation of ISA’s “Creando Conexiones de Impacto”(Creating Impact Connections) program, they embarked on the search for emerging companies that effectively contribute to improving environmental sustainability, which solve problems in vulnerable communities or, in general, that have challenges aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“This alliance brings together everything we believe in: innovation, which is a fundamental pillar of our 2030 strategy; in the solution to urgent matters on the global agenda such as climate change and social development, in which we have been leaders and models; and in the urgent economic reactivation that the region needs in order to emerge from the crisis into which the pandemic has plunged us all. This is for us to generate Sustainable Value, to put ourselves at the service of causes of the global agenda and inspire others in its benefit,” said Agostinho João Almeida, ISA’s Corporate Director of Innovation.
Among the selection criteria for the 10 startups that will benefit, multiple variables will be considered, such as the profile of their team, that the product is unique, innovative, scalable and generates impact, that it is a proven initiative, preferably, and that it solves a society problem such as climate change mitigation, innovation in food supply chains, elimination of waste, among others.
The projects that pass through this program will be connected to the entire entrepreneurship ecosystem in the region, where Rockstart will put at the service of this alliance a community of more than 100 specialized mentors, more than 40 members of its community of investors between Impact Funds and Angel Investors, and more than 50 companies that today are part of its corporate community.
“For us at Rockstart, alliances like this are worthwhile because we believe that the best way to support entrepreneurs is together: between investors, mentors and large corporations. We are looking for startups with a great founding team, a well-built product and early traction to create high-impact solutions. We are interested in those that are creating the future, using new and promising technologies, and what better way to do it than hand in hand with ISA, a company with a joint purpose, which is committed to innovation and contributes to change,” said Felipe Santamaria, Co-founder and Managing Director of Rockstart LATAM.
The selected initiatives will also have a four-month acceleration experience in which they will receive comprehensive mentoring on different fronts such as product development, financial models, impact indicators, legal aspects, marketing, UX/UI, growth, fundraising (Venture Capital) and impact, teams, leadership and will be part of the lifetime program offered by the accelerator to its Alumni or apprentices.
The possibility of receiving financial backing would come from different companies that, through synergies, alliances, and capital rounds, could find in these solutions exponential growth opportunities shared with entrepreneurs. Lastly, the startups selected for the acceleration program will not deliver equity (shares) for their participation, since the purpose of the program is for these startups to grow, develop impact indicators and prepare to raise capital. Interested companies can register on the website https://www.rockstartlatam.com/programaISA and can follow the call on the social networks of both companies: ISA (Facebook and Instagram); Rockstart LATAM (Facebook and Instagram).
