The startups run through the gamut of services from banking and music lessons to books and prosthetics for the disabled. There also seems to be a focus on the ‘sharing’ economy, including dockless electric bicycles, cloud kitchens and the promotion of nautical tourism in Colombia.
Mónica de Greiff, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá (CCB), stated that the aims in promoting Startup Colombia are to foster innovation and promote the economic development of Bogotá. “We are sure that it has a positive impact on the business creation ecosystem of Bogotá, which we want to position as the Colombian capital of entrepreneurship,” de Greiff said in a statement released by the CCB.
In choosing the finalists, a pool of experts from Colombia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem judged the applicants on their potential and viability in the market including their business model, level of innovation, projection, investment, team and trajectory for the future, among others.
The finalists will now have the chance to start their preparations at IE Business School and, with the help of personalized mentors, they’ll be aiming to put to their best foot forward best on the day of the summit and during their meeting with investors.
The eighteen finalists who’ll be at the summit are:
Booklick: Monthly subscription platform that holds a large repository of academic books.
Cycle: Transforms waste into opportunities through the development of technology that helps encourage recycling.
ComunidadFeliz: Software for the administration of buildings and neighbourhoods through technology and security.
Espacios Digitales IoT: Last mile logistics platform for e-commerce with smart lockers and refrigerators. It works with reverse logistics, Big Data and Internet of Things.
Houspoon: Web app to turn houses into restaurants and offers diners the opportunity to meet new people.
Lupap: Helps any location-based application reach the next level of accuracy.
MUVO: First and only system of shared and dockless electric bicycles in Latin America.
Nauty 360: Digital platform that regulates the nautical tourism market in Colombia.
Nextonia: Solution for the retail market that applies the latest innovative technologies of artificial intelligence, IoT and analytics to describe the behavior of people in a commercial area.
Peiky: The best way to sell via a cellphone. It’s a tool that improves the whole process of informal sales that are carried via chat.
Pensamusic International Corp: Platform to learn how to play songs with online music classes in a fun, personalized and live.
Advanced Prosthodontics SAS: Company dedicated to improving the quality of life of people who have suffered a disability by means of robot prostheses.
Restaurant.pe: Complete and intelligent management and control software for restaurants.
Smart Objects: Intelligent Payments in closed circuits.
SocialGest: Automates strategies in social networks through a suite of tools for the integral management of social networks.
Tiendapp: Web app developed with neighborhood shopkeepers in mind. The app allows them to buy their supplies online, increase their sales and control their business.
Tranqui Finance: Web platform that provides guidance to improve personal finances, combining technology and financial planners.
WebCentrix: Intelligent Omni-Channel Customer Service Platform.
Colombia Startup & Investor Summit 2018 will be at the at the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá on November 9.
This article originally appeared on LATAM.tech.