IDB Lab

IDB Lab is the innovation laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank Group. Based in Washington, DC, it was established in 1993 as an economic development agency that supports growth and poverty reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean. It promotes development through private sector activities by encouraging private investment and advancing private sector development, with a focus on creating opportunities for the poor and vulnerable, and it manages its assets through the executive management team.

Irene Hofman

CEO

Magdalena Coronel

Chief Investment Officer

48 past transactions

Jobbi

Pre Seed Round in 2025
Jobbi is the HR super-app to hire cross-border talent. Companies can get matched with pre-vetted professionals in seconds, filter their candidates in a customizable recruitment pipeline and keeps the candidates aware of the process automatically, hire compliantly in a few clicks, and pay their global teams (compensation and benefits), in a single place.

Sofía

Venture Round in 2024
Founded in Mexico in 2018, Sofía is a health technology company offering comprehensive medical insurance services. Its platform provides customizable health plans covering major and minor expenses, preventive care, video consultations, and ambulance services. The company aims to deliver personalized experiences at every touchpoint.

Arado

Series B in 2024
Arado is a platform designed for small-to-medium-sized farming businesses. It offers supply chain management and business solutions tailored to agricultural enterprises.

Bia Energy

Series B in 2024
Bia Energy is focused on providing sustainable and affordable energy solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and households in Latin America. The company has developed a virtual energy marketing platform that emphasizes efficient energy consumption and optimization. This platform tracks energy usage and offers automatic recommendations for monthly savings, enabling users to reduce costs while adopting sustainable practices. Through its consumer-centric and data-driven approach, Bia Energy aims to empower its customers by enhancing their energy management capabilities and promoting environmentally friendly energy consumption.

AgriCapital

Debt Financing in 2024
AgriCapital is a financial service firm that provides store credit, productive credit, credit installments, and accompaniment services.

Marco

Series A in 2024
Marco Capital, Inc. is a trade finance platform headquartered in Miami, Florida, that aims to provide small and medium-sized exporters from Latin America with access to working capital. Established in 2019, the platform facilitates investments in short-term trade finance receivables between Latin American exporters and U.S. importers. It promotes paperless processes, allowing users to upload documents and invoices seamlessly. The platform also incorporates support from industry experts and leverages artificial intelligence to streamline financing services and trade operations. Marco Capital focuses on simplifying the financing experience for businesses, enabling them to save time and foster growth.

FinanEx

Debt Financing in 2023
FinanEx operates a digital trade finance platform supporting underserved food exporters worldwide, particularly focusing on small and medium-sized agribusinesses in Latin America. Its mission is to increase export volumes sustainably while positively impacting rural communities.

Tributo Simple

Seed Round in 2023
Tributo Simple is a TaxTech company dedicated to simplifying tax compliance for small taxpayers through a user-friendly application. The company provides essential features such as business registration, invoice creation, expense tracking, and assistance with tax filing. Designed specifically for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and early-stage professionals, the app integrates support from registered accountants, ensuring users have access to expert guidance. By handling the complexities of taxation, Tributo Simple allows business owners to focus on their core operations, offering peace of mind and a streamlined approach to managing their administrative and financial responsibilities.

Jobecam

Debt Financing in 2023
Jobecam is an interactive platform based in São Paulo, Brazil, that connects businesses with candidates through advanced video technology. The company offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution designed to streamline the recruitment process by utilizing artificial intelligence to anonymize candidate interviews and resumes. This approach helps reduce unconscious bias in hiring decisions, as candidates are presented to recruiters through avatars and altered voices, maintaining anonymity until they advance in the selection process. Jobecam's platform enhances accessibility and diversity by allowing candidates to record video resumes, apply for job vacancies, and participate in interviews from their homes. Additionally, the technology can be integrated with existing human resources systems, enabling real-time interactions during live interviews while preserving candidate anonymity.

Kigüi

Seed Round in 2023
Kigüi is a company focused on enhancing the food supply chain through artificial intelligence. It specializes in managing expiration dates and stock levels in supermarkets, ensuring efficient replenishment of products while minimizing food waste. The company's platform incentivizes consumers to purchase items nearing their expiration, thereby lowering food waste and contributing to a reduced environmental footprint. By improving inventory management and encouraging responsible purchasing behavior, Kigüi supports supermarkets in optimizing sales and enhancing sustainability efforts.

Nippy

Non Equity Assistance in 2023
Nippy develops an online platform connecting independent workers with essential services like insurance, discounts, health guidance, legal advice, accounting assistance, education, and financing tools. This aids freelancers in managing their businesses efficiently.

Cubo

Seed Round in 2023
Cubo is a developer of a payment services platform. They offer small and medium businesses, starting with the point-of-sale systems that make payment accessible for merchants.

Clube da Alice

Grant in 2023
Clube da Alice® is a private Facebook® group founded in 2014 by Mônica Balestieri Berlitz, a businesswoman and photographer from Curitiba. It currently has over 540,000 women and aims to encourage female entrepreneurship through a free channel for publishing products/services, as well as to encourage debate on issues concerning the female universe.

socialcrypto.art

Grant in 2023
SocialCrypto.art is a project that seeks to raise awareness of the potential of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) as a tool for social purposes. Through the use of NFT technology, SocialCrypto.art directs funds to social projects in the favela and contributes to the development of projects with social impact.

Clumti A.C.

Grant in 2023
Clumti A.C. a network of independent developers, businesses, and universities that use virtual reality to boost the competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses

GRAN CHACO - IMPACT NFT

Grant in 2023
IMPACT NFT is a unique SOCIAL-IMPACT driven NFT project, where collectors can access an IMMERSIVE CULTURAL EXPERIENCE, to fund+meet native artisans joining an international institutional alliance that preserves native art in rural South America. Gran Chaco Impact NFT, offers a platform where collectors collaborate with non-fungible token (NFT) artists and curators to support women artisans in the creation of digital art tokens using augmented and virtual reality, NFTs, and blockchain with the goal of preserving and promoting native communities' cultures.

EXPY LAB

Grant in 2023
EXPYLAB is a Paraguayan research facility for the creation of immersive projects.

Kodea

Grant in 2023
Kodea is a foundation founded by professionals in innovation, education, and technology who are dedicated to doing meaningful work. Kodea is a young, ambitious initiative that is committed to generating profound changes in the reality of the country's IT and human capital while ensuring the inclusion of women and other minorities.

Brillante

Grant in 2023
Brillante, from Guatemala, is a speech-rehabilitation app that supports parents and teachers by using augmented reality stimuli to help kids who have trouble speaking as well as with language and communication.

Buro DAP Fundación

Grant in 2023
BuroDAP Fundación, based in Colombia, creates sustainable and safe urban spaces for pedestrians, with a focus on women's safety and the needs of people with disabilities.

Youth Can Do IT

Grant in 2023
Youth Can Do I.T. (YCDI) is a youth empowerment organization based in Kingston, Jamaica that was founded in 2016 by Lianne McNaughton. The mission of YCDI is to empower youth through skill-building and self-actualization programes that prepare them for future jobs.

Elenas

Series B in 2022
Elenas is a leading social commerce platform in Latin America that enables women to launch and grow online businesses from home. The platform offers a digital storefront, client management tools, and support for product sourcing, delivery, and payment collection, allowing users to focus on sales. Through direct sales catalogs and social media channels such as WhatsApp and Facebook, Elenas connects tens of thousands of women in Colombia and over 11 million across the region with a wide range of branded cosmetics, beauty, and lifestyle products. Sellers can offer customers discounts on major brands while earning supplemental income, making Elenas a key facilitator of home‑based entrepreneurship for women throughout the region.

Ualabee

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Ualabee is a mobility technology company that streamlines urban commuting. It integrates public transportation, micromobility (like e-scooters and bikes), and ride-hailing services into a single platform. Ualabee's core offering is a trip-planning architecture, accessible via APIs and user-friendly interfaces, which helps individuals, businesses, and cities optimize their travel. Additionally, the company provides mobility data analytics under a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, empowering industry operators and companies with valuable insights to enhance their services.

Bankingly

Series A in 2022
Bankingly is a fintech company founded in 2015 and based in Montevideo, Uruguay, dedicated to enhancing digital banking services for financial institutions in emerging markets. The company offers a software as a service (SaaS) platform that enables its clients to promote digital channels, thereby fostering financial inclusion for millions of people. Bankingly's cloud-hosted technologies allow financial institutions to manage their products, facilitate digital transactions, and engage with customers through a mobile application, transactional website, and chatbot, among other tools. With a focus on affordability, the pricing model is based on the number of active users, helping clients align costs with benefits. The company prioritizes a streamlined implementation process while maintaining high standards of functionality and cybersecurity. Currently, Bankingly's technology supports over 1.5 million users across more than 100 financial entities.

Dolado

Series A in 2022
Dolado is a company that provides a retail management platform aimed at enhancing the operational capabilities of small businesses in Latin America, particularly in suburban areas and tier-2 cities where technology adoption is relatively low. The platform enables merchants to buy and sell a variety of products, including cell phone accessories, food items, automotive parts, and toys. By offering a comprehensive suite of e-commerce and financial services, Dolado helps these businesses improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance their sales processes. Through its innovative solutions, Dolado seeks to empower small business owners and facilitate their growth in a competitive marketplace.

Sempli

Convertible Note in 2021
Sempli operates an online lending platform in Colombia, designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The company aims to streamline access to capital for these enterprises by leveraging technology and data-driven insights. Through its digital banking services, Sempli facilitates efficient and convenient financing solutions, empowering SMBs to grow and create value.

Citibeats

Seed Round in 2021
Citibeats is a Barcelona-based company that designs and develops social intelligence software solutions. It uses artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and machine learning to analyze and visualize data from various sources, enabling organizations to understand societal trends and make informed decisions.

VU

Series B in 2021
VU LLC is a cybersecurity company based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with additional locations in Santiago, Chile; Montevideo, Uruguay; Distrito Federal, Mexico; and Cuenca, Ecuador. The company specializes in developing software solutions aimed at preventing fraud and identity theft. Its product offerings include the VU Application Server for integrating authentication systems, VU Fraud Analysis for environments requiring strong authentication, and VU Mobile Token, a mobile application that generates one-time passwords for user verification. Additionally, VU provides the VU Smart Wallet for mobile payments, VU Secure VPN for user authentication, and VU Voice Recogn, a biometric solution utilizing voice fingerprints for identity verification. VU combines traditional cybersecurity measures with advanced technologies such as biometrics, geolocation, machine learning, and user behavior analysis to enhance identity protection and fraud prevention.

UltraCasas.com

Series A in 2021
UltraCasas.com is the real estate search engine.

Ayenda Hotels

Venture Round in 2021
Ayenda Hotels is a rapidly growing hotel chain based in Medellín, Colombia, and is recognized as the largest hotel chain in the country by the number of properties. Founded in 2015, Ayenda focuses on providing standardized, budget-friendly accommodations for individuals, families, and business travelers. The company operates a network of franchise hotels in major cities such as Barranquilla, Bogotá, Medellín, and Pereira, ensuring that essential needs are met for all types of guests. Utilizing proprietary technology, Ayenda manages its operations through a comprehensive platform that includes hotel management software, pricing algorithms, and user-friendly interfaces, thereby enhancing the overall guest experience. The chain emphasizes quality amenities, including free WiFi and clean accommodations, making it a competitive choice for travelers seeking affordable lodging options.

Nippy

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Nippy develops an online platform connecting independent workers with essential services like insurance, discounts, health guidance, legal advice, accounting assistance, education, and financing tools. This aids freelancers in managing their businesses efficiently.

Sinba

Debt Financing in 2020
Sinba is an organization focused on sustainable waste management. It aims to reduce landfills and CO2 emissions by converting organic waste into animal feed and compost, and recycling inorganic waste. This circular economy model helps food and manufacturing industries minimize their environmental impact.

46 Degrees Technologies

Convertible Note in 2020
46 Degrees Technologies develops a direct carrier billing platform that enables content providers, such as gaming companies, to sell digital goods like games, music, and infotainment products. The company caters to users without access to bank accounts or credit cards, offering mobile payment alternatives in emerging markets including Latin America, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. Through partnerships with mobile network operators, 46 Degrees Technologies facilitates transactions for unbanked consumers. Additionally, the company's smartphone application connects collection agents with consumers who need to pay with cash for digital goods and services, providing a convenient on-demand service. Founded in 2014 and based in Encinitas, California, 46 Degrees Technologies serves as a bridge between unbanked consumers and global merchants.

Timpel

Convertible Note in 2020
Timpel S.A. is a Brazilian company founded in 2004, based in São Paulo, that specializes in the research and development of clinical and diagnostic tools. The company focuses on creating advanced software and hardware solutions for cardiopulmonary monitoring, clinical decision support, and bedside diagnosis. With a commitment to precision medicine, Timpel aims to enhance ventilation practices to improve outcomes for patients, caregivers, hospitals, and payers. The company operates with a multidisciplinary team and emphasizes collaboration between academia and industry to drive innovation in its field. Timpel has received investment and support from various organizations, including private equity and public research entities.

VU

Series B in 2020
VU LLC is a cybersecurity company based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with additional locations in Santiago, Chile; Montevideo, Uruguay; Distrito Federal, Mexico; and Cuenca, Ecuador. The company specializes in developing software solutions aimed at preventing fraud and identity theft. Its product offerings include the VU Application Server for integrating authentication systems, VU Fraud Analysis for environments requiring strong authentication, and VU Mobile Token, a mobile application that generates one-time passwords for user verification. Additionally, VU provides the VU Smart Wallet for mobile payments, VU Secure VPN for user authentication, and VU Voice Recogn, a biometric solution utilizing voice fingerprints for identity verification. VU combines traditional cybersecurity measures with advanced technologies such as biometrics, geolocation, machine learning, and user behavior analysis to enhance identity protection and fraud prevention.

EthicHub

Debt Financing in 2020
EthicHub is a platform that connects groups of smallholder coffee producers with global investors and direct buyers, combining lending and product sales to improve farmers’ profitability. The system uses coffee as collateral for loans, enabling affordable capital and fair prices that help farmers access financing and break cycles of poverty and low productivity. By leveraging blockchain-enabled regenerative finance, EthicHub channels investments directly to farmers, offers returns to investors, and keeps harvested crops as collateral in case of default, expanding banking access for smallholders and enabling participation in global agricultural value chains.

Citibeats

Seed Round in 2019
Citibeats is a Barcelona-based company that designs and develops social intelligence software solutions. It uses artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and machine learning to analyze and visualize data from various sources, enabling organizations to understand societal trends and make informed decisions.

Quipu Bank

Grant in 2019
Quipu is building the first digital bank for the informal economy in LATAM. Using proprietary AI algorithms, Quipu assesses informal microbusinesses’ creditworthiness using over 80,000 alternative data points. Quipu leverages this data to provide working capital loans through a local supply chain financing system that allows microbusinesses to buy supplies, ingredients and materials at wholesale price. The company is building an uncollateralized loan protocol to boost their loan operation. Quipu’s goal is to become the one-stop-shop for financial services for micro-businesses in LATAM providing easy, fair and alternative access to working capital.

Lendbuzz

Debt Financing in 2019
Lendbuzz, Inc. is a Boston-based company that operates an innovative car financing platform aimed at individuals with limited or no credit history, such as international students, foreign professionals, and expatriates. Founded in 2015, Lendbuzz uses machine learning algorithms and proprietary technology to assess the creditworthiness of consumers who are typically underserved by traditional financial institutions. By evaluating background information, including employment and educational history, the platform provides tailored car loans and financing solutions with favorable terms and low-interest rates. Lendbuzz partners with auto dealerships to enhance their offerings, allowing them to serve a more diverse clientele and close additional business opportunities. The company emphasizes a streamlined documentation process, making it easier for clients to access and manage their loans.

Sempli

Debt Financing in 2019
Sempli operates an online lending platform in Colombia, designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The company aims to streamline access to capital for these enterprises by leveraging technology and data-driven insights. Through its digital banking services, Sempli facilitates efficient and convenient financing solutions, empowering SMBs to grow and create value.

Waynimovil

Seed Round in 2019
Waynimóvil is a technology company that provides financial services and seeks to make a significant change to solve financial inequality. Through a digital onboarding and an integrated decision engine, their users can access microloans directly in their bank accounts or withdraw from any of the stores integrated into our non-banking networks.

HYBRICO Energy Technologies

Convertible Note in 2018
HYBRICO Energy Technologies specializes in providing energy-as-a-service solutions tailored for the telecom industry, particularly in emerging markets. The company addresses key challenges such as high energy costs, site availability, and environmental impact by offering a comprehensive hybrid power solution for both off-grid and poorly served grid sites. Utilizing advanced hybrid technology and proprietary cloud-based monitoring and control software, HYBRICO ensures a guaranteed energy uptime of 99.95%. Their services encompass all energy-related needs—including infrastructure, fueling, utility billing, and maintenance—delivered through long-term fixed-price contracts that facilitate improved management of operating expenses. With a focus on reducing carbon emissions and enhancing connectivity, HYBRICO aims to offer the lowest levelized cost of energy in the market, promoting a sustainable and efficient approach to energy consumption in telecommunications. The company is led by experts with extensive experience in designing high-reliability infrastructures and providing operations and maintenance services across numerous telecom sites.

Umitron

Seed Round in 2018
Umitron is a data company specializing in aquaculture. It supports fish farmers by optimizing feed usage through data analytics, reducing costs and promoting sustainable practices.

Cuantix

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Cuantix develops a cloud-based platform that automates the process of measuring social impacts. It enables organizations to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of their programs using polls, comparisons, and professional reports.

FinConecta

Seed Round in 2018
FinConecta is a technology company that specializes in creating an interconnected financial marketplace, focusing on digital solutions for the financial sector and beyond. Its proprietary platform, 4wrd, facilitates digital transformation and Open Banking by allowing businesses to integrate a variety of financial tools through a single integration point. This model significantly accelerates time to market while reducing costs. The platform features a Digital Solutions Store with a curated catalog of premium solutions, an API Gateway for managing third-party integrations, and a Sandbox environment for secure testing prior to deployment. Additionally, FinConecta offers an Open Banking solution that enables financial institutions to create and manage their own branded developer portals, as well as a Consent Module that ensures secure access to sensitive business and client assets. Through these offerings, FinConecta aims to empower financial entities to innovate and efficiently adapt to the evolving digital landscape.

S4

Series A in 2018
S4 is a technology service company that provides risk management solutions to ensure food production. It also develops index-based coverage to transfer the agriculture industry's volatilities to the financial markets, through OTC-derivatives contracts. The company offers products and services are used by a broad range of customers including large growers, crop protection and seeds suppliers, crop insurance providers, banking, and commodity exchanges. S4 integrates the harvest information with a planting plan, seed density, and soil analysis. They had developed a decision-making geo-referenced platform for the agricultural producer. They seek to improve the decision-making process in complex environments to collaborate in the global challenge of generating quality food for humanity. S4 was founded on 2011 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Sempli

Convertible Note in 2018
Sempli operates an online lending platform in Colombia, designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The company aims to streamline access to capital for these enterprises by leveraging technology and data-driven insights. Through its digital banking services, Sempli facilitates efficient and convenient financing solutions, empowering SMBs to grow and create value.

Sempli

Seed Round in 2017
Sempli operates an online lending platform in Colombia, designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The company aims to streamline access to capital for these enterprises by leveraging technology and data-driven insights. Through its digital banking services, Sempli facilitates efficient and convenient financing solutions, empowering SMBs to grow and create value.
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