Last Saturday, August 17, the Strachan Chair, in collaboration with Pomona Impact, Iitos and the Investment Club of INCAE, organized the first edition of the "Greentech Investment Competition." For four weeks prior to the competition, participating students received training on due diligence issues, with the objective of establishing the evaluation criteria and familiarizing themselves with the financial information of the ventures they would be analyzing.
On the day of the competition, students had the opportunity to interact directly with the entrepreneurs, delve deeper into the details of their companies, and collaborate in reviewing the analyses before presenting them to the investment committee. Throughout the day, a specialized jury, composed of members of Iitos, Pomona, and INCAE , evaluated each group, taking into account the quality of the analysis, the depth of the research, the Grade of involvement with companies, and negotiated agreements.
Subsequently, each group of students made a presentation to the investment committee, where they presented their results, explained in detail the operation of the companies, and justified their decisions to the committee, concluding with an investment or non-investment recommendation. The event culminated with a cocktail party where the results were announced and the winning team was awarded. The winning group formed by Ronald Oswaldo Gutiérrez Sampén, Diego Alejandro Portillo Velásquez, Luis Felipe Pichling Villegas and Stefany Alejandra Iglesias Ruiz stood out for the quality of their presentation, the depth of their analysis and the soundness of their investment recommendation.
Stefany Alejandra Iglesias Ruiz, a member of the winning team, commented:
Participating in this competition has been a transformative experience that allowed us to apply in a practical way the knowledge acquired during our master's degree at INCAE. We were able to see how crucial it is to approach analysis and decision making from diverse perspectives, and how a strong multidisciplinary team significantly expands the dimension of analysis. It has taught us to believe more in ourselves as change agents and high-level professionals, capable of facing complex challenges and providing innovative solutions.
For her part, Professor Andrea Prado, director of the Strachan Chair, noted:
Presenting this opportunity to students, especially in the context of the 60th anniversary of INCAE, allows us to reaffirm the Strachan Chair's commitment to inspire students to actively engage in social and/or environmental impact investing. It is vital that from this stage, students understand the value of integrating sustainability into their financial and business decisions. This type of competency not only gives them the practical experience needed to face real challenges, but also helps them develop a mindset geared toward creating a positive impact on society and the environment. Our goal is to develop leaders who not only seek economic success, but also contribute to global well-being.
More about this competition in the following video:
The Strachan Chair was founded by entrepreneur, philanthropist and former Chancellor of INCAE, Harry W. Strachan. It is funded by the Strachan Foundation and friends of Bain Capital, with the objective of promoting social investment strategies. Periodically, the Chair organizes live cases with entrepreneurs from the region who are generating social and environmental impact, so that they can share their experiences and lessons learned with the students of INCAE .
