A February full of exciting P18 news!

We kicked off 2021 with all hands on deck. Last month was DemoEvent time for our pre18ners from Gen.3! Ever since they joined pre18 in November, we were looking forward to DemoEvent week as it gives us a sense of celebration by being the come-together of three months worth of hard work, incredible enthusiasm, and energetic commitment. Some of them are already seeking investment, which is amazing for startups at this stage and, after seeing all the effort they’ve put into bettering their businesses and getting to market, we wanted them to shine and get the right connections. That’s why this DemoEvent felt one-of-a-kind and marked a new benchmark for parallel18, keep scrolling for further details!

And while that is happening, we’re also filled with excitement as we see our P18Alumni growing, raising investment, and closing strong partnerships. Their milestones have not been left unnoticed by the media or us! So give this newsletter a good read and reach out to the companies with which you see a match. Moreover, mark your calendars because P18 Gen.9 opens this April! That’s right! Our acceleration program is BACK!

We are very pumped to see this through and count on your on-going support, for our growing community is what makes us strong and unique in what we do. We’re certain that along with an upcoming Gen.9, the rest of the year has great things in store for us. In the meantime, let’s catch up!

Applications for Gen.9 open this April

It’s with great enthusiasm we get to announce that after a year without calling for applications, the open call for our next P18 cohort, Gen.9, is set to launch in April! If you know of startups that have traction, are innovative, and are ready to benefit from what Puerto Rico has to offer to scale, share this form and we’ll email them more information as the date approaches.

Catch up on pre18 Gen.3’s Demo Event!

Did you miss out on Gen.3’s DemoEvent? Worry not! Now you can catch up here! Plus, get a personal glimpse of what they’re all about and connect with them by scrolling through our pre18 Gen.3 Startup Directory here.

The event took place virtually on Zoom during two back-to-back mornings from February 17th to 18th, when more than 400 attendees signed up to watch our 40 pre18ners pitch, answer business-related questions and win prizes. All while connecting with rising companies in Puerto Rico’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This pre18 cohort was made up of world-class hustlers. Their energy and commitment to stay engaged, learn, strategize, and grow were a defining factor during the weeks they spent with us and it set the mood for their big event.

Even after their DemoEvent, this diverse and hard-working group of Puerto Rican companies is still looking for potential customers, partners, and angel investors. So, if you’re looking to find a match, click here to access Gen.3’s ebook with their contact information and further details on the company.

Once again, thank you for your support. Check out the future of Puerto Rican entrepreneurship here.

Innovation Adds Value: Three Power Tools That Ensure Corporate Success

Our Business Development Manager, Cristina Tamayo, had her op-ed featured in The Weekly Journal. Her piece encompasses three main power-tools with which corporations can innovate in a changing world. Click here to read it!

More highlights in a nutshell

• As always, DemoEvent came with prizes for our amazing pre18ners! Big thanks to the audience for voting and huge congrats to our People’s Love Award winners: Lofte Natural Care, Don Rifa, Salón Boricua. And huge shout out to the event’s sponsor, AeroNet, which granted the High-Speed Award to #pre18ner terraFirma. On the other hand, congrats to the 10 startups selected as the champions in engaging and making the most out of our mentor office hours thus winning the Mentor Engagement Award. The winners were: Pryze, Equal Love, Maranta Power, CRANEeH, Remora, HALLO, Salón Boricua, Pintá, Materia Madura, and Poltags. They each received a free one-year-long Platzi license.
• We’re beyond happy to announce that 61 STEM undergraduates were chosen to participate in “Challenge To Innovate: NASA Edition”, the student program under pre18’s wing! The challenge kicks off on Saturday, March 6th! Stay tuned to pre18’s social media for updates on this amazing initiative.
• P18’s Gen.2 and P18Ventures-investee Brands Of just raised 2020’s BIGGEST ROUND of investment in Puerto Rico! By closing its Series A with an injection of US $2M led by local investment fund Semillero Ventures.
• Gen.4 P18Ventures investee, Backstartup, keeps thriving! The Colombian company kicked off 2021 by closing a round of US $1.2M and is now ready to expand to new markets in Chile. The round was led by Alaya Capital Partners with the participation of funds like Life is Too Short Capital, LabCap, and more.
• Colombian P18Alumnus Hometuls kicked off 2021 in the best way possible! Last December they closed an investment round of US $295K led by Kalei Ventures and Winnipeg Capital. Their next step is looking for investors to join their new round of US $1.2M!
• Gen.7’s Expediente Azul, a Mexican startup, is growing in Puerto Rico with a step in the right direction! After going through trials as of late last year, new mortgage loans processed by Moneyhouse, one of the island’s largest lenders, will use Expediente Azul to speed up collecting documentation from their customers.
• Big congrats to Gen.1 #P18Alumnus Sunne Labs on successfully having patented their Integral Water Collector Storage Solar Water Heater technology. Therefore making their renowned solar water heater a patented product.
• Gen.1 Puerto Rican #P18Alumnus Alias Payments Inc, creators of Gasolina Móvil, announced the launch of the Easy Pay app for Ultra Top Fuel gas stations.
• Gen.7 P18Ventures investee Chilean food tech The Live Green Co has expanded its plant-based portfolio, adding vegan-friendly clean-label ice creams to its line-up, they were developed using the firm’s AI-powered technology, dubbed Charaka, which dramatically shortened the R&D process to just 90 days. Click here to learn more.
• Gen.2 and P18Ventures-investee Abartys Health was one of 12 startups that got to pitch to investors, mentors, and other key ecosystem leaders during Google For Startups Accelerator LATAM. Meet the entire cohort and watch them pitch here.
• Pre18ner and Gen.7 #P18Alumnus My Healthy WOE just launched their app, which is available on the Apple Store and the Google Play Store. Customers that download it will receive exclusive offers, recipes, and blog posts.
• The BBC published a report on the need for sustainability within the farming industry across the world. It highlights Gen.7’s P18Alumnus Nilus as a solution to help farmers find a sales channel for secondary products that are at risk of being wasted because of aesthetic defects. Check it out here.
• Pre18ner from Gen.3 Viva La Van just expanded its fleet with a second van to continue making waves in the tourism-on-wheels scene. El Nuevo Día picked up the story. Take a look here.
• Pre18’s Patria Tours’ story was included in this piece by El Nuevo Día, which highlights how the pandemic-born Gen.3 startup uses virtual settings to provide educational institutions with interactive learning experiences.

YOU’RE ALL SET! A lot has been happening, but this is about it, for now! If you’d like to keep up with us, remember to stay tuned to our social media for further updates as the month passes by or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

We’ll see you soon. Stay safe! :)