Chile’s InstaGIS cutting-edge big-data-geo-visualization-solution checks all the cool factor boxes. As a result they can now set their next destination as 500 startups. InstaGIS along with Floqq are two Chilean based startups that have been accepted into Batch 6 of the highly regarded accelerator.
InstaGIS is a geographic information system that allows retail stores to target their audiences. Translation they make super fancy interactive infographics that can be used by companies for market research and business intelligence to monitor what is happening in a specific geographic area.
And whether InstaGIS is used in a competitive retail environment such as Chile where there is not critical mass yet 2,500 people are waiting in line 24 hours for the doors of the newly launched H&M to open; or 5,000 miles away in Washington, DC which has a very affluent population but lacks high end retailers so Andi Joseph from the Golden Triangle BID is globetrotting trying to fill that void – obviously you can already see a few different ways companies could rock their software.
As far as the background on InstaGIS goes, I have to admit they were under the radar for me. Reading the founders names on their Angel List profile, can’t say that I initially recognized any of them. InstaGIS founders are: Fernando Ovalle, Ignacio Canals (@dentalink) and Julian Garcia. Danielle Jett is also listed as a team member and my guess is that she may be related to their marketing and PR (although I am not quite sure if she is still working with them as of this writing).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tFEnPaVu40 [/youtube]
After doing a wee bit of research on Instagis, here is what I discovered:
Back in the day, almost 3 years ago to the day, when I was writing ‘The Entrepreneur Hunter’ column for I Love Chile, English language newspaper, the first article I wrote was called The Reward of Risk, 10,000 Hours Later. The article was about 4 Chilean friends who had invested close to 10,000 collective hours into their venture before they finally started to see it pay off as they were gaining traction with their enterprise solution in Latin America and Spain.
The story was so interesting to me because how they started is with the idea they wanted to make something, but they weren’t quite sure what it was. Regardless they went through the whole process of launching a venture together, even to the point of renting office space without being clear on what it is they ultimately wanted to do. They showed up everyday and they worked a full day until one day they started ‘figuring it out’. Here’s an excerpt from that article:
Today Engenis has 4 team members which Roberto León Velasco gives full credit for his individual and their collective success. His team members include their 2 co-founders Daniel Guajardo and Guillermo Medel and Felipe Ríos, who currently oversees their Digital Strategies.
Having created 2 enterprise solutions, Dentalink (dentalink.cl), a web platform for consultation and management of dental clinics; and Qubity (qubity.com), a web platform for managing tasks and workspaces through a social paradigm, the team has gone full circle with the ups and downs of launching a small business endeavor….
InstaGIS co-founder Ignacio Canals is connected to (@dentalink). And Danielle Jett is former marketing (@QuantConnect) and I recall meeting her through Jared Broad who is the founder of QuantConnect. I guess she opted to remain in Chile after he recently relocated from Chile to Manhattan, obviously because of the financial aspect of his startup. I would have selected Chicago, but each to their own (:
Homework & My Million Dollar Tip for Investors
I am by no means an investor but I work with them and talk to them a lot especially private equity managing directors based in Southeast Asia. I can already see InstaGIS potential in a million different applications. But since they are on public broadcast now in a highly visible and leveraged circle, for all you investors looking for an ‘interesting’ project – I would strongly recommend you go back and research the original team (all of them) at Engenis and look at the path that each one has taken.
I recall having met those guys in person on several occasions and I have to say in early 2010 they were all doing something exceptional within the context of that venture; they’re business and marketing savvy; they have deep understanding of user experience; great eye for design; and they all had an understanding of how to fill niche enterprise needs. They were all definitely on point to say the least.
It may take a little time because as of this writing there is probably little public information that exists on them. But it is definitely worth the research effort. If for some reason you are not able to reach them, holla at me through AndesBeat contact form and I will assist you with making the connect for the low, low, price of…jeje…only kidding. (:
