The Entrepreneurship Center at INCAE has honored VLA (Virtual Learning of America) in the Launch category, PlannerApp technologies in the Pitch! category and Quantum Nanomedical Solutions in the SME category as the winners of the INCAE Entrepreneur Award 2023.
This initiative, which has been carried out since 2017, seeks to train and recognize entrepreneurs from all over Latin America with the tools they need to take their companies to the next level. The winners were part of a group of 84 entrepreneurs who were trained with Faculty from INCAE on topics such as strategy, marketing and sales, human resources, finance, operations, corporate governance, etc. in the acceleration program INCAE Labs. Finally, 10 companies were selected to present their Sales Pitch in front of a jury of renowned entrepreneurs and investors in a face-to-face event in Panama, sponsored by Banistmo and Varela Hermanos, in which the most scalable and innovative companies were selected.
Josué Rodríguez, CEO of VLA, shares his experience as part of the program: "I can summarize the INCAE program as "Prestige full of knowledge". From the moment we were chosen, since INCAE is a symbol of prestige. That a 60+ year old institution sees the potential of VLA to develop their startup and take it to the next level. And so it was since the beginning of the mentoring program where we learned about governance, finance, marketing and much more. They create a solid foundation to be able to take the company to another level."
For his part, Ronald Perez of Planner App, considered that "participating in the event was a challenging experience, the ventures were selected for being innovative, which pushed me to offer the best in front of a luxury jury. We are truly honored by the recognition received in the competition and by the dedication and commitment of INCAE to support Latin American entrepreneurs".
Christián García, from Quantum Nanomedical Solutions, also explains: "For Nanomedical, being part of this project was a challenge and a commitment. Getting to know projects from all over Latin America gave us an overview of the thriving dynamics and resilience of our people. We share the desire to generate disruptive, sustainable solutions, focused on the development of the circular economy, but, above all, on giving a competitive advantage to a region of the world that, despite its potential, is still considered only "emerging".
Francisco Pérez, director of the Entrepreneurship Center, says: "INCAE reaffirms its commitment to entrepreneurs. Our region continues to produce innovative companies that not only stand out for their abundant human capital, but also for their ability to detect and solve the unique needs of our region, in a growing market, eager to embrace these innovative proposals".
In this edition, INCAE continued its commitment to technology-based companies, highlighting those with solid teams, innovative ideas and prototypes validated in the market, but also included the innovative SME category, which seeks to recognize SME companies with projects that help them stay relevant in a constantly changing context.
Founded in 1964, INCAE is the leading business school in Latin America, dedicated to applied research in key areas such as competitiveness and sustainability, entrepreneurship and the development of women leaders. It is ranked #25 in Executive Education worldwide and #1 in MBA programs in Latin America, according to the latest Financial Times rankings.
The Latin American Center for Entrepreneurs (LACE), founded in 2016, supports the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Latin America through innovative research, mentoring, specialized training and a business plan competition open to men and women from across the region.
