SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 15 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands, in collaboration with Proexca, has effectively wrapped up the second edition of the ‘Canarias Latam Tech’ programme, aimed at bringing Latin American firms closer to the technological scene of the Canary Islands.
The outcome a month later appears to be very encouraging, with the ten selected companies contemplating the prospect of establishing a presence in the islands shortly, and three of them are actively engaging with Proexca on this front.
This year, there has been a substantial increase in participation, with 210 companies taking part, an 82-strong surge compared to the previous year.
This number mirrors the growing interest of the Latin American industry in initiating projects in the Canary Islands, establishing the islands as a nucleus for nurturing digital expertise, as reported by the Canarian Government.
Additionally, there have been significant outcomes, including media coverage in Latin America, with four features on high-traffic platforms like Descubre VC, Emprendedor.com, Contexto, and Startups, which reached an audience exceeding 320,000 readers.
The promotion of the ‘Canarias Latam Tech’ programme and the benefits of the Canary Islands as a preferred destination for fostering innovative, technological, and startup sectors have also been accomplished with the collaboration of 14 public and private partners in Latin America, such as Procolombia, Promperú, Prochile, ANDI del Futuro, ANII (Uruguay), Utec Ventures, Seedstars, 500 Startups (one of the leading accelerators globally), EF Ventures, Amela, Parque Tec, Ecosistema Startup Peruano, Magical Startup, and Masschallenge.
Furthermore, seven influential figures from Latin America echoed the programme, including Susana Arévalo, Santiago Gomes, Joaquin Lezi, Jaime Matus, Romulo Navarrete, Alejandro Gómez, and Evelyn Gómez.
The participating startups included Wekall, Rocking Data, Ruedata, Plazbot, Manzana Verde, Restaurante.pe, Ebombo, Databot, Estarter, and Pixforce, representing a diverse range of the Latin American tech sector, encompassing areas like healthy food, communication processes, human resources, transportation, e-commerce, and visual inspection.
Jorge Quinche, co-founder and COO of Ruedata, expressed that the programme acts as a facilitator.
“It provides us with a broader market perspective and insight into tax regulations, enabling us to view the Canary Islands as an excellent opportunity to establish and expand our ventures,” he remarked.
Luis Gallo, co-founder and country manager of Restaurante.pe, provided a highly positive evaluation of the expedition.
“The support that this programme offers to tech startups stands out from other locations worldwide,” he stated.
ADVANTAGES OF THE ISLANDS
For these companies, the enticing advantages presented by the Canary Islands, such as possessing their unique Economic and Tax Regime (REF), featuring tax incentives and exemptions, serve as a significant draw.
“These advantages are crucial in encouraging consideration of the Canary Islands as a prime location for setting up,” noted Larissa Arias, co-founder and COO of Manzana Verde.
Nicolás Barrera, founder of Databot, emphasised the 4% corporate tax, the tax relief on research and development projects, and the option to trade credits on the market, making them highly appealing options.
Gustavo González de Vega, Deputy Minister of Economy and Internationalisation of the Government of the Canary Islands and Vice President of Proexca, highlighted that this programme, in its second edition, is a triumph and serves as a model to replicate, to fulfill the Canary Islands’ executive goals.
“The success of this second edition of the Canarias Latam Tech Programme underscores the commitment of the Government of the Canary Islands and Proexca to foster international collaboration and business growth in the region, laying the groundwork for future partnerships and innovative projects that diversify the islands’ economy and contribute to their sustainability,” he remarked.
