FROM LATIN AMERICA:
ARGENTINA
Entrepreneur: Vanesa Duran
Company: Vanesa Duran Joyas
Over
the past ten years, Vanesa Duran has built a multi-million dollar
jewelry company that takes advantage of a powerful, direct selling
model to empower women and provide middle and lower income consumers
throughout Argentina with access to quality jewelry. The company offers
two product lines: The hallmark brand, Vanesa Duran Joyas, and a more
affordable alternative for daily use, Oversize Markets.
BRAZIL
Entrepreneur: Joaquim Caracas
Company: Impacto Protensao
Impacto
is laying the groundwork for a greener Brazil by developing reusable,
sustainable, and easily-assembled construction products. Using an
innovative technique called “post-tensioning,” Impacto fuses recycled
plastic concrete slabs into flooring and uses 85% less wood than
traditional methods in the process. Since its founding in 1996, Impacto
has signed industry-leading Odebrecht and ArcelorMittal as clients and
has registered 17 patents. Looking ahead, Joaquim plans to expand the
company’s use of recycled plastic to new construction challenges.
Entrepreneur: Leonardo Simão
Company: Bebê Store
The
largest baby e-commerce retailer in Brazil, Bebê Store offers parents a
unique online shopping experience by guaranteeing a wide selection of
high quality products, terrific customer service, affordable shipping,
and a flexible return policy. With industry leading revenues, customer
service, and product selection, Bebê Store is on track to become the
largest and most efficient online retailer of baby products in South
America.
CHILE
Entrepreneur: Eduardo Cretier
Company: International Quality Systems
International
Quality System (IQS) saves industrial companies time and money by
diagnosing and eliminating static equipment failures in large-scale
production processes predominantly in the pulp and paper industry. This
not only allows for improved operational reliability, but also
minimizes industrial plant “down time” through nontoxic diagnostic
x-ray machines that can run while plant workers are present. Their
proprietary software reduces overall maintenance costs by identifying
future maintenance needs to avoid emergency plant shutdowns, factors
which greatly improve client production and profitability. IQS counts
some of Chile’s largest cellulose companies as clients.
Entrepreneurs: Javier Sainz, John Alarcon
Company: Prodalysa
Prodalysa’s
groundbreaking technology extracts a 100% natural sugar alternative
from stevia plants. The company sells two core stevia products: a pure
stevia extract that can be adapted for industrial use and a pre-mixed
blend stevia extract for commercial products. Prodalysa has already
captured 80% of Chile’s stevia market and has pioneered the extract’s
usage in new industries, like dairy. Javier and John are in the process
of developing a private label option in sachet, tablet, and bottle form.
COLOMBIA
Entrepreneurs: Alex Torrenegra, Tania Zapata
Company: Bunny Inc.
Bunny
Inc. is making a lot of noise in the voice casting market, disrupting
the way voice actors and buyers connect. Before, the process of finding
voice actors for a project took weeks and could cost thousands of
dollars. Today, thanks to Bunny Inc’s VoiceBunny and Voice123 online
platforms, buyers anywhere in the world can find professional voices in
less than ten minutes. By dramatically lowering the cost and time to
acquire a voice, Bunny Inc. is opening the market to many new
applications for professional voices.
Entrepreneurs: Ricardo Ortiz, David Ortiz
Company: SIIGO
No
business is too small for SIIGO, an Endeavor Colombia company looking
out for the little guys. SIIGO’s financial, accounting and management
software enables small businesses to better manage their financial
information and increase efficiencies while minimizing costs. The
company offers competitive pricing while promising agile product
innovation capabilities through iSiigo, its integrated cloud based
business management solution.
MEXICO
Entrepreneurs: Javier Lozano, Fernanda Zorrilla
Company: Clínicas del Azúcar
Diabetes
has reached epidemic proportions in Mexico, with 70,000 deaths
attributable to the disease each year. Clínicas del Azúcar (Sugar
Clinics) seeks to turn these alarming statistics around, offering
specialized, affordable diabetes care to low to middle income patients
who otherwise would go under- or untreated. With its one-stop shop
model, Clínicas has reduced patients’ annual costs by 75%, lowered
their diabetes complication rates by 60%, and increased adherence to
treatment by 1300%.
Entrepreneurs: José Akle, Sebastían Barrios
Company: Yaxi
Yaxi
is a taxi hailing app for iPhone and Android that instantly connects
passengers in Mexico City with taxis that are screened for quality,
tracked for safety, and technically equipped for optimal route and
payment efficiency. By working with ordinary taxis and charging
passengers a low $1 commission fee, Yaxi brings quality, safety, and
convenience to the masses at less than half the cost of black car
hailing services, while significantly increasing driver earnings. Yaxi
is already the #1 taxi hailing app in Mexico City, and is positioned to
extend its lead across the region.
Entrepreneur: Carlos M. Anaya Rodríguez
Company: Parquimóvil
The
traditional parking meter- an outdated 73-year old machine- is calling
for a new solution. Parquimóvil is rejuvenating this outdated
infrastructure by providing a virtual parking registration system
distributed through mobile phones and authorized retailers. Parquimóvil
enables municipalities to avoid the installation and operational costs
of parking meter infrastructure while simultaneously collecting data to
improve public safety and urban planning. With Mexico ranking top on
the “commuter pain” index, Parquimóvil removes commuter frustration
associated with locating and paying for a parking spot.
Entrepreneur: José de Jesús González Macín
Company: Barared
Founded
in 2006, Barared caters to the underserved market and in doing so is
reinventing micro-commerce in Mexico. Barared offers the base of the
pyramid population in Mexico access to essential services ranging from
mobile phone top-ups to bank transactions in a convenient and
affordable manner. The company has installed over 1,000 kiosks in “mom
and pop” shops across Mexico City where customers can perform
transactions without visiting banks and other government offices which
are often located at a great distance from the customer.
Entrepreneur: Jose (Pepe) Islas, Jose Bezaury, and Antonio Vilches
Company: Grupo Archipielago
Before
2009, entertainment options for hip young professionals in Mexico City
were limited to large, crowded, and expensive clubs that delivered a
single, formulaic experience. Today, trendsetters can be found
scattered across a series of cutting-edge “islands” – venues distinct
in concept but united by the creative vision of Grupo Archipielago.
Grupo Archipielago offers unique, alternative experiences across a
portfolio of restaurants and bars.
FROM THE MENA REGION:
EGYPT
Entrepreneur: Amr El Tayeb
Company: Smart Care Medical Service
Smart
Care offers corporate clients customized and discounted health care
plans with access to over 400 health care providers (hospitals, clinics
etc.). Smart Care educates clients’ employees about the plan, manages
the revision process, and provides extensive customer service to
beneficiaries, clients, and providers alike. For those not on a
corporate healthcare plan, Smart Care provides discount medical cards.
LEBANON
Entrepreneurs: Eddy Maroun & Elie Habib
Company: Anghami
Anghami
is a music streaming mobile application that offers music enthusiasts
the opportunity to listen to a wide variety of Arabic and English
tracks from the convenience of a mobile phone. Anghami’s music library
features licensed content from leading Arabic labels such as Rotana and
Mazzika, as well as from major international labels including Sony,
Warner, and Universal. With the music streaming market valued at US$1
billion and growing, Anghami is well poised to capitalize on the trend
in the underserved MENA market.
SAUDI ARABIA
Entrepreneurs: Amr S. Al Madani, Saeed Atef Saeed
Company: TalentS
TalentS
is working to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering,
and math (STEM) education throughout Saudi Arabia. TalentS has
developed creative, hands-on, and engaging methods for teaching STEM at
robotics competitions and science fairs. The entrepreneurs are now
applying their expertise to additional STEM-related learning
opportunities, including managing STEM museums, designing exhibits,
organizing corporate social responsibility events, and training
teachers and students.
TURKEY
Entrepreneurs: Ömer Paksoy, Onur Tekinturhan
Company: Konut Kredisi
Konutkredisi.com.tr
(Turkish for “home loan”) is the country’s first online loan brokerage
platform, offering both mortgage and unsecured personal loan products
from 16 of Turkey’s 21 major banks. Konutkredisi has become an
important partner for borrowers and lenders alike. As Turkey’s home
loan market is still emerging, Konutkredisi’s platform seeks to educate
consumers in addition to allowing them to transparently compare
products. At the same time, Konutkredisi has helped banks improve
conversion rates and find new customers. |
2013 
