The Ideatón 2024 ‘Accompanying your ideas’ program is led by the Ibagué Chamber of Commerce and in its 5th version it supported with seed capital Ibagué entrepreneurs who were linked to this initiative that promotes the mentality and culture for business innovation.
On this occasion, the companies Pennsylvania Café, Veterinaria Ibavet and El Caldense Foods and Drinks obtained the highest scores from the evaluating jury that rated the presentation of their pitch where they presented their business idea, expressed the need to materialize it and explained how they would invest the economic resource provided by the program.
“The Ideatón is designed to accompany companies in the process of adoption and appropriation of innovative practices. This route precisely allows entrepreneurs to appropriate tools and strategies to facilitate transformation and, in turn, adaptation to market challenges, understanding the client’s needs very well.” Indicated Pablo Martínez, Professional in Innovation and Productivity of the Ibagué Chamber of Commerce.
To date, 124 entrepreneurs from the department who have participated in previous versions have developed their own bank of projects with which they seek to meet the needs of their clients. The program has delivered $47 million divided among 41 of these entrepreneurs who have managed to execute their proposals with an innovative component.
The entrepreneurs who have been part of the Ideatón have not only received financial resources, they are also trained through the innovation route that specializes in an intensive training program, bootcamps, focused on topics such as trends and competitive environments, identification of opportunities, ideal market, among others.
Lorena Alejandra Sanabria, co-founder of Pennsylvania Café and the winner of first place in Ibagué in the 5th version of the program, said “It was very important to participate in Ideatón because we had the opportunity to improve and develop capabilities that gave us better tools in terms of all aspects. business themes. Learn from the Chamber of Commerce the processes in which they can accompany us to be better entrepreneurs and see that reflected in our ventures and companies.”
And he concluded by adding that, “The seed capital will be invested in the first sensory experience center that will be located in the municipality of Roncesvalles, where we are going to create the physical center and where you will have the opportunity to bring your coffee and taste it as producers. for the first time, which we know will bring great transformations for the southwest of Tolima.”
For this year, Ideatón will reach other municipalities in the department such as Rovira, Roncesvalles, San Antonio, Venadillo and Alvarado, with an economic resource represented in seed capital close to $24 million pesos in total.
