The Venture Showcase, VC4A’s flagship startup program, empowers entrepreneurs looking to raise their Seed and Series A rounds with essential tools to secure funding successfully. Since 2017, it is the leading investment readiness program in Africa and since 2022, it has been implemented in Latin America.
Recognizing the gender gap in startup funding, VC4A set out to launch its first female-focused edition in Latin America in November 2023 with the support of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), FMO the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank and the EAN University. More than 260 entrepreneurs from 18 countries in the region responded to the call for applications, of which 55 were shortlisted and evaluated by a group of LatAm focused investors. In February 2024, the top 10 startups were chosen for the program. These selected founders embarked on an intensive 4-month program, combining tailored fundraising training, technical support, expert one-on-one mentorship, and strategic investor connections facilitated by VC4A. The program culminated in exclusive DealRooms with curated LatAm-focused investors.
VC4A Venture Showcase (VS) LatAm – Women Founder Edition participants have collectively raised $1.1M since joining the program, building on the legacy of VS alumni from Africa and LatAm who have collectively raised over $850M. All the startups remain in active conversations with the investors they met while in the program and we look forward to their subsequent investments. Investors who are interested in the startups can contact Alejandra[at]vc4a[dot]com to request their DealBooks.
Meet the 10 women-led startups of the 2023-2024 VC4A Venture Showcase LatAm – Women founder edition.
VC4A Venture Showcase LatAm program value offer
The ten participating ventures received comprehensive support designed to prepare them for fundraising, including:
- Technical Residency in Bogota: The program kicked off with an immersive learning experience at the EAN University in Bogota, Colombia. This one week, in-person component, featured expert workshops and an invite-only DemoDay for the cohort at the University facilities. Following the residency, the ventures participated in Startco, one of Colombia’s most recognized startup events, gaining further exposure and validation within the LatAm startup ecosystem.
- Investment Readiness Training (IRT): VC4A’s award-winning IRT curriculum equipped the entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills necessary to craft winning investment pitches and navigate the complexities of the fundraising process.
- Technical sessions: The investors held support sessions that addressed specific technical needs of the ventures, ensuring their financial projections, business models, and operational strategies were investor-ready.
- Curated mentor-matching featuring leading Venture Capital (VC) investors: Seasoned industry experts provided guidance and mentorship, helping the ventures refine their fundraising strategies. Technical focus areas included pitch deck development, fundraising strategy, among other needs.
The success of the program comes from the investor engagement. In all stages of the program, entrepreneurs are able to connect to a large number of curated investors.
Other success factors are that the training delivered is based on the ventures’ needs, and that the mentor-matching is curated, matching entrepreneurs with investors who know their business industry and can support them well.
– Alejandra Paniagua – Project Manager LatAm, VC4A.
Michelle Gomberoff, CEO & Co-founder of Cirkula, pitching at the Technical Residency kickoff of the 2023-2024 VC4A Venture Showcase LatAm – Women Founder Edition at EAN University Bogota.
Global and regional visibility for the participating startups
For transformational entrepreneurs to succeed, they need to have access to a global network of knowledge and capital. For a global network to engage, the entrepreneurial community needs to be visible and accessible. Beyond the internal support, the Venture Showcase program offered the ventures tools to gain visibility among potential investors, including:
- VC4A venture profile: Each venture created a profile page on the VC4A platform, to showcase their business to the global investor network. Pro VC4A members and DealRoom participants had exclusive access to all details about the ventures.
- VC DealBook: All Venture Showcase participants got a dedicated page in the VC DealBook, further amplifying their reach to investors actively seeking curated opportunities within the Latin American region. Contact us to request their DealBooks.
- Closing DealRooms: The program culminated in individual exclusive VC4A DealRooms, facilitating direct interactions between ventures and interested investors. Across the 10 DealRooms there were a total of 106 investor connections, with companies averaging more than 10 interested investors per DealRoom.
Number of connections made under the program:
Visual representation of the investor – founder connections made via the Venture Showcase LatAm program.
Venture Showcase LatAm in numbers
The VC4A Venture Showcase LatAm – Women Founder Edition yielded amazing results. Here’s a glimpse of the program’s impact:
- Investor connections made: The ventures were collectively connected with 60+ investment firms who participated throughout the program. In total, over 200 direct investor – founder interactions were facilitated.
- Company growth and funding secured: 60% of the cohort experienced revenue growth during the program and 50% raised considerable funding. The total amount raised by the participating startups is $1.1M to date, with more expected once the DealRoom discussions run their course. Notably, KreedFeed closed their SEED round thanks to an investor they met during the Technical Residency kick-off in Colombia.
- Investor gender split: The program attracted a diverse pool of participating investors with a participation of 40% women investors. At the cohort level, the makeup of each venture was nearly 50% full-time female employees on average, across each team.
Up next for the Venture Showcase participants
It has been an impactful experience to support the founders along the journey but the work doesn’t stop here. Entrepreneurs will follow up on the discussions and negotiations initiated with investors during the program, with regular check-ins from the VC4A team. Their venture profiles will remain visible to the VC4A investor network, and they will receive invitations to participate in other programs. The VC4A Startup Academy courses and Mentorship Marketplace will be available to them for receiving support in different business areas.
Group photograph of members of the VC4A team with participants of the 2023-2024 VC4A Venture Showcase LatAm – Women Founder Edition at EAN University premises, Bogota.
A few testimonials from the participants:
The mentor they assigned to us in The VC4A Venture Showcase Program was just perfect. She knew our industry and markets well, and even the frustrations that as an entrepreneur, you can have when it comes to fundraising. She made us remember the potential that our business has and impulsed us to go for more. She was very engaged with helping us achieve success for our company.
– Angelica Acosta – CEO & Co-founder,IncluirTec
VC4A Venture Showcase was a really helpful program for us; we even managed to close an investment from an investor we met during the kickoff of the program in Bogota. This allowed us to get more investors interested in our startup, gain momentum in the fundraising process, and even close our round.
– Luis Sanchez – CEO & Co-founder,KredFeed
Showcase participants celebrating at the exclusive StartCo 2024 event, Bogotá, Colombia.
Special recognition and closing remarks
The success of the program would not have been possible without the dedication of our partners at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), FMO the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank and the EAN University, the insightful contributions of participating investors and the support of the entire ecosystem – mentors, industry experts and everyone who played a crucial role.
IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. In fiscal year 2023, IFC committed a record $43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, women-owned small and medium enterprises face an estimated financing gap of $92 billion (IFC 2020). The IFC ScaleX program aims to help address this gap by working with stakeholders across the entrepreneurial ecosystem in emerging markets to increase access to early-stage risk capital for women-led startups” said Loretta Foran.
We were pleased to partner with VC4A on the Latin America Women Founders Showcase and support innovative women-led startups with training, mentorship and vital connections to investors across the region to help them attract more capital to grow their businesses.
Loretta Foran – IFC ScaleX lead – International Finance Corporation.
The VC4A Venture Showcase LatAm – Women Founder Edition has concluded, but its impact is far from over. The participating ventures are now equipped with the necessary tools, connections and confidence to scale-up their businesses in Latin America.
For more information about the program, the 2023-2024 alumni or to request the DealBook of any of the startups, please contact Alejandra Paniagua, the Project Manager – LatAm, VC4A.
About VC4A
VC4A is an ecosystem builder that leverages its infrastructure, network, and expertise for the programs that contribute to the startup development in emerging markets. Since 2007, the organization has designed, structured, and implemented successful entrepreneurship programs. VC4A runs an online platform featuring the ecosystem’s largest database of startups in Africa and Latin America, connecting the entrepreneurs of these regions to resources, networks and funding. Visit vc4a.com and latam.vc4a.com for more information.
About IFC
IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2023, IFC committed a record $43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org. Stay Connected with IFC on social.