The Ministry of ICT, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and iNNpulsa Colombia, launched the ‘Digital Entrepreneurship’ program, a key initiative of the ‘Colombia Potencia Digital’ program. This program aims to promote and strengthen 300 digital ventures throughout the country, with a total investment of $8.9 billion.
The selected ventures They will receive mentoring, workshops and specialized consulting in areas such as finance, development of minimum viable products, business models and leadership, among others. In addition, they will have access to specialized tools and connections with regional and international markets, adapting to their needs according to their stage of development.
“The ICT Ministry will make a significant investment to strengthen the ecosystem of entrepreneurs in the Colombian digital industry. In total, 300 initiatives will be impacted to consolidate Colombia as a digital power, closing gaps and taking them to a higher level, with innovative products for the local market and with high possibilities of internationalization,” said Mauricio Lizcano, ICT Minister.
Who can participate?
According to the call, teams of digital entrepreneurs made up of at least 2 people who have a digital business idea with a validated conceptual prototype.
They must be a legally constituted organization that generates sales of their own digital products to achieve their business objectives.
The program is structured in four phases adapted to the level of maturity of each venture:
- Digital product phase: Aimed at teams that have a conceptual prototype and wish to generate capabilities to evolve their value proposition and business model.
- Business model phase: focused on startups that already have a minimum viable digital product and wish to continue validating it in the market to strengthen their business model.
- Digital entrepreneurship phase (national expansion): Designed for ventures with a validated minimum viable product that require strengthening for expansion into regional and/or national markets.
- Global digital entrepreneurship phase (international expansion): Aimed at startups with a business model already validated in the national market and whose goal is to begin expanding globally.
Registration process
Interested parties can apply until July 22meeting the requirements that guarantee the commitment and viability of their projects.
The benefits it offers
Depending on the level of maturity of the entrepreneurial team or digital venture, they will be able to access:
- Consultations with national and international experts to strengthen the digital business model.
- Connection with specialized mentors.
- A digital toolbox to boost the growth of entrepreneurial teams and/or digital ventures.
- Steering committees (according to maturity level).
“From the Ministry of Commerce and iNNpulsa Colombia we want to highlight the joint work with the ICT Ministry through initiatives such as ‘APPS.CO’ in 2023 and now ‘PotencIA’ in 2024, since we are convinced of the talent of our Colombian entrepreneurs and their role in building this knowledge economy through this digital sector, which is at the forefront in the world and in the region, so that they can be sure that they can count on the Government in their process of growth and expansion,” highlighted Hernán Ceballos Gacharná, general manager of iNNpulsa Colombia.