Mexico City, (August 14th, 2023) – Village Capital, with support from Moody’s, announced that PlantVerd, Río Azul, and Nativas were the top three ranked startups as part of Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration: LatAm 2023.
The accelerator program supported seven startups from five countries in Latin America, with 57% of the cohort headquartered outside of the region’s tech hubs and 57% led by a female founder or C-suite member. The startups that joined the program are creating and expanding access to solutions around: land degradation, efficient waste management, and sustainable forestry management, among others.
On the final day of Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration: LatAm 2023, PlantVerd, Río Azul, and Nativas were top-ranked by a group of peer entrepreneurs. The participant startups evaluated each other through an investor lens, using eight specific investment criteria that leverage Village Capital’s venture investment levels and peer-selected methodology. Through the accelerator program, the startups joined three online workshops and received mentorship from potential strategic partners, investors, customers, and other founders in LatAm.
“We had the opportunity to broaden our vision of what is happening all over Latin America through our conversations with program partners and mentors during the program Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration: LatAm 2023,” said Antônio Borges, co-founder and CEO at PlantVerd (Brazil). “We improved our company through this unique and enriching experience.”
“We feel that we have grown our business, and reaffirmed our company vision, understanding that we are on the right path,” said Marcelo Argenzio, co-founder and CEO at Río Azul (Uruguay). “We feel very honored to have the opportunity to participate in this program.”
“The exchange among everyone was great, and the one-on-one interaction with mentors was very interesting,” said Gaspar Mac, co-founder and CEO at Nativas (Argentina). “We are happy to be able to have these opportunities with mentors, the Village Capital team, and the rest of the ventures.”
The peer-selected startups focus on the following:
For more information, contact Sofía Cándano at Village Capital (sofia.candano@vilcap.com).
About Village Capital
Village Capital is reinventing the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Known for its groundbreaking approaches to supporting founders who are building solutions to emergent social, economic, and environmental challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage companies to maximize business and impact growth.
Village Capital has operated in Latin America since 2015 by running over 16 accelerator programs involving more than 19 countries in the region including Bolivia, Guatemala, and Paraguay. VilCap has supported more than 170 locally-based startups working in sectors such as economic mobility, financial health, and sustainable agriculture. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @vilcap_latam.
About Moody’s Corporation
Moody’s (NYSE: MCO) is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions. Its data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others. We believe that greater transparency, more informed decisions, and fair access to information open the door to shared progress. With approximately 14,000 employees in more than 40 countries, Moody’s combines international presence with local expertise and over a century of experience in financial markets. Learn more at moodys.com/about.
