“Thanks to LatAm Startups for inviting me to talk about the reasons why Colombian startups should think about investing and expanding in Canada.”
Claudio Ramirez, Canadian Trade Commissioner in Colombia
Over the past few weeks, LatAm Startups was in Colombia, connecting with Bogotá and Medellín’s startup ecosystem. Introducing LatAm Startups’ programs and community, engaging with key Colombian partners, and meeting with entrepreneurs exploring Canada as their next stop for expansion provided an opportunity to strengthen the community of Canada and Colombia’s ecosystems.
An executive breakfast meetup was hosted in Bogotá and again in Medellín, bringing together LatAm Startups’ key partners and connections in the cities. It was a long-awaited opportunity to connect again in person and share exciting plans and discuss how we can create stronger ties within the ecosystem.
We hosted a cocktail networking event in both cities, opening up space for entrepreneurs, startups, and scaleups to interact with LatAm Startups and learn more about expanding to Canada. Member of LatAm Startups’ Board of Directors Rafael Pinto joined as host and special guest Claudio Ramirez, Canadian Trade Commissioner in Colombia, addressed “Why Canada?” sharing Canada’s great growth environment and opportunities for Colombian startups and entrepreneurs.
A few points shared on why Canada:
- Excellent economic base (high GDP performance and lowest debt level of the G7)
- Competitive business environment (income tax rate below the OECD average and ease of business creation)
- Talented and dynamic workforce (most educated workers in the world and multilingual)
- High level of innovation (robust government support and strong links with universities)
- Access to markets (Canada is the only G7 country to have FTAs with the other G7 countries, in addition to having an FTA with Colombia of course)
- Excellent place to live (best quality of life in the world)
LatAm Startups plans to leverage these meaningful connections and work alongside the strong innovation ecosystems in Colombia to continue the mission of helping international startups scale. Following a great turnout in Bogotá, and Medellín, up next LatAm Startups will be in São Paulo, Brazil.
Brought to you in sponsorship by LatAm Startups’ Corporate Sponsors: StartUp Here Toronto, City of Toronto, OVHcloud, LicenciArte, Oziel Law
