Know Hub Chile launched the call for the fourth edition of «Know Hub Ignition«, a program dedicated to accelerating startups. This time, the initiative has the collaboration of Mexico’s Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec de Monterrey) and the backing of Chile’s National Research and Development Agency (ANID), as well as the participation of Lockheed Martin as a partner company.
The call opens on May 29 and will remain open until July 16, for a program that will run in a hybrid format for teams from Chile and fully online for teams from the rest of Latin America. Javier Ramírez, executive director of Know Hub Chile, said that «across its different editions, Know Hub Ignition has proven to be an effective tool for turning science into innovation. In this new edition, in addition to Chile, we will use that knowledge, experience and networks to expand our search to Colombia and Mexico«.
Call for the fourth edition of Know Hub Ignition
For this edition, the program will award USD 140,000 among the teams and has two categories. The first covers all areas of science and technology, such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics, software, synthetic biology, sensors and space technologies, among others. The second focuses on dual innovation, the process through which science and technology are turned into products and services with applications in defense and the civilian world.
«With this training, through our mentors, we will be able to identify and guide Latin American entrepreneurial talent so they can create their EBCTs and connect with the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Mexico and our softlanding EBCTec-Bridge program», says Silvia Mora, associate director of Outreach, Market Strategy and Fund Management at Tec de Monterrey.
Strengthening EBCTs
The initiative also seeks to strengthen the capabilities of science-based startups (EBCTs) through the support of mentors from Chile and Mexico. The focus is on value proposition and customer segment, to accelerate their early and global growth. In addition, the three winning teams will take part in an immersion phase in an ecosystem suited to their target market, business model and technology readiness level. These could be, for example, Mexico, Spain, France or the United States.
«The Customer Discovery process we worked on in Ignition was essential to accelerate the development of a relatively general prototype into a much more specific product, with which we are now working on our first 10 validations”, explains Gabriel Sanllehi, CEO of Beloop, a circular analysis software tool that reduces environmental impact through new packaging systems, and one of the 2023 winners. Applications for Know Hub Ignition 04 are open on the official website: www.knowhub.cl/ignition04
Read the original article at: https://startupslatam.com/know-hub-ignition-04-chile-y-mexico-se-unen-para-acelerar-startups/
