Buenos Aires will host the latest in-person edition of Connect, a growing international startup pitch competition that aims to unite local entrepreneurs with members of the media that cover business and technology.
The event, which has taken place in cities like London, Barcelona, Santiago de Chile, Miami, Bogotá and Mexico City, will make is debut in Argentina on March 20, from 6:30PM to 8:30PM in Workplace by IRSA, which houses offices for some of the leading tech startups in the city.
Argentina’s capital is one of the most competitive startup ecosystems in Latin America. According to Startup Genome, the total estimated ecosystem value from 2021 to 2023 was around $12.7 billion, growing by about 35% in that timeframe.
However, as with many LatAm ecosystems, access to funding remains a challenge for many promising startups. From 2019 to 2023, the total amount of VC funds injected into the ecosystem totaled just $2.2 billion, less than half the global average, and early-stage startup funding reached $447 million between 2021 and 2023.
Connect aims to help increase the visibility of promising startups in the ecosystem by connecting them with prominent journalists who cover similar beats, including business and emerging technology.
“In many ways, media for startups is kind of a black box,” said Bianca Damiano, a Manager at Publicize, an organizer of the event along with Workplace by IRSA. “With Connect, we are aiming to bridge the gap between media and startups, and help create relationships that can help both parties into the future.”
Structured similar to a Shark Tank-style startup pitch competition, instead of pitching to a room of investors, startups pitch their ventures to a panel of Media Judges, who provide them with constructive feedback on their communications skills.
Media Judges confirmed for Connect: Buenos Aires include:
- Hernán Murúa, who covers startups for Clarín
- Florencia Radici, an Editor at Forbes Argentina
- Laura Ponasso, an Economics and Business Reporter at La Nación
- Lucio Ferrantelli, an Editor at iProUP
- Facundo Falduto, an Editor at Perfil and Contributor to Argentina Reports
Seven Buenos Aires-based startups are invited to participate in the Connect pitch competition, and interested companies can apply via this online application form.
Members of the city’s business ecosystem — and anyone who is interested in attending — are encouraged to register for FREE tickets to Connect: Buenos Aires via its event page here. Although the event is free to the public, and free to startups to participate, organizers say they will only admit guests that have registered ahead of time.
Special guest speakers as well as refreshments will also be provided, according to the organizers.
Disclosure: This article mentions Publicize, a portfolio company from Espacio, which owns Argentina Reports. Featured image courtesy of Publicize.
