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Ep. 54 Startups in Colombia

Startup Ecosystem in Colombia

We sat down with Tomás Ríos , director of On-Going , the entrepreneurship center at EAFIT University, and a key figure in the development of the startup ecosystem in Colombia.


Who is Tomás Ríos

Tomás is a true entrepreneur. He founded his first company in 2012, STAB Antioquia , dedicated to portable healthcare for events. He later sold it to the largest business group in the sector. From there, he went on to lead initiatives such as Línea de Aseo , Agrofuturo (an agricultural fair partially sold to Corferias), and Starco , one of the most important entrepreneurial events in Colombia. He has also been behind initiatives such as Colombia Tech Week and Conexión Entrepreneur Summit .

Currently, he leads On-Going , a center that not only seeks to incubate university projects, but also to transform an entire territory.


5 Key Takeaways from the Interview

  1. Entrepreneurship as a way of life
     "An entrepreneurial mindset isn't just about starting a business; it's a way of thinking and living. It's about not being a victim; it's about finding solutions and surrounding yourself with others to implement them."

  2. On-Going: An Airport for Startups Tomás compares his vision to an airport: “a place with a runway, a control tower, and shared services.” A space where entrepreneurs can enter, leave, train, connect, and take off.

  3. Colombia climbs in the global ecosystem Colombia has surpassed Mexico and Chile for the first time in the StartupBlink ranking, positioning itself at 38th globally. Bogotá is consolidating its position as a regional hub, and Medellín shows immense potential. 📊 StartupBlink 2024 Report

  4. Emerging Sectors Colombian startups are increasingly focused on education, healthcare, sustainability , and agrotech . There is also a growth in AI tools for voice and process automation.

  5. University Entrepreneurship On-Going isn't just about coworking. They have incubators with their own methodology, training programs with entrepreneurs as instructors, and a clear mission: "to create community, develop talent, and raise seed capital from scratch."

Resources mentioned

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