Start-Up Chile, a startup accelerator program created by the Chilean Government has selected 101 startups to join it’s program. The program started in 2010. As a pilot accelerator, the program brought 22 startups from 14 countries to Chile, providing them with US$40,000 of equity-free seed capital, and a temporary 1-year visa to develop their projects for six months, along with access to the most potent social and capital networks in the country.
Startup Chile seeks to attract early stage, high-potential entrepreneurs to bootstrap their startups in Chile, using it as a platform to go global. Selected from 37 nations, the 101 teams were selected among a very competitive pool of 1509 applicants. Geographic Distribution-Chile! (26% of the selected), followed by the USA (24%), Argentina, Brazil, India and the United Kingdom (4% of the selected, each). Others came from Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Nepal!
Social Media is the most strongly identified industry (16%), followed by Education (14%), e-commerce (13%) and IT & Enterprise Software (8%). Remaining categories include Energy & Clean Tech, Healthcare and Biotechnology, Media, Mobile & Wireless, Natural Resources, Social Enterprise and Tourism.