There are more common threads uniting us than creating barriers. And when we talk about the conditions necessary to the development of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, it is a fact there are common ingredients. These common ingredients are positioning Latin America to a once in a lifetime opportunity to build wealth and opportunities through entrepreneurship.

1. in Latin America
t h e s t a r t u p e c o s y s t e m
Fostering

2. 1
INDEX
INTRODUCTION_____________________1
TALENT__________________________4
DENSITY_________________________16
CULTURE________________________24
CAPITAL_________________________31
REGULATION______________________39

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4. 2
Great projects are found everywhere in the
world, and you don't need to be in Silicon Valley
to turn your ideas into great companies. Latin
America is no stranger to this: a number of stud-
ies have rated Latin Americans as one of the
most entrepreneurial populations in the world.
What is missing, then, so that the next u nicorn
comes from Latin America?
Structural deficiencies in the links between the
various countries in Latin America (and within
each country) make it difficult to talk about the
region as a homogenous block. For example,
whereas Internet access in countries like Chile,
Argentina, and Colombia exceed 50%, in coun-
tries like Haiti and Nicaragua, these percentages
are no more than 15% . Besides, there are cul-
tural differences between countries, some
subtle, some not so much, that make this region
as rich and diverse as any in the world.
INTRODUCTION
However there is more that brings us together
than what drives us apart, and in terms of the
conditions needed to develop a thriving entre-
preneurial ecosystem, the fact is that there are
a number of ingredients that place Latin Ameri-
ca at a historic opportunity to create wealth and
development through entrepreneurship.
First of all, with the exception of Brazil and some
Caribbean countries, a common language unites
the region: 400 million people speak Spanish as a
native language. If we add Spain and the Hispanic
community in the U.S., we have a base of over
280 million Internet users who speak Spanish ,
and more than 13 million new users arrive every
year, a trend which grows year after year .3 All
of the above illustrates both the reality and the
potential market of users to scale up a success-
ful enterprise focused on Latin American users .
1
1
2
3
4
3

5. On the other hand, the history of ups and downs
in the region’s economic cycles has helped to
cement a sort of "entrepreneurial DNA" among
the people of Latin America.
The need to overcome the various economic
crises and their impacts on employment have left
a deep mark on the capacity of Latin Americans
to adapt and overcome difficulties through cre-
ative solutions.
According to the World Bank the region stands as
the second most entrepreneurial in the world .
Finally, countries in our region share certain obstacles faced by entrepreneurs in the ardu-
ous process to transform an idea into a business: lack of specialized talent, access to
financing, and absence of modern and consistent regulatory frameworks throughout the
region, among others. The main challenge for governments in the region is to work to elim-
inate these obstacles, facilitate entrepreneurship, and produce the structural conditions
that promote a startup and innovation ecosystem throughout Latin America.
2
5

6. This document aims to analyze these possible
lines of action in five dimensions: talent, density,
culture, capital, and regulatory environment.
The ideas and examples included here arise from
discussions held in nine cities in the region car-
ried out during 2015, and involving members of
the business community for each city. To start
the discussion, these workshops relied on the
document "Fostering a Startup and Innovation
Ecosystem" . Interviews were conducted to 11
figures in the business ecosystem to comple-
ment the information gathered during the work-
shops. Organizing these activities wouldn't have
been possible without support from Google, the
entrepreneurs, facilitators, and public officials
who generously participated.
The information contained here aims
to be a representative reflection of
what works and what doesn't in our
region, and a first step towards en-
gaging Latin American entrepreneurial
communities in policymaking discus-
sions needed to strengthen and pro-
mote the already vibrant entrepre-
neurial ecosystem in our region.
3
6
7

7. TALENT

8. TALENT
Having adequate talent is a necessary condition to
develop entrepreneurship. Countries in the region
must invest in human capital to produce a workforce
with the necessary skills, not only to cover the
needs of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, but also for
the development of technology innovation and en-
trepreneurship in the future.
5

9. Produce more specialists
One of the main problems encountered by entre-
preneurs in the region when assembling their teams
is the lack of specialized talent. This includes
mainly new talent, not only in programing, but also
in design, and data visualization and analysis, g
rowth hacking, and digital marketing, among
others.
The gap between the educational system and the
needs of the entrepreneurial ecosystem can be
drastically narrowed by incorporating specific sub-
jects in the curricula from an early age, as well as
fostering participation in technology university and
technical careers, such as engineering and comput-
er science.
Program.AR is an initiative by the Argentinean Govern-
ment that seeks to bring Computer Science teaching and
learning to schools, as well as raising awareness in soci-
ety about the importance of this discipline in today's
world. Their website has teaching materials for teachers
and games for students .
6
8

10. Supporting the creation of venues and opportu-
nities for education outside the formal system,
complementing traditional education, is another
pathway towards more specialized education.
Dev.F, for example, works as a community since
2014, and aims to bring software development
techniques to Mexico, by promoting "hacker"
culture (in the positive sense) towards program-
ming education programs . There are also
instances of continuous education provided by
entrepreneurial communities, like UX Nights ,
JavaScript or Google Developers Group .
Internet also democratizes access to education.
Elearning tools and platforms, with specific contents
on areas of specialization, facilitate knowledge
transfer to those who, for economic or geographic
reasons, cannot access educational establishments
(formal or informal), that normally concentrate in
major cities.
7
1211
10
9

11. Platzi is an online learning platform that con-
tains IT and programming courses. It was
developed in Colombia in 2013, and includes
contents in multiple formats (text, video,
source code, and discussion forums) . It cur-
rently has over 80,000 users, and features
courses in both English and Spanish . In
2014 it billed over one million dollars, and
currently has more than 30 employees in
Bogotá, México, and Mountain View, Califor-
nia . They recently closed on an investment
of USD 2.1 million .
8
13
14
15
16

12. Produce more entrepreneurs
Aside from specialized talent, it's also necessary to work on
promoting entrepreneurship as a way of life, understanding fail-
ure as a stage along the learning process. Initiatives that foster
greater engagement of the entrepreneurial ecosystem with
educational institutions are a way to nurture and detect entre-
preneurial talent within academia. In the dynamic entrepreneur-
ship sector, talent must understand that multitasking and
being flexible within the role that is offered are very important
skills to have. Talent development must be focused on people
who have the three essential qualities to respond to the dyna-
mism of a startup: growth potential, versatility to shift
between activities, and flexibility to adapt to uncertain and vol-
atile surroundings.
For this, one must create syner-
gies between the state, busi-
nesses, and educational institu-
tions at every level (not just
universities) through, for exam-
ple, internship programs in
technologybased businesses,
and by incorporating entrepre-
neurship programs in educa-
tional curricula.
9

13. The Tegucigalpa Technical University (Honduras) Entrepreneur-
ship Club (Hub UNITEC), functions as a physical space in which
students can gather to work on projects, and to produce and
share ideas .
With few exceptions, public schools and universities in
the region are still very far from the new trends related
to the creation of high impact businesses. Although top
institutions do have robust research and development
programs, graduates rarely has the necessary tools to
immerse themselves in the local entrepreneurial land-
scape. To achieve this, it is necessary to include entre-
preneurship subjects and programs in technology ca-
reers, by linking their programs to economics, business,
and design schools.
10
17

14. The Medellin (Colombia) School of Management, Finance and Technology (EAFIT) is a
pioneer in incorporating a culture of entrepreneurship in their academic programs.
Since the year 2002, entrepreneurship subjects are taught alongside technology pro-
grams, leading to the creation of the Centre for Innovation, Consulting, and Entrepre-
neurship (CICE) in 2006 . For example, the Computer Engineering program has com-
plementary subjects such as Business Development, Initiative and Entrepreneurial Cul-
ture, Business Plan, among others .
11
18
19

15. One of the main difficulties for many startups is talent
retention. The difficulty in creating a "sense of
belonging" to startups, and the presence of more
competitive offers abroad, or by more consolidated
companies, all play against talent development within
startup enterprises. Many startups are forced to
invest resources in early employee training only to see
that talent migrate to other horizons.
To retain talent, startups can employ horizontal struc-
tures that provide more freedom and responsibilities
to employees. Providing employees with interesting
challenges can contribute to a sense of importance
within the company.
Attracting and
Retaining Talent
Other types of monetary incentives are possible
once the company has enough capital (for example
with company stock, or fringe benefits). Public pro-
grams to finance the incorporation of specialized
human resources to startups can help maintain a
critical mass of talent within the ecosystem.
At the macro level, talent retention in the region can also be incentivized through repatriation scholarships
or seed capital for Latin American entrepreneurs who reside abroad and wish to create and grow their busi-
ness in their country of origin. It is also important to promote the arival of foreign entrepreneurs who import
knowledge and experience and contribute to the buildup of a critical mass of talent that is lacking in less
developed communities.
La generación de retos
interesantes para los
empleados puede con-
tribuir a un sentimiento
de importancia dentro
de la compañía.
12

16. StartUp Chile is a program created by the
Chilean Government in 2010 that offers
entrepreneurs a temporary visa for one
year to develop their projects for six
months. Since its inception, over 1200
startups and 3000 entrepreneurs have
joined the program. The most successful
projects have been able to raise over 135
million dollars, and created more than
1400 jobs .
13
21

17. Produce more women entrepreneurs
Latin America follows the global trend in rela-
tion to the lack of diversity in the business
ecosystem in general, and more specifically in
relation to the number of women involved in
technology enterprises. This is also a reflec-
tion of the low proportion of women following
technology careers in college .
In events such as S tartup Weekend the
number of female participants doesn't exceed
24% of the total attendance. This gap is con-
sistent with the entrepreneurial sector as a
whole, where the gap between male and
female entrepreneurs in the region is 24%, ac-
cording to the World Bank .
Promoting workforce diversity is import-
ant, since studies affirm that businesses
with a woman founder perform 63% better
than those founded only by men.
On one hand, it is necessary to begin by
incentivizing technology careers for
women from an early age. Identifying and
promoting success stories of women en-
trepreneurs can inspire new generations of
engineers, programmers, and founders of
tech companies.
Laboratoria is a social technology company that seeks to empower young
women by giving them access to education and work in the digital sector.
With presence in Peru, Mexico, and Chile, they aim to become a fulcrum to
leverage efforts seeking gender equality and female empowerment in the
region, addressing the lack of available quality education for women through
a payment model derived from students’ earnings after obtaining stable em-
ployment .
14
23
24
25
26

18. Inclusive participation of more women in com-
munities and specific incentives for business-
es led by women is another possible pathway
to support greater diversity in the ecosys-
tem. Initiatives such as E picQueen, W eX-
change, and W omenWhoCode, which are
growing in several countries in Latin America,
are playing a crucial role in fostering entrepre-
neurial conscience among this demographic.
The S Factory i s a preacceleration pro-
gram at Startup Chile that focuses on
supporting tech projects led by
women. Funding for this project is CLP
10,000,000 (around USD 15,000), in
addition to the chance to use work-
space and have access to experienced
mentors .
15
27

19. DENSITY

20. Big ideas transform into great projects when they're
shared. Exchanging experiences, knowledge, and
ideas among entrepreneurs and creators acts as a
catalyst for entrepreneurial success. Governments
can support the formation of venues and opportuni-
ties to reach a certain density of startups, a key
factor for the potential success of many businesses.
DENSITY
17

21. Supporting the growth of clusters and coworking spaces.
nnovation is born out of the confluence of great minds. A community spirit is key when it comes
to laying a fertile ground for entrepreneurship and innovation. The concept of c luster, referring
to an ecosystem of alike businesses supported by the vigor and success of all of its participants
in a limited geographical area, can not only reference and position the area in relation to a spe-
cific product, vertical, or rubric, but also enables regular, facetoface contact that nourishes the
dialogue between competition and collaboration, fundamental for the characteristic dynamism
of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Next to the idea of a c luster, which has a broader geographic horizon, we can highlight that of
coworking spaces, physical spaces where several companies, not necessarily related, share facil-
ities and workspaces every day. The fact of sharing physical space not only enables novel ap-
proaches for problemsolving, nourished by the different perspectives contributed by every proj-
ect, but also creating the necessary conditions to attract investors, as well as new business and
financing opportunities. In many cases, these spaces transform into landmarks of the local en-
trepreneurial culture, as is the case with I mpact Hub in Antigua, Guatemala; or A tom House in
Bogotá and Medellin, veritable communities for work and entrepreneurship..
18
28 29

22. Atom House is a coworking space found in Bogotá and Medellin that includes 24/7
access to meeting rooms, auditoriums, workstations, and leisure and entertainment
areas. It's also a venue for workshops and courses of interest to entrepreneurs .
19
30

23. t's important to develop these spaces in urban centers that aren't necessarily great hubs for
entrepreneurship or traditional economic centers for a country or region. For example, in the
city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Piloto 151 has been the spearhead for the development of an
entrepreneurial community in the island, where the main agents converge to work with local
startups. Similarly, Hacker Garage in the city of Guadalajara, the second major city in México,
has positioned itself as a meeting point for the city's hackers, and also as the place where
more than 40 developer and programmer communities gather to discuss a collaborative
agenda to assemble the necessary density of available talent in the region.
The creation of coworking spaces and communities in cities
that don't yet have them can act as fuel for recent start-
ups to find the necessary momentum to scale up in interac-
tion with their peers.
20
31
32

24. Building the voice of the community
Exchange and synergy between various
actors are two of the fundamental pillars of
a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem. The
benefits of startup density don't just lie in
creating the conditions for successful ideas
to flourish or for projects to grow, but also
to find a common voice that expresses the
interests of the entrepreneurial community.
One example of this is Meetroopers in Gua-
dalajara, an organization born out of the
idea to group together leaders from the
technology, innovation, and entrepreneurial
communities in order to build a culture of
collaboration in the region and improve rec-
ognition and visibility of these communities
within the innovation ecosystem.
These "communities of
communities" must speak
for the needs, but also the
advances and success sto-
ries of each entrepreneur-
ial ecosystem. They can
also take the stage as rep-
resentatives of a united
front before business,
industry, government, ac-
ademia, and the media,
conveying the messages
needed for the ecosystem
to flourish.
From a government stand-
point, it is important for
governments to promote
the spread of success sto-
ries in the entrepreneurial
environment in order to
shift the cultural perspec-
tive around entrepreneur-
ship and to create a condu-
cive environment for
reaching critical densities.
Attraction and repatriation
of entrepreneurial talent
also helps with this objec-
tive.
21
33

25. Linking these actors of the
entrepreneurial ecosystem
A robust entrepreneurial ecosystem's foundation lies not only in the development of innovation
and the new projects that arise from it but also the relations with which other sectors nourish
and propel it, such as investors, business and industrial sectors, universities, and governments.
They create networks that link those who wield the tools of technology
with the traditional business community who understand better than
anyone the problems that plague the various productive sectors in the
region, and may serve as a gateway to dialogue and to new entrepreneur-
ial solutions to old problems. One example of a bridge between traditional
business sectors and tech enterprise is A gave Labs , from Guadalajara,
who get in touch with CEOs to discover ways to aid them through a d hoc
technology solutions under the commitment f rom the company that it
will employ the technology once it is developed. In this way, they not only
provide a novel and effective outlook on existing problems but also
manage to hedge their risk at maximum . A similar connection between
public research institutions and the industrial sector is possible with gov-
ernment sponsorship in the way of technology engagement programs.
22

26. On its part, the construction of spaces where investors can share their experience around new tech-
nology enterprises is of vital importance to raise awareness on the challenges and opportunities of the
sector, redirecting capital that would otherwise end up in more traditional, less risky enterprises. Suc-
cessful examples are the Venture Club of Panamá, or G uadalajara Angel Investors Network (GAIN) ,
local entities that seek to gather angel investors in both cities.
These associations aim to develop an innovative entrepreneurial culture among individuals who are in
condition to invest in startups, but that have historically created wealth through traditional invest-
ment instruments. Other international initiatives, such as S tartup Angels, have found in Latin America
an opportunity to identify, recruit and train investors in the region to invest in the early stages of tech
based businesses.
23
34

27. CULTURE

28. CULTURE
Develop and maintain an entrepreneurial culture is
no easy task in communities that traditionally
don't value failure as a necessary step on the path
to success, or entrepreneurs as role models. Within
the communities, the relevance of teamwork and
the focus on providing solutions to local problems
are also critical elements of a culture of entrepre-
neurship.
25

29. Promote a work ethos in the communities
Culture around an entrepreneurial eco-
system must be open, inclusive, and
transparent in order to generate and
transform ideas into successful business-
es. However, many times entrepreneurs
forget their gregarious essence and give
themselves to the individualist impulse,
influenced by the fashion and illusion that
the value of enterprise lies in the entre-
preneurial act, rather than in the value
that they add to the communities they
are a part of.
The road to a vibrant entrepreneurship
ecosystem begins with events in which
its actors meet each other, exchange
ideas and experiences, and begin to act
as a community.
This gives way to more ambitious initiatives,
such as hackathons or coworking spaces, in
order to finally reach more sophisticated
scenarios like an incubator. The successful
entrepreneur's recipe can't do without a
community and the organic growth it pro-
vides.
26

30. Community interactions must not be limited to entrepreneurs, but should also aim to create solid
relationships with the private and public spheres. To strengthen a culture of entrepreneurship it
is vital to adequately disseminate and value successes that sprout from the community, with a
special emphasis on stories that reflect teamwork. Building the reach necessary to highlight the
virtues of entrepreneurship at a societywide level requires a joint effort between entrepreneur
communities, governments, the media, and academic institutions who transmit the message and
create the necessary conditions for a culture of innovation to flourish.
Moreover, it must be recognized that the reasons that can lead to a startup failing
to take off can be independent from the fact that there may be a great team
doing a great job. Matters of context, users, or a given market's saturation can
throw a wrench on what appeared like certain success A potential exit to these
"dead ends" can be the merger of startups and work teams, which shouldn't nec-
essarily happen as a purchase of one by the other, but also through alternative
models such as share transfer by the better positioned company to the one that
is less so in exchange for joining forces. This can be done even without the need
for dilution among the startups, which can in all respects be beneficial for both.
An example of it in the region is the merger of Easy Taxy (Brazil) and Tappsi (Co-
lombia) in 2015 .
27
35
36

31. Promoting failure as part of the recipe for success
The mantra "fail often, fail fast" is the corner-
stone of entrepreneurial culture in Silicon
Valley. Now, this doesn't necessarily resonate
in our region. The undue fear produced by the
possibility of failure isn't just an obstacle en-
trenched in Latin American culture, it is also
crystallized in business regulation, such as the
administrative procedures that regulate bank-
ruptcy.
Discussing the week's errors in a company meeting
or sharing experiences of failure among entrepre-
neurs helps to turn these events into sources of
learning. One great example of positive awareness
raising about failure are what are known are Fuckup
Nights, born in Mexico as an initiative by 5 friends
who sought a space to speak openly about entrepre-
neurial failure. It has grown into an international
community spanning over 150 cities in close to 50
countries, providing a more realistic outlook on the
process of failing as an entrepreneur.
28
37

32. The de-stigmatization of failure shouldn't be limit-
ed to entrepreneur communities, but should be ex-
tended to the rest of society, in particular children
and youths who will become future generations of
entrepreneurs . The ultimate objective is to
showcase entrepreneurship as a way of life that is
possible.
Failure is nothing other than the other side of risk,
which is the main engine of innovation and entre-
preneurship. Whether it happens or not, it is
always a possibility. Only entrepreneurs who can
understand the possibility of failure as a stimulat-
ing challenge rather than a hindrance will achieve
their goals. After all, if there’s no risk, there is no
prize.
29
38

33. In Latin America, one can see how many startups seek to emulate the objectives and business models of
others that have already triumphed in more developed markets. This isn't necessarily bad, but it often fol-
lows from the fact that in the region there isn't yet a strong culture of taking risks and seeking disruption.
Innovation is essentially disruptive, but disruption doesn't rest exclusively in novelty, in what nobody
thought of before, but it also embodies thinking about traditional problems from a new perspective.
The c opycat phenomenon is understandable insofar as instinctively we associate innovation with imitation
of what has worked elsewhere, and also less by its impact on the population that benefits, but by its eco-
nomic success. Innovation in Latin America, and everywhere in the world, shouldn't focus on finding a new
Google, Facebook, or Uber, but in seeking novel solutions to real problems in the communities. It is important
for governments, which often have the most complete information about the real problems and needs faced
by their populations, to approach entrepreneurs with technology competencies and to work in ways to link
entrepreneurs, universities, and other governments to develop disruptive solutions.
One clear example of how to face traditional problems with novel solutions is S ocialab, a nonprofit NGO that
seeks to produce positive social impacts by seeking support for sustainable, disruptive startups at an early
stage. It seeks to promote a social and economic development model focused on solving community prob-
lems through initiatives .
P r o m o t i n g c r e a t i v e s o l u t i o n s t o l o c a l p r o b l e m s
30
39

34. CAPITAL

35. Access to capital has been one of the
main obstacles for s tartups in Latin
America to grow and compete at a
global scale. Funding is critical for a
company to grow and scale its business
at any stage of development.
CAPITAL
32

36. Fostering access to smart capital
The reality appears to be that the problem isn't always a lack of capital,
but rather the different expectations between entrepreneurs and inves-
tors, which sometimes prevents an adequate flow of capital. Whereas early
stage startups don't have easy access to funding from banks, various
public programs operate as seed financing (ranging from USD 50,000 to
500,000) and can be very useful in attracting private investors. Public
funds on their own cannot finance an enterprise, and generally, amounts
above 500,000 focus on different expectations and maturities for the
projects to be invested in. Normally, venture capital is concerned about
short term results, with little consideration for the long term potential of
many projects. Maturing the ecosystem requires a thorough understanding
of the nature of tech startups: higher risks, but also higher returns on
investment.
33

37. Weaving investor networks that, among other things, help to document and make visible the
experiences and lessons, is a first step towards evangelizing other investors in the region and
draw them to the tech startup ecosystem.
he La Latin American Private Equity & Venture
Capital Association (LAVCA), brings together
more than 170 investment firms, from global
investment funds to local managers, con-
trolling assets exceeding USD 60 billion. The
process of information transfer between the
members facilitates the capture of best
investment practices .
34
40

38. On the other hand, "counterpar-
ty capital" models promoted by
governments are an option for
international venture capital to
invest in local startups. Under
these schemata, governments
match the amount invested by
a private investor, serving as
additional incentive
pulsa, in Colombia, has matching grant initiatives
for venture investors in Colombia to improve the
culture of investment and to leverage resources
with cofinancing programs where the investor
contributes a certain amount, and the program
matches this amount for the investor to invest in
local companies, increasing the return expecta-
tions for investors and developing new investors
who contribute to the system .
In-
n -
n -
n -
35
41

39. $
Finally, investment funds normally function better when their teams include people who have been en-
trepreneurs with firsthand knowledge of the real challenges faced by startups o n their path to consoli-
dation. Kaszek Ventures is an investment fund owned by Hernán Kasah, cofounder of Mercado Libre,
the etrade leader in Latin America, created in 1999 . Since 2011 it has made 36 early stage invest-
ments, making it one of the most active funds in the region. Their investment portfolio includes suc-
cessful investments such as Netshoes, PedidosYA, and Restorando .
Create new crowdfunding platforms
Collective funding models, or c rowdfunding, allow many startups to find the capital
needed to start a business by tapping large numbers of people. C rowdfunding isn't
just a way to gather funds for earlystage projects, but also includes other, nonfinancial
benefits, such as product validation, information on market segmentation, and inputs
on potential customers prior to the first product sales.
36
42
43

40. There are currently several crowdfunding platforms, the best known at a global level being Kickstarter and
Indiegogo. Over 99,000 projects around the world have been funded with more than USD 218,690,000 on
Kickstarter. In Latin America, Ideame has presence in more than 5 countries in the region and the United
States, managing to consolidate, together with other initiatives in Latin America and elsewhere, a movement
that has started a discussion about the need for more transparent regulation on c rowdfunding as a financing
vehicle, in order to facilitate, rather than hinder, its use by entrepreneurs in the region .
Fiscal incentives can facilitate considerably the capaci-
ty to start businesses and attract venture capital. Gov-
ernments can design and implement special fiscal
incentives for tech startups to promote the growth of
the ecosystem.
Harmonize the tax burden to
foster greater investment
37
44

41. Moreover, given the global nature of digital enter-
prises, it is important to seek fiscal harmonization
between countries that permits expansion into
new markets, and for investors to allocate capital
to the best projects, independently of the country
where they are based. Governments must also
avoid imposing economic barriers to startup ex-
pansion, such as currency restrictions.
38

42. REGULATION

43. REGULATION
Governments play a fundamental role in the
creation of stable and predictable regulatory
environments that allow entrepreneurs to ma-
terialize innovative ideas and for investors to
allocate capital safely.
40

44. Easing bureaucratic procedures for opening and closing a business
The complex mire of bureaucratic and administrative procedures existing in the majority of coun-
tries in the region for starting a business is one of the main barriers to the creation of tech start-
ups. For early stage startups, it is common for the entrepreneurs to have few resources for navi-
gating the bureaucracy.
Regulatory burdens don't only affect the opening of new businesses, but also their closing, impos-
ing extremely high costs to failure. Simplifying these processes shouldn't only help to start busi-
nesses, but also to close them if they fail, so entrepreneurs can metabolize this experience faster,
learn from their failure, and start over.
41

45. Promoting a modern regulatory framework
on liability for intermediaries and copyright
Digital businesses need a modern regulatory frame-
work, adapted to the digital economy, providing a safe
and predictable environment to operate. Safe port
laws, limiting liability for Internet intermediaries for
usergenerated content, guarantees that as long as
certain conditions are met, a platform shall not be held
liable for such content. This model, conceived in the
United States through the C ommunications Decency
Act Section 230 a nd the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act, h as allowed Silicon Valley companies to create
products and services with sufficient clarity about
which material they are and aren't responsible for. In
Latin America, Brazil has the I nternet Civil Framework,
whereas in Chile there is an Intellectual Property Law,
both are examples safe port legislation .
Furthermore, a modern copyright
law, i n addition to limiting the liabil-
ity of platforms, must create flexi-
ble limitations that allow creators
and entrepreneurs to make legiti-
mate uses of protected knowledge
to produce innovative contents, and
continuing to drive creativity on the
Web. On the other hand, the avail-
ability of new platforms for users to
have legal access to contents de-
pends on modern copyright laws,
and has been proven to be effective
in reducing piracy.
42
45
46

46. Promote alternative means of payment
The availability and diversity of means of payment is a key
component for the growth of technology entrepreneur-
ship. To reach more users and increase their income,
startups must be able to offer payment alternatives for
the services and contents they offer their users.
The most common method for online purchases is a credit
card, but, with the exception of Brazil, countries in the
region have credit card penetration under 50% among
their populations . Therefore, a portion of entrepreneurs
in the region are focusing on developing online payment
platforms, such as PayU , providing alternatives to Inter-
net users, fundamentally for those who don't have access
to a credit card .
$
enviar
43
48
48
47
49

47. These new means of payment being developed in the region are oftentimes forced to adapt to
means of payment regulations from the 19th and 20th centuries. Governments can work to mod-
ernize their financial regulation in ways that allow for more options, particularly for users with-
out bank accounts who cannot access traditional means, and are excluded from contents and
services offered on the internet and from ecommerce.
Involving startup communities in policy
dscussions.
The entrepreneurial ecosystem in Latin America is in constant growth. The more Latin
Americans turn to entrepreneurship as a way of life, the more their importance will be rec-
ognized as creators of wealth and employment. Entrepreneurship is not an easy activity,
and governments must endeavor to develop smart policies and the right conditions to facil-
itate, or at least not to stand in the way, of innovation and entrepreneurship .
44
50

48. Thus the importance, on one hand, of engaging governments and startup communities in
policymaking debates that affect them directly. On the other hand, entrepreneur commu-
nities can harness existing opportunities for interaction to discuss these issues and reach
consensus on positions that represent them as a sector towards policymakers. Entrepre-
neur associations such as ASECH in Chile, or ASEA in Argentina, or specific startup associ-
ations like Engine Advocacy in the United States, are examples of institutions that repre-
sent entrepreneurs.
Engine Advocacy is an association of US startups seeking to active-
ly participate in decision-making processes of public policies that
directly impact the ecosystem. Its main activities are to generate
information (what is the impact of startups in the economy, how
many jobs are created); connect startups with governments to pro-
mote debate (through events, round tables, demo days); work on
different policy issues that impact the ecosystem (intellectual
property, privacy, access, immigration reform, among others).
45

49. SOURCES
46
1 http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.P2
2 http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.P2, http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/03/07/ii-internet-use-3/
3 http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Latin-American-Internet-Audience-Nears-310-Million/1011667
4 https://lingos.co/blog/stats-on-the-spanish-language/
5 http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/09/30/emprender-esta-de-moda-en-america-latina
6 Las ciudades en las cuales se llevaron a cabo estos encuentros son Lima, Bogotá, Medellín, San José, Guayaquil,
Viña del Mar, Guatemala, México DF y Buenos Aires.
7 http://blog.up.co/2014/09/08/white-paper-announcing-5-ingredients-fostering-thriving-startup-ecosystem/
8 http://programar.gob.ar/
9 http://www.devf.mx/
10 http://mexico.uxnights.com/
11 http://javascriptmx.com/
12 https://developers.google.com/groups/?hl=es
13 https://platzi.com/prensa/
14 http://www.educationnews.org/online-schools/online-ed-startup-platzi-succeeding-with-freemium-model/
15 http://www.eltiempo.com/tecnosfera/novedades-tecnologia/emprendedores-colombianos-en-silicon-valley-platzi/15296516
16 http://goo.gl/bDDyft
17 http://mundo.unitec.edu/index.php/campus/tegucigalpa/268-unitec-lanza-club-de-emprendimiento-hub-unitec
18 http://www.eafit.edu.co/cice/Paginas/inicio.aspx
19 http://goo.gl/KEtjSc
20 http://goo.gl/HF9DZ
21 http://goo.gl/vAL5NJ
22 https://www.quora.com/profile/Andres-Barreto-1
23 http://thenextweb.com/la/2014/01/01/2013-latin-america-heres-happened/2/
24 http://goo.gl/qDwaiq
25 http://10years.firstround.com/
26 http://laboratoria.la/
27 http://www.thesfactory.org/apply.html
28 http://antigua.impacthub.net/
29 http://atomhouse.com/
30 http://atomhouse.com/
31 http://www.piloto151.com/
32 http://hackergarage.mx/
33 http://meetroopers.com/
34 http://www.gdlangels.mx/
35 http://thenextweb.com/la/2013/07/06/zombies-are-about-to-invade-latin-america/
36 http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/15/easy-taxi-tappsi/
37 http://fuckupnights.com/
38 http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/09/30/emprender-esta-de-moda-en-america-latina
39 http://socialab.com/
40 http://www.lavca.org/
41 http://www.innpulsacolombia.com/es/ofertas
42 http://investor.mercadolibre.com/faq.cfm
43 http://www.kaszek.com/
44 http://www.elespectador.com/tecnologia/el-viacrucis-de-hacer-crowdfunding-colombia-articulo-581507
45 http://goo.gl/NirqsE
46 http://www.planalto.gov.br/CCIVIL_03/_Ato2011-2014/2014/Lei/L12965.htm
47 http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=28933
48 http://goo.gl/Dmy9HY
49 http://www.cioal.com/2015/01/16/el-nuevo-nicho-de-las-pasarelas-de-pago-2/
50 http://www.forbes.com/sites/freddiedawson/2014/07/31/growing-entrepreneurship-in-latin-america/#5169aa519a3a
51 https://engine.is/