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The 2023 Startup Mentorship Program was a virtual program for 5 Chilean startups to refine their pitch for U.S. clients and investors and receive market validation on their product.
Tailored to the Chilean tech ecosystem, this program spanned two months of consultations and mentorship meetings, marking a pivotal opportunity for 5 startups preparing for a U.S. expansion. Conducted fully online, the startups received two consultation sessions with the SOSA innovation team to prepare them for high-level pitch feedback sessions. Each startup founder subsequently met with two New York-based investors deploying capital in their sector, who gave them strategic guidance on their pitch, U.S. entry strategy and local market trends to pay attention to.
Partner:
ProChile is the driving force behind Chile's international economic promotion. ProChile assists small and medium-sized enterprises in their international expansion efforts by leveraging the opportunities afforded by recent trade agreements, fostering public-private partnerships, and helping position Chile in the international marketplace. ProChile's network of in-country and foreign-based trade offices offer Chilean exporters a broad range of support services, notably general orientation, trade development, and information technology.
Participants:
SOSA’s virtual program brought together a diverse cohort of 5 Chilean startups, each contributing their unique innovation to the mix. The startups represented a wide range of innovative solutions from Chile’s tech scene, ranging from Industry 4.0 to blockchain to sustainability:
Yoy: Yoy Simulators provides virtual reality, augmented reality, web simulators, and virtual tours.
EcoEd: EcoEd offers sustainable business management, life-cycle analysis, eco-design, and e-learning solutions.
Paradigma: Paradigma builds decentralized applications based on blockchain technology.
Prevsis: Prevsis develops EHS software for industrial applications with a focus on compliance.
Option: Option provides IT consulting services for the energy, mining and financial sectors.
Participants' Feedback:
As the virtual program concluded, participants shared their feedback on the experience
“The SOSA x ProChile program gave us useful feedback and suggestions. It was a fast, direct way to improve our pitch."
Juan Reyes, Co-founder and CEO of Yoy Simulators
"The program managed to encourage us to refine our speech and presentation of our digital identity solution. The feedback received helped us to polish the brief of the product market to the audience market we are trying to reach in a limited time. The effort has been serving us to reach different potential customers or business partners"
Philip Roe-Smithson, Paragidma Global
Program Highlights:
Tailored Program: In the initial meeting, the startups explored their objectives, laying the foundation for a tailored program. Following up, we delved deeper into the startups' goals, refining the program to meet their needs.
Personalized Mentorship: Each company pitch was delivered and meticulously reviewed by SOSA’s program manager, providing constructive feedback for improvement. It was then presented to SOSA’s innovation team, who gave valuable feedback, shaping the startups' approach.
Investor Meetings: Individual meetings with potential investors were facilitated. The startups then had the chance to pitch to a US investor, engaging in a discussion that yielded insightful feedback on their value proposition, US growth potential, and fundraising strategy.
The alumni startups were indexed on Savvy, SOSA's groundbreaking innovation management platform. Being indexed on Savvy grants startups unparalleled visibility and access, opening doors to collaboration, partnerships, and potential engagements with corporate and government innovation teams.
SOSA's unique position:
During this mentorship program, SOSA not only showcased its ability to help build startup success stories but also how it serves as a valuable partner for governments seeking to expand their startup ecosystems globally.
Drawing on their extensive experience, SOSA has already executed 40 diverse programs, ranging from two-day boot camps to 6 month accelerator programs, involving hundreds of startups and collaborating with governments worldwide, all geared towards propelling local startups into the U.S. and global markets.
SOSA’s accelerator programs hold a unique advantage: our deep engagement with over 100 global corporations and leading investors (VCs and CVCs) who rely on us for technology scouting and investment deal flow. This insider knowledge allows us to tailor our accelerator programs, offering startups targeted guidance and practical tools that align perfectly with corporate and investor expectations. Additionally, it grants us unparalleled access to facilitate meaningful introductions.
