SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - Start-Up Chile CEO Javiera Araneda called for deeper cooperation between Chile and South Korea in building a global startup ecosystem on Wednesday during a pitching and networking event held in the southern Seoul district of Gangnam.
The event, hosted by the Embassy of Chile in the Republic of Korea at the Global Startup Center, brought together about 60 participants, including startup founders and entrepreneurs from South Korea and other countries. The session was part of Araneda’s four-day visit to South Korea aimed at fostering cross-border innovation partnerships.
“Latin America is a huge market. With over 650 million people across 20 countries, it’s a region full of problems looking for solutions, and you are the solution makers,” Araneda said during her keynote presentation.
She introduced Start-Up Chile as “the first public acceleration program in the world,” founded by the Chilean government in 2010 to support tech-based startups, both domestic and international. Araneda described the program as “an experiment that really paid off,” citing recognition such as being named the top accelerator in Latin America and ranking in the global top 10 in 2018.
“We attract and accelerate startups so they can have high impact. We want to help you get from point A to point B as fast as possible,” she said. Start-Up Chile currently offers three programs -- Build, Ignite, and Growth -- tailored to startups at various stages of development. These include equity-free public grants ranging from 16,000 to 80,000 U.S. dollars, as well as co-working spaces, expert mentorship, and corporate connections.
Araneda highlighted Chile’s strategic advantages for South Korean startups looking to expand globally. “Chile is a small but highly connected country. It’s a perfect pilot market and a bridge to the rest of Latin America,” she said. “We have strong government support, great digital infrastructure, and multiple global trade agreements. It’s easy to do business there.”
She also pointed out the growing presence of South Korean startups in the program’s portfolio, stating, “Chile is the most represented nationality, of course, but it’s followed directly by Korean startups. So, we are beginning to connect with the South Korean market in earnest.”
The CEO also presented Start-Up Chile’s “Female Founder Factor” initiative, which promotes gender equity in tech entrepreneurship. “We want to create role models and success stories. At least 50 percent of selected startups in our Build program must be female-founded,” she said.
Participants also heard from Ms. Maricruz Larrea, CEO of Farmtastica, a Chilean smart farming startup currently expanding its business in Asia. Both leaders encouraged Korean founders to apply to Start-Up Chile’s open call, which runs until May 9.
“Start-Up Chile is for entrepreneurs who think globally,” Araneda emphasized. “We don’t care where you come from. Only where you’re going.”
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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