35 Entrepreneurs Selected from 10 Countries at the 72nd Endeavor International Selection Panel in Lima, Peru; First Endeavor Entrepreneurs from Ecuador Join Network
LIMA – June 30, 2017 – Endeavor selected 35 entrepreneurs leading 17 companies from 10 countries at the 72nd International Selection Panel (ISP) held June 28-30, 2017, in Lima, Peru, including the first-ever entrepreneurs from the newly launched Endeavor Ecuador office.
Endeavor now supports 1,496 entrepreneurs leading 932 companies in 30 growth markets around the world. Panelists at the event, hosted by Endeavor Peru, included top business leaders and investors who were drawn from Endeavor’s extensive network of board members, mentors, and supporters.
The ISP is the culmination of a rigorous multi-step selection process to identify innovative and driven entrepreneurs who are committed to advancing an ecosystem of entrepreneurship.
“A big congratulations to entrepreneurs selected — especially to our first Ecuadorian Endeavor Entrepreneurs!” said Endeavor Co-Founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg. “We’re thrilled to be expanding our support of bright young founders in the region, where Endeavor was launched 20 years ago. The Peru ISP was a true testament to the strength of Endeavor’s network in Latin America, drawing panelists, board members, entrepreneurs and staff from around the continent, who all helped make the event a huge success!”
In Lima, panelists from around the world interviewed entrepreneur candidates about their businesses, evaluating them on their potential for high-impact growth, and then deliberated on which candidates should be selected to become Endeavor Entrepreneurs. Once selected, Endeavor Entrepreneurs gain access to comprehensive customized services, including introductions to local and international business mentors and volunteers from Fortune 500 consulting firms who will help them address key needs.
Endeavor Entrepreneurs have had a significant track record of creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, generating billions of dollars in revenues, and building sustainable growth models in their home countries.
Endeavor will host the year’s upcoming ISPs in Beirut, Lebanon (24-26), Brooklyn, New York City (September 11-13), Sofia, Bulgaria (October 23-25), and Miami (December 11-13).
Learn more about the companies and entrepreneurs selected below.
ARGENTINA
Entrepreneur: Fernando Storchi
Company: Megatlon
Description: In Argentina, only 5% of the population belongs to a gym (compared to 15% in the US). Aiming to change this, Megatlon is whipping the country’s sluggish sports industry into shape as the leading chain of state-of-the-art gyms. Targeting a premium consumer base, Megatlon’s gyms are outfitted with the latest equipment, workout classes, professional trainers and modern amenities so there’s no excuse not to workout!
BRAZIL
Entrepreneurs: Rafael Lobo, Guilherme Nobrega
Company: GoCase
Description: Today, you’re almost more likely to leave your home without your identification, keys and wallet than without your phone. Cell phones have become a personal extension of who we are: its brand, its apps and many other factors give a glimpse into a phone’s owner. Brazilian company GoCase further enables customers to express themselves by providing fashionable cases and accessories for cell phones. With 17.2 million middle and high end smartphones in Brazil, the market is worth over US$774 million domestically alone. Having already established sales channels throughout Europe, and having started developing new products in China, GoCase is currently selling into 120 countries around the world.
Entrepreneur: Fernando Prezzotto
Company: Sempre Sementes
Description: Imagine a farm full of stalks, as far as the eye can seed. That joke may be corny but the dream isn’t. As beef consumption increases worldwide, so too does the demand for corn that comprises cows’ feed. Founded in 2008, Sempre Sementes sells corn seeds and licenses the technology behind its genetically modified corn seeds that provide a 10% higher yield than international giants like Monsanto and Syngenta. It also prepares corn seeds on behalf of large multinationals. This process, termed industrialization, includes removing the straw from the cob, drying it, threshing it, and cleaning it.
CHILE
Entrepreneurs: Gonzalo Araya, Alex Castro & Ignacio Bascuñán
Company: Servi-All
Description: Mining is an around-the-clock industry that depends on a million moving pieces, and a single missing bolt for a power shovel can cost a mine up to $120,000 an hour. Gargantuan mine sites, which can be four Central Parks wide and two Eiffel Towers deep, coupled with endemic overstocking, theft and loss of supplies makes inventory management a nightmare. For a negotiated annual fee, Servi-All’s software integrates with each mine’s database to monitor supply, purchases, and maintenance cycles and the company outfits the mine with all of the necessary supplies. Servi-All’s proprietary predictive software combined with on-site inventory management services keeps mines optimally stocked at all times. Servi-All’s “hardware as a service” (HaaS) model provides an all-in-one logistical solution, producing savings in human resources, administrative overhead, and lost or stolen equipment per year.
Entrepreneurs: Rodolfo Borzutzky & Allan Turski
Company: TiendaPet
Description: Latin America is in the grips of the pet revolution with the pet care market now valued at $16.5 billion and growing faster than any other region in the world. TiendaPet taps into this boom with a multichannel retail operation dedicated to selling premium pet products. In TiendaPet’s 15 retail stores and their e-commerce platform, pet owners all around the country can find all the pet-related products they need – from food and carriers to chew toys and treats – and enjoy the convenience of free, same-day delivery!
COLOMBIA
Entrepreneurs: Omar Ynzenga & Fernando Sucre
Company: Comparamejor
Description: Over 80% of car owners do not have comprehensive car insurance because they can’t afford it, they don’t think it’s valuable or they simply don’t understand it. Comparamejor (CM) is a digital car insurance marketplace that enables its users to quote, buy and finance their policy in minutes. The first in Colombia to offer real-time quotes with all the nation’s insurers, CM also provides a financing solution to help more consumers afford insurance. Initially, the company’s main products are centered around the financial needs of used vehicle owners and include comprehensive auto insurance, mandatory accident coverage, and soon in-house insurance policy financing and auto loan origination. At the same time, CM uses data to help insurance companies profitably serve the growing digital channel.
Entrepreneurs: Ivan Castaño & Juan Carlos Valencia
Company: Chef Burger
Description: Chef Burger, founded in 2011 by Ivan Castaño & Juan Carlos Valencia, is a Colombian burger chain that has redefined the burger experience in Colombia. Dedicated to bringing consumers together over a memorable experience, Chef Burger’s high quality and affordable burgers are served in rock-and-roll themed restaurants or food trucks. Within six years, the brand has grown to 10 restaurants and two food trucks across Colombia’s three biggest cities, with a fourth city launch expected by end of 2017.
DETROIT
Entrepreneurs: Ryan MacVoy & Kelly MacVoy Guffey
Company: DWM
Description: In the archaic lighting industry, DWM shines brighter than the field. Lighting manufacturers across the USA, specifically for street lamps and light poles, rely on labor-intensive processes and lack any semblance of company culture. This translates to slow project completion (lead times), poor customer service, and the inability to easily share information with other stakeholders in the production chain. DWM Holdings leverages innovative technology solutions and is overhauling the standards for company culture in the manufacturing space to streamline antiquated processes and offer a seamless ordering experience. DWM Holdings’ four brands manufacture steel and aluminum light poles for the commercial and industrial market. Today the company boasts 86% on-time deliveries (vs. industry average of 75% and an increase from ~65% for DWM) and its lead-time average is 3.8 weeks (vs. 4-8 week industry average and historical average of ~6 weeks for DWM), producing a partner satisfaction rate of 4.6 out of 5.
ECUADOR
Entrepreneurs: Daniel Wainmann, Antonio Morales, Benny Saada & Juan Ugalde
Company: Location World
Description: Location World is an Automotive Internet of Things (IoT) company that improves efficiency through telematics and connected-car platforms. By harnessing data generated by connected cars, the company creates powerful business ecosystems for the automotive value chain. Now, Location World is ready to tap into international markets and capture the estimated $7 billion global fleet management opportunity. Meanwhile, with its new CarSync product, which turns consumer vehicles into connected cars, Location World is positioning itself to be a global leader in the automotive technology space!
Entrepreneurs: Carla Barbotó & Santiago Peralta
Company: Pacari
Description: Pacari, founded in 2002 by Carla Barbotó and Santiago Peralta, is the first company to manufacture premium, single-origin, organic chocolate made entirely in Ecuador. What started as a family business has since become a top premium chocolate brand, with 160+ awards to date, including being named “World’s Best Chocolate” at the International Chocolate Awards in London for five consecutive years since 2012. Pacari chocolate is in 42 countries today and has won the hearts of clients across the globe — from Emirates Airlines to Oprah Winfrey.
MEXICO
Entrepreneurs: Alfonso Velez & Jaime Ferrer
Company: Autotraffic
Description: The only thing automatic about traffic is that it’s unavoidable at 5:00 PM, but Autotraffic is here to change that and much more. Every year in Mexico, traffic incidents cost $9.7 billion and claim over 17,000 lives, one third of which are pedestrians (WHO). Additionally, local governments lack an understanding of how to efficiently plan urban areas, leading to over-congested roads and neighborhoods affected by excess noise and general pollution. Autotraffic improves traffic safety and urban planning efforts by implementing photo enforcement cameras, noise and pollution sensors, and by utilizing its proprietary data collection and analytics software, Smart Mobility. The first mover and market leader in Mexico, Autotraffic has reduced transit fatalities by up to 62%, injuries by 92%, commute times by 33%, and pollution by 30%** on its controlled roads*.
PERU
Entrepreneur: Fernando D’Alessio
Company: Juntoz
Description: Like a digitized shopping mall with alternative payment options, Juntoz.com is a Latin American data-driven marketplace connecting brands and retailers with customers. A win-win for buyers and sellers, Juntoz helps brands open online “storefronts,” each with its own subdomain, logo, banners, categories, and search bar, so that customers can easily browse by brand or category. Customers can purchase everything in a one-stop shopping mall through alternative payment methods such as cash on delivery and click-and-collect, enabling unbanked buyers to shop online. Integrations with multiple third-party traditional and on-demand logistics players guarantees both consumers and retailers the lowest price on delivery. In November 2016, Juntoz.com was the first platform in LatAm to offer ‘Subscribe & Save,’ making it easy for consumers to restock – and retailers to sell – on recurring products such as pet food, diapers, coffee, etc; and in February 2017 launched its ‘School List’ feature. With 375+ participating brand and retail stores in Peru, Juntoz.com is opening operations in Chile and Colombia in July 2017, and entering the Mexican market by September 2017, establishing itself as a leading player in the Latin American eCommerce industry
Entrepreneurs: Juan Antonio Cabanas, Javier Castro & Jorge del Carpio
Company: LatinFintech.com
Description: Latin Fintech enables clients to apply for small, short-term loans and receive immediate credit evaluation and disbursement at highly competitive interest rates. With its speedy process, Latin Fintech meets the needs of borrowers looking for funds with a sense of urgency. Currently, the company allocates loans of up to $600 that are to be repaid within 1-3 months. Only one year post-launch and with minimal commercial effort, this company is successfully breaking into the $7B Peruvian underbanked consumer lending market.
Entrepreneurs: Luis Arbulú & Saul Chrem
Company: Xertica
Description: Businesses are increasingly migrating their tech infrastructure to the cloud, achieving cost efficiencies along with greater productivity, agility, and collaboration. To remain competitive, Latin American companies must ride the wave of cloud momentum, but often lack the expertise or guidance to undertake this digital transformation. Xertica solves this problem by helping LatAm companies to successfully implement and leverage the latest cloud technology tools. With offices in five countries, Xertica is Google Cloud’s #1 sales partner in Latin America (and #5 partner in the Americas; top 10 in the world). Beyond the re-selling of cloud technology licenses, Xertica plans to expand its services engagements in the coming year and evolve into a full business consulting partner to its clients.
SPAIN
Entrepreneurs: Rubén Sánchez & Emilio Galán
Company: BEONPRICE
Description: BEONPRICE is a hotel revenue management system (RMS) that allows hotels to determine the best price for their rooms based on real-time market data. Hotels need to be able to respond quickly to any changes in the market, like increased demand or competitors’ pricing, but often lack an intuitive software solution to find and analyze all these different variables to determine the best room price. Leveraging big data and machine learning, BEONPRICE’s software-as-a-service combs public market intelligence and a hotel’s internal data to suggest the optimal price for a hotel’s rooms. Hotels that use BEONPRICE’s dynamic pricing solution can increase their “revenue per available room” 8-20%.
Entrepreneur: Diego Cabezudo
Company: Gigas
Description: Cloud computing has enabled businesses to dramatically lower their cost of operations. Gigas’ cloud platform provides exceptional technical customer service, flexible product options, and consultation on local legal and regulatory nuances for SMEs and multinational corporations in the Spanish-speaking markets. It offers two products, the Cloud Virtual Private Server, for SMEs with smaller cloud requirements, and the Cloud Datacenter, its flagship product which has has attracted a loyal customer base, becoming the go-to solution for some of the largest companies in Spain and Latin America.
URUGUAY
Entrepreneurs: Alejandro Esperanza, Eric Waizman & Andrés Israel
Company: Gurucargo
Description: Gurucargo’s full-service “one-stop-shop” technology platform simplifies the booking of sea, land, and air-based cargo shipping by cutting out intermediaries, just like Expedia.com did for travel. While traditional freight forwarders can take up to 72 hours to issue a quote, Gurucargo offers its quotes in real time, using its direct relationships with leading carriers to save clients up to 20% on their freight. Since 2014, Gurucargo has launched in all major LatAm markets, developing alliances with industry heavyweights like MAERSK and CMA-CGM. Gurucargo’s platform, built-in analytics dashboards, and value-added services offer complete supply chain visibility, thereby maximizing maximizing transparency and efficiency.