The Medellín Next program offers specialized mentoring, connections with investors, and access to markets. Applications will be open until February 24 at rutanmedellin.org
Medellín Next, Ruta N’s program that supports the District’s highest-potential startups, has opened the call to select the second cohort of this initiative, which offers technology-based companies real opportunities for growth, scaling, and internationalization.
“Business scaling is essential to strengthen Medellín’s economic engine and position the District as a high-impact global hub. In that spirit, we have opened the call for the second cohort of Medellín Next, a program that will enable the 48 selected companies to access expert support and connections with the rest of the world”, said Ruta N’s Executive Director, Carolina Londoño.
The selected high-potential startups will take part in an intensive strengthening and acceleration process tailored to their level of business maturity. Of these, 18 will be emerging companies, with operations and revenues between COP 100 million and COP 799 million, and 30 will be advanced companies, with operations and revenues exceeding COP 800 million.
Emerging-stage companies will strengthen their value proposition, commercial capabilities, and readiness to scale, moving toward more structured, repeatable, and sustainable business models. Meanwhile, advanced-stage companies will access a high-level acceleration process focused on scaling, internationalization, corporate governance, and investment readiness, supported by specialized networks with global reach.
“It has been a very rewarding program because we received excellent support from top-level mentors, as well as opportunities to engage with business leaders in the city, where we were able to talk with them and learn. Programs like this always help strengthen the company and enable us to do more interesting things”, said Juan Esteban Hincapié Rivera, co-founder of Erco Energía, one of the 25 companies selected for the first Medellín Next cohort.
Among the requirements to participate are that companies be legally established in Medellín, have a technology-based business model, demonstrate market validation and commercial traction, and have a vision for national and international expansion. In addition, they must be registered on StartIA (www.startia.com.co), the District’s entrepreneurship ecosystem coordination platform, which currently brings together more than 1,000 actors and continues to expand.
This opportunity offers a differentiated support model that combines strategic diagnostics, personalized mentoring, applied training, connections with corporations and investors, and high-level spaces such as bootcamps and a Demo Day. Participation is free of charge for the selected startups, reaffirming the District’s commitment to developing more competitive, sustainable companies and generating quality employment. Details of the call, open until February 24, are available at rutanmedellin.org.
In the first edition of the Medellín Next 2025 program, 65 startups from sectors such as technology, energy, financial services, health, education, and agribusiness applied, highlighting the dynamism and innovative capacity of the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. From this group, 25 companies were selected and received diagnostics, expert mentoring, access to markets, among other benefits.
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