wX Insights 2024: The Rise of Women STEMpreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean
This edition of the wX Insights report focuses on the institutional capital access gap faced by STEM women entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It features data from nearly 1,700 companies and 600 investment funds.
Through surveys of entrepreneurs and interviews with a select group of STEM women
entrepreneurs and venture capital investors, we gathered information on:
• The profile of STEM women entrepreneurs and their companies in LAC.
• The expectations and experiences of STEM women entrepreneurs regarding capital raising.
• The perceptions of STEM women entrepreneurs and investors about factors contributing to capital acquisition.
• Additionally, the report presents an analysis and summary of best practices adopted by successful entrepreneurs who have raised capital, as well as best practices incorporated by venture capital (VC) funds that have reported increased investment in women-led companies.
This publication is the result of a study commissioned by IDB Lab, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), to Endeavor Mexico and advised by Value for Women.
WeXchange was founded in 2013 as an initiative of the IDB Lab, the innovation laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank, with the aim of unleashing the growth potential of women entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean. The annual WeXchange forum gives women entrepreneurs in STEM in Latin America and the Caribbean the opportunity to expand their network, access mentors and investors, and participate in the Pitch Competition, a business contest to identify the most dynamic and innovative women entrepreneurs in the region.
IDB Lab is the innovation and venture capital arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group. IDB Lab discovers new ways to drive social inclusion, environmental action and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean. It leverages financing, knowledge and connections to support early-stage entrepreneurship, foster new technologies, activate innovative markets and catalyze existing sectors.
The Women Entrepreneurs Funding Initiative (We-Fi) is an unprecedented partnership to raise funds for women-led or women-owned businesses in developing countries. We-Fi’s partners include 14 governments, six multilateral development banks as implementing partners, and numerous other stakeholders in the public and private sector around the world.
Endeavor is a community of, by, and for entrepreneurs that brings people together through its communities, connections to investment funds, mentoring sessions with industry experts, and support in decision-making at inflection points. For 25 years, Endeavor has led the global entrepreneurship movement, promoting economic, social, and cultural transformation in more than 40 markets around the world.
Value for Women is a global advisory services firm with a mission to promote women’s participation and leadership in business, finance and investment around the globe, with a focus on emerging markets.
