Ginia, the technology platform, announced the closing of its pre-seed investment round for $1.7 million. Its mission is to connect students with job opportunities before they graduate.
The round was led by Wollef. The international funds NFX and Latitud also participated. This investment will allow Ginia to accelerate product development. It will also strengthen its regional expansion strategy. Finally, it will consolidate it as a key player in the Latin American education-employment linkage market.
The Origin and Structural Challenge of Latam
Ginia was founded by Antía Vázquez Fernández, Melissa Manrique Rodríguez and Renata Millet Ponce. It was born to solve an urgent structural challenge: the disconnection between educational systems and the labor market.
Currently, more than 50% of graduates in Latin America end up in jobs that are misaligned with their training. This implies salary penalties of up to 30%. In Mexico, only four out of every 10 young people have access to formal employment. Meanwhile, between 40% and 60% of companies report difficulties filling technical vacancies. This imbalance generates a deficit of more than one million unfilled positions in the region.
Technology, Impact and Expansion
Ginia’s platform is powered by artificial intelligence. Use accessible channels like WhatsApp. It offers comprehensive support to students before their graduation. Makes it easier to build your resume and prepare for interviews. In addition, it links them with opportunities aligned to their profile.
Ginia’s value proposition is articulated around three axes:
- For students, it means a faster and more effective way to obtain employment and advance professionally.
- For educational institutions, it represents traceability of graduates and strengthens employability indicators.
- For companies, it translates into access to young and reliable talent, reducing recruitment costs.
Antía Vázquez, CEO and co-founder, states: “The closing of this round represents a turning point. The participation of these funds validates our vision: to build the infrastructure that connects education and employment at scale. The economic and social impact of solving this gap will be enormous.”
Eric Pérez-Grovas, Managing Partner at Wollef, commented: “Ginia is solving it by connecting, with technology and information, universities, talent and employers. At Ginia we find exceptional female founders who face big and complex problems.”
The Great Potential of the Market
Ginia’s impact potential is enormous. There are more than 15 million students enrolled in technical programs. In addition, there are up to 30 million out-of-system youth (NEETs).
Melissa Manrique, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, points out: “Our vision is to become the strategic partner of companies and governments in creating a more efficient talent ecosystem.”
Alejandro Reyes, Chief Revenue Officer, added: “The true competitive advantage is not in teaching more, but in connecting better. The great challenge requires radical collaboration: converting education into productivity.”
The founders have vast prior experience: Antía Vázquez led the expansion of Zubale. Melissa Manrique scaled technology products at Addi. Renata Millet designed educational programs in 14 states of Mexico.
With this investment, Ginia plans to consolidate its presence in Mexico. Then, it will prepare its expansion to other markets in the region. It will continue to develop technological capabilities, focusing on predictive analytics and personalization.
