Colombian ESOs AMPLO, Vertical-i and Crowd Innovation Lab were selected by their peers to receive equity-free financing. Each Entrepreneur Support Organization (ESO) will receive USD $25,000 to support their operations after being selected by their peers on the last day of the Colombian Ecosystem Builders program
Village Capital, with the support of Argidius Foundation, announced that AMPLO, Vertical-i and Crowd Innovation Lab were the three Entrepreneur Support Organizations best evaluated by their peers as part of the Colombian Ecosystem Builders program.
The acceleration program supported nine ESOs – such as accelerators, incubators, funds, universities and service providers – that train Colombian entrepreneurs. 77% of the cohort is located in the coastal area of the country and 100% have a woman as a founder or member of the leadership team.
On the last day of Colombian Ecosystem Builders, AMPLO, Vertical-i and Crowd Innovation Lab received the highest ranking in terms of readiness to receive investment by their peer group.
Participating ESOs evaluated each other through the lens of a funder, using Village Capital’s ESO diagnostic tool and peer-selection methodology. Through the acceleration program, ESOs participated in four hybrid capacity-building workshops and received mentoring from industry experts, investors and ecosystem partners.
All ESOs that participated in the program received USD $2,000 at the end of the program’s acceleration phase. Additionally, ESOs selected by their peers will receive USD $25,000 to support their operations.
With the training and equity-free financing received, they will be able to develop the networks and tools necessary to support Colombian entrepreneurs to scale their businesses and build the necessary infrastructure to ensure that Colombia can benefit from a thriving startup community.
The peer-selected startups focus on the following:
- AMPLO (Bogotá) promotes inclusive economic development in Latin America by helping small businesses have the conditions for a successful flow of capital.
- Vertical-i (Barranquilla) is a technology-based entrepreneurship incubator, with track record and experience in innovation and technology consulting.
- Crowd Innovation Lab (Cali) focuses on agricultural chains and circular economy, promoting value creation through entrepreneurship, innovation and investment models.
