Got any nominees for the “Silicon Valley of Latin America”? If you’re like me (i.e. ignorant) you’re probably going “Um …” However, the founders of a new co-working space and “entrepreneurial center” called Espacio are aiming to make Medellin, Colombia the answer to that question.
“I grew up in Silicon Valley and New York, but even having had spent time there, I have decided to stay in Medellin because I see so much potential in this city,” says co-founder Conrad Egusa, who also notes that Medellin was one of only two Latin American locations (along with Sao Paulo) to be a finalist in a Wall Street Journal advertorial poll on the most innovative cities in the world.
To launch Espacio, Egusa (who I used to work with when we both wrote for VentureBeat) has received a grant from .CO, the company behind the .co Web domains — including, naturally, Espacio.co. He has also partnered with Founder Institute, the global incubator where he’s also a mentor.
Espacio was co-founded by a Colombian, Edinson Alberto Arrieta Aguas, and its advisors include writer and investor Alan Colmenares (another former VentureBeatnik) and entrepreneur Alex Torrenegra. (I recently wrote about Torrenegra’s startup VoiceBunny.)
Egusa says he wants to turn Espacio into “a community for entrepreneurs.” In addition to desk space, it will offer classes, demo days, marketing and PR advice, and access to a part-time, in-house designer. If you’re interested in applying, go here.