P18 kickstarts 2021 with amazing updates!

It’s good to be back! With pre18 Gen.3’s last weeks just around the corner, we’re kicking off 2021 with a strong spirit. The days leading up to DemoDay are always exciting and full of accelerated growth. So our team is as pumped as ever to nurture these companies into the final stage of their pre-acceleration journey as they consolidate their businesses to start scaling and, eventually, be eligible for P18. Before the big event, you can get to know Gen.3 here. Plus, sign up here for further details.

And what does that agenda look like? Alumni Meetups between pre18ners and graduated startups will keep happening, as well as Industry Week talks with local business leaders, and mentor sessions focused on building case studies. Last but not least, pitch practices are on their way! One of our favorite parts of DemoDay preparations is watching our founders learn alongside their peers by providing each other feedback and sharing tips to nail their presentations. This kind of organic community-building activities is what we strive to continue forging as we navigate our programs in a virtual format.

Like any other year, 2021 will be unpredictable. However, as a team, we will adapt to any challenges as fast and as effectively as we possibly can to be able to keep providing the most amazing opportunities for participants and alumni by connecting them with more top-notch partners, mentors, and investors that can boost their growth. As always, we count on your full support to make that happen! You can start off by scrolling down to see what our startups were up to last month.

PS: Don’t miss brand new episodes of P18Connect’s In The Loop where our Business Development Manager, Cristina Tamayo, is joined by a guest startup or corporate partner to discuss the latest in business innovation. Catch up on our YouTuve channel here!

The P18 team is back from the Holidays!

After a well-deserved break, the P18 is back to its regular schedule from Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (AST). All the while, our coworking space remains closed until further notice, nonetheless, we’re as energetic as ever to virtually kick off a promising year full of innovation and entrepreneurship!

Want to learn more about parallel18 and our community? Please write an email to cobi@parallel18.com or schedule a calendar slot for an info session with us here.

The P18 welcomes a new Operations Manager!

When we launched a job opening for our Operations Manager position, we were looking for someone with the right experience and with an eagerness to support underrepresented entrepreneurs from all over the world. Needless to say, we found the right person, and so, 2021 has come along with Johann Padilla, our new Operations Manager. Johann will be in charge of growing and strengthening our mentor database while enhancing the acceleration experience parallel18 provides. Our team is super excited to welcome him to the family and start working hand-in-hand!

More highlights in a nutshell

• We’re super happy to launch our “Challenge To Innovate: NASA Edition” under pre18’s wing. Throughout the student competition, which is accepting applications here, Puerto Rican undergraduates majoring in electrical, mechanical, computer, agricultural, or industrial engineering, as well as computer science, will have the opportunity to build solutions with NASA-patented technologies. All the details are highlighted in this article by The Weekly Journal.
• Great news! Products from Gen.7 Chilean #P18Alumnus, The Live Green Co, are now available on Amazon for international shipping to the US! Their Prime-powered store features seven delicious plant-based foods.
• As innovation continues to be crucial in the fight against COVID-19, #P18Alumnus BrainHi is using its technology to streamline vaccine distribution. The Puerto Rican AI startup developed a complete automated solution that allows patients to schedule their vaccination appointments starting with Ashford Hospital. Through this platform, hospitals will be able to respond to FAQs regarding the vaccination process automatically.
• Gen.5’s Sindyk launched its smart subscription system for media (SMART). SMART represents an incredible development because it injects the Google algorithm and allows identifying and qualifying the level of engagement that a reader has with the medium in real-time. This allows activating the subscription only to those readers who really have a strong intention to pay.
• #P18Alumnus from Gen.5’s Molcajete Foods closed 2020 by achieving tremendous growth in their retail channel! The startup’s quick efforts in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic translated into more than 2x in their total sales revenue growth in comparison to the previous year, as well as cross-reference marketing of their premium brand “Tortillas Doña Lola.”
• Big congrats to Evocare, Isleñas, and Sirena Patterns on taking home big awards during Grupo Guayacán end-of-the-year event which recognized the outstanding startups that participated in the latest installment of their business competition, EnterPRize.
• To kick-off 2021 by helping people interested in making a career in the world of fashion, the Puerto Rico Fashion History Council (PRFHC) and #P18Alumnus Sirena Patterns’ founder Tommie Hernández have come together to offer five scholarships. Further details can be found here.
• Pre18 Gen.3’s Materia Madura was featured in a full spread of December’s edition of local interior, design, and architecture magazine, Modo De Vida. Materia Madura designs custom waste-based materials & products for businesses such as the hospitality, fashion, and design industries, from product and furniture design to bespoke surfaces for interiors.

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! :)