The winners will have an international immersion stage in an ecosystem suited to their technology, to advance on their path to market.
Soquimat, Alba and LifeNano Technologies were the winning teams of the fourth edition of the program run by Know Hub Chile, which offers USD 140,000 to be shared among the winners. In addition, the three winning teams will have an immersion phase in an ecosystem suited to their target market, business model and technology maturity level, which could be, for example, Mexico, Spain, France or the United States, among others, a location to be determined during the program.
The program has the collaboration of the Technology Transfer Office of Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico, supported by ANID, and the multinational Lockheed Martin as a partner company.
Of all the applicants (147 teams from various Latin American countries), 41 startups were shortlisted, of which only 11 teams moved on to the training phase. Nine of them finally presented on October 2 at the final pitch, focused on what sets their venture apart, their business model, commercial strategy and investment needs for global growth, where the jury chose three winners.
Winners: Turning science into innovation
- Soquimat: a startup that developed a Multifunctional Self-Healing Anticorrosive Paint (T-COAT), with bio-based additives from forestry waste that replace the additives traditionally used and banned in the USA and EU, such as lead, copper and phosphates, among others.
- Alba: a kinesthetic technology device designed by UMOV, specifically aimed at people with motor weakness in their upper limbs.
- LifeNano Technologies: developed an oxygenation technology for enclosed spaces that improves the safety of any personnel during an emergency, for example in submarines.
Launched in 2019 as a Know Hub Chile initiative, this program aims to increase the number and the national and international reach of technology businesses based on research and development (R&D) results generated by universities and research centers alike.
Javier Ramírez, executive director of Know Hub Chile, notes that “across its different editions, Know Hub Ignition has proven to be an effective tool for turning science into innovation.”
This initiative strengthens the capabilities of EBCTs with the support of mentors from Chile and Mexico, focusing on the value proposition and customer segment, to accelerate their early and global growth.
The jury was made up of Patricia Tobar, Senior Manager Business Development at Lockheed Martin; Patricia Elías, Corporate Deputy Manager of Partnerships & Innovation at Entel; Javier Ramírez, executive director of Know Hub Chile; Esteban Zapata, head of Transfer and Entrepreneurship at ANID; and Celia Cano, Global Partnerships lead at the Technology Transfer Office of Tecnológico de Monterrey.
Read the original article at https://www.entnerd.com/know-hub-ignition-ya-tiene-sus-startups-ganadoras-soquimat-alba-y-life-nanotechnologies/
