IDB Lab and Madrid City Council Champion Latin American Entrepreneurs in New Cohort of Talent Bridges Program

The program benefits 15 startup founders from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, and Peru.

IDB Lab, the innovation and venture-capital laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Madrid City Council have launched the fifth edition of the Talent Bridges program, which connects young tech entrepreneurs from Latin America and the Caribbean with innovation ecosystems in Europe, using Madrid as a strategic bridge.

The new edition of Talent Bridges was launched on May 13 in Madrid. The program includes an eight-week, in-person stage that immerses founders in the city's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, followed by four months of remote mentoring.

As part of the program, entrepreneurs will have the chance to attend 26 face-to-face meetings with key players in five main areas of Madrid's entrepreneurial ecosystem: accelerators and venture-capital funds, large corporations and banks, organizations that connect Spain and Latin America, public-support infrastructures, and universities and research centers. They will also receive advanced training in soft landings and entrepreneurship from IE Business School, along with a mentoring program.

After completing Talent Bridges, participants will join the community of program alumni, which currently includes 40 ambassadors in 12 Latin American countries. These leaders drive innovative projects in strategic sectors, including education, health, climate, agribusiness, the circular economy, infrastructure, biotechnology, logistics, and tourism.

For this cohort, Talent Bridges selected 15 founders, ages 23 to 35, from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, and Peru. These seven women and eight men all bring innovative proposals that stand out for their social and environmental impact, capacity for growth, and level of business development.

The selected startups are:

• Dendro (Argentina): tech platform for waste traceability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) certification
• Edison (Argentina): educational technology (edtech) platform for creating online courses and academies
• Satellites on Fire (Argentina): AI-driven system for preventing forest fires
• MedETechni (Chile): medical devices with AI and ultraviolet therapy for treating wounds and infections without antibiotics
• PROPIO Latam (Chile): platform that facilitates access to housing through technology and financial education
• Escappy Travel (Colombia): smart tourism platform that uses AI to personalize sustainable experiences
• Propel People (Colombia): human-resources platform that connects Latin American talent with global companies
• Xerti (Colombia): solution for automating paperwork and electronic payments
• Altempo (El Salvador): smart platform connecting musicians with training and earning opportunities
• Alfi (Mexico): edtech and fintech platform that promotes financial education through gamification
• Kigüi (Mexico): food-technology solution to reduce food waste in the supply chain
• BioleatherLab (Peru): initiative producing sustainable bioleathers from agro-industrial waste
• CivilSig (Peru): government-technology platform that transforms satellite data into disaster-risk management tools
• Cognita Conecta (Peru): Spanish-language edtech platform for biotechnology and life sciences
• Paqta (Peru): initiative to develop customized biofertilizers to optimize soil health.

Talent Bridges was created in 2023. It is supported and financed by the Madrid City Council, which partners with the IDB and IDB Lab to recruit candidates and promote and publicize the program.

Cohort members are chosen based on business-model maturity, technological innovation, social and environmental impact, scalability, and recognition within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.