Carlos Leiva and I love going wherever the startup scene takes us… not only because it’s a great place to meet some inspiring, hard-working entrepreneurs with world-changing ideas, but also because startup events always tend to involve some type of free cerveza on the mesa. Check out the events we dropped in on yesterday – and keep your eyes peeled on AndesBeat for more events like this; they’re sure to arise!:
Global Startup Fest
Our first stop of the evening was the Start Up Chile headquarters for a Global Startup Fest. It was my first time inside the chill digs at the SUP HQ, and I was wowed. For those who don’t know, it’s a huge, four-story high, sunny co-working space filled with comfortable meeting areas, looooong desks filled with prototypers and developers tapping away on their laptops, sleek digital displays of recent startup projects and events, and outdoor cafés aimed for those who are seeking a quieter place to discuss business. Plus, it’s filled with people from all over the world who are bursting with new ideas, speaking in different languages, and helping each other with their vast skills toolkits. Not a bad place to start a business if I may say so myself.
The event was held to connect members of the startup community with each other, and with international ambassadors, with the overall aim of helping entrepreneurs discover global resources available, vet their company ideas with people who have market and subject matter expertise, and discover international partnerships that can help their companies grow.
After a couple hours spent mingling with entrepreneurs pioneering startup companies ranging from retargeting software, A/B testing software, educational platforms, on-demand home cleaning services, and crowdfunding platforms, Carlos and I were off to our next destination.
Chile Global Angels
Yesterday evening was the second event to date hosted by Chile Global Angels, a network of angel investors leading Latin America in the seed investing space, with investments ranging from $20,000 to $500,000 USD. As Adam Komarnicki from Fundacity recently reported for AndesBeat, Chile Global Angels has 27 angel members, whom have screened 400+ startups, funded 13 startups (including Kudo! Learning which was recently featured on AndesBeat!), and allocated $1.8 million over 4 years. Take a look at their portfolio of entrepreneurs, and their network of angel investors.
The event, held in Castillo Forestal across from Bellas Artes, encouraged networking among members of the Chile Global Angels network, to include entrepreneurs, potential investors, individuals from Fundación Chile, teams from other incubators, VC managers, government officials, etc. Carlos and I enjoyed meeting a number of different entrepreneurs, including the team from Ttanti who makes watches from Southern Chilean wood and Northern Chilean leather, as well as mixing with the amicable Chile Global Angels team whose bubbly attitudes, wide smiles, and continuous insistence that everyone partake in the beautiful food and pisco sours, ensured that all were having a good time.
