500 Startups appears to be on a mission to take over the world. With about 20 percent of its capital going to international companies, the seed fund and accelerator has expanded its scope to include India, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Brazil and last year it snatched up LatAm startup accelerator, Mexican.VC, to aid with its efforts south of the border.
Looking to plant roots in the region, Dave McClure and company brought on Mexican.VC partners Cesar Salazar and Santiago Zavala, hiring them as its new Mexican venture partners. In February, 500 Startups Mexico City showed off its first batch of companies, and, now that it’s begun to hit its stride in Mexico, the accelerator is expanding its scope.
For its second batch, 500 Startups Mexico City will see 18 new companies join its portfolio (compared to 10 in the last batch), with each receiving $35K in seed capital as part of its 5-month-long accelerator program. In what is a feather in the cap for McClure and also a sign of both how far the region has to go (and how much opportunity there is), Salazar tells us that, with 35 investments in Mexico to date, 500 Startups is now the most active seed capital fund in the country.
Salazar has said before that he and his team see enormous opportunity to invest in Mexico and help accelerate young startups, as there’s a whole new generation of young Mexican entrepreneurs that needs a little mentorship and seed capital to get their ideas off the ground. As one of the few seed funds and accelerators serving the region, 500 Startups Mexico City saw more than 250 applications for its second batch. So, there’s some demand.
The partners tell us that the companies in its second batch hail from 10 cities across Mexico, from Tijuana to Cancun. The batch will be incubated at the accelerator’s offices in Mexico City and also includes the first two companies from outside of Mexico.
Without further ado, check out 500 Startups Mexico City’s newest batch below:
Calzaclick — “The largest community of shoe lovers in Latin America.”
Conekta — Stripe for Mexico. Easier mobile selling, charging and shipping.
Skipo — A mobile app that helps you skip those long, annoying lines at call centers.
Wishbird — A marketplace for experiences: Fly a balloon, drive a Ferrari, treat yourself to a day at the spa.
Favoritoys — Custom-made toys with 3-D printing and handmade finish.
Regresa Pronto — Test, control and improve in-store customer satisfaction.
Mexico Destinos — “Travel as you Google.”
Weele — Learn languages from real people.
MyCoffeeBox — Online subscription service for high-quality coffee from Chiapas, delivered to your door.
Desde el Ring — Know exactly when and where to watch your favorite teams and matches.
CloudAdmin — Cloud solution to easily and efficiently keep track of your inventory.
Central Mayoreo — “Wholesale made easy.”
Linkerfriend — Social ambassadors powering your brand while creating leads.
Club Guauf — Subscription service that brings the best pet treats and supplies straight to your doorstep.
Cine+ — Movie search and ticket buying app.
Hawk Bots — Drone your way around your next vacation before you go.
Landmoda — Connecting amateur and professional models with industry leaders.
Shopeando — An online store for OEM products, shipped to your door.