• These technology-based startups were selected for their ability to address challenges in the energy industry and their potential to accelerate the challenges of the energy transition in the region.
• The high-impact startups will contribute to the sector on fronts such as electromobility, access to renewable energy, business digitalization and energy efficiency.
• With this program, ISA and Rockstart seek to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the energytech sector in Latin America and boost job creation in the region. The Ecopetrol Group joins this collaborative proposal with its network of innovation centers and energy experts.

How to accelerate the energy transition by taking advantage of technology, decarbonize energy processes, or promote access to renewable energy sources? The answers to these questions are available to the 10 startups selected by ISA and Rockstart, the first in the region to enter an acceleration program that seeks to continue advancing the energy transition leveraging innovation and technology.
In this first call, more than 200 ventures from 12 countries were submitted: Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, El Salvador, Spain, Bolivia, Paraguay and the United Kingdom, which were selected after a process that included different filters, interviews and tests conducted by a pool of experts.
The selected ventures will be accompanied by international mentors, mainly located in Colombia, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States, and are experts in:

• Maintenance and operations management in the energy industry.
• Business development and management focused on the renewable energy industry.
• Development of technologies and products focused on energy regeneration and optimization.
• Development and management of projects in innovation of startups focused on clean energy in pre-seed phase.
• Extensive experience in the solar energy and energy efficiency sector.

“We are pleasantly surprised by the level of the startups that presented to the program. We found proposals full of passion for the sustainability of the planet, high level of technical knowledge and a common factor: the need to contribute to the acceleration of the region’s energy transition. The selection process was full of good discussions about technology and business models between founders and jurors. We have many projects and will identify opportunities to work together with ISA and Ecopetrol Group companies,” said Santiago Hoyos, corporate director of Innovation at ISA.

These startups will contribute to the energy transition through fronts such as electromobility, smart grids, access to renewables, business digitalization, and energy efficiency.  Through this program, founders will have the opportunity to be connected with the entire regional entrepreneurship ecosystem, where Rockstart will put at the service of this alliance more than 100 specialized mentors, more of 80 members of its community of investors including Impact Funds and Investor Angels, and more than 70 companies that today are part of its corporate community.

About the program

Rockstart + ISA acceleration program was launched on February 21. It will last four months, during which the program will provide the startups with a once in a lifetime opportunity to accelerate their growth and development.  Founders will have access to world-renowned mentors, business connections, and funding opportunities. They will also have the possibility to work with energy experts, use the Ecopetrol Group’s experiment facilities, and collaborate with the leading company in the industry to scale their solutions. 

An interesting fact is that the founders of the selected companies will receive these benefits without having to give shares, equity, or payments.  At the end of the program, the startups are expected to have grown at least 2x, have expanded to new cities and countries, and support capital raising. 
This also implies the generation of jobs in the regional energy industry and the contribution to the development of the territories.  “We can’t wait to work together with ISA and Rockstart to make the most of this opportunity.  We are confident that our joint efforts will be very fruitful and will help us drive the growth and success of PowerP in the region,” said Felipe Vallejo, General Manager of PowerP, one of the startups participating in the acceleration program.

Selected startups