Ruta N Connects Medellín with New York to Unlock Investment Opportunities for the City’s Funds

Additionally, USD 750,000 was committed to SP Ventures, an international impact investment fund that invests in Colombian companies alongside local partners.

Through its Medellín Venture Capital program, Ruta N led a delegation to New York, United States, to participate in LAVCA Week 2026, one of Latin America’s leading gatherings for the private equity and venture capital industry. The agenda provided an opportunity to connect companies from the District with international funds, development banks, and strategic investors to explore financing and investment opportunities.

The delegation included representatives from EPM, Grupo BIOS, Vertical Partners, Corona, ACI Medellín, Bancolombia, Metro de Medellín, Comfama, Iluma Alliance, and other organizations. It also included representatives of investment vehicles being structured in the District with support from Ruta N, such as Simma Fintech, with the aim of continuing to connect local and international capital and making more funding available to Colombian ventures. Their participation strengthened ties between Medellín’s ecosystem and international players that finance companies and channel capital into new markets.

Key outcomes included the identification of potential investment opportunities ranging from USD 30 million to USD 50 million for local funds. In addition, USD 750,000 was committed to SP Ventures, a global impact investment fund that invests in Colombian companies alongside local partners. Several delegations also joined forces with international investors to invest in a startup from Antioquia, while four foreign funds expressed interest in opening offices in Medellín, bringing more capital to the city and creating specialized jobs. These opportunities will be followed up on to help move them toward implementation.

"New York is the world's second-largest city in terms of venture capital, with billions of dollars invested every year in technology and technology-based ventures that will change the planet. Medellín is aiming for that as well: we are working to make more capital available to ventures, secure more funding, and attract more technology and talent. This is a historic year for the District in terms of capital, and this connection with New York will bring more opportunities for entrepreneurs in the city and across the country in the short and medium term," said Santiago Henao, Director of STI Business Development at Ruta N.

These connections between Medellín and New York help strengthen technology-based companies and further develop the city’s innovation ecosystem. For Jaime Hernán Ríos, EPM’s Ventures Lead, who has overseen these areas at the company for more than 15 years, the experience provided valuable insights. "We had a highly relevant opportunity at LAVCA Week to hear about trends and how major investors view Latin America and Colombia. This helps us understand how we can adjust our investment thesis. In conversations with other investors, we also learned how to improve our processes and align them with international best practices," he said.

Over the past two years, through its Medellín Venture Capital strategy, Ruta N has trained 409 new venture capital investors, including angel investors, business families, funds, and corporations. In partnership with Bancóldex, it also manages a USD 16 million fund that has enabled investment in a local fund. In addition, Ruta N has supported the structuring and strengthening of five new investment vehicles in the city and has energized the ecosystem through reports and events such as Smart Capital, held last month. These efforts by Ruta N and the District of Science, Technology and Innovation have helped startups receive more than USD 300 million in investment so far in 2026, positioning this year to become the best in Medellín’s history in terms of investment and results.

Connecting Medellín with international markets means creating pathways for local talent, companies, and ideas to access the capital they need to grow. Ruta N brings ecosystem stakeholders together and builds relationships that turn connections into stronger companies, new business opportunities, and economic and social development for the city.

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