eMerge Americas Expands Annual Startup Pitch Competition Tour To Additional LATAM Cities To Catalyze VC Investment In Region

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More than 70 startups that have participated in the eMerge Americas Startup Showcase have raised a total of more than $500 million in venture capital funding

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eMerge Americas

Sep 30, 2019, 10:00 ET

MIAMI, Sept. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- eMerge Americas, a platform which fosters innovation and serves as a catalyst for investment throughout the Americas, has announced the formal kickoff of the annual multi-city tour to host startup pitch competitions throughout Latin America. The cities that have been confirmed for the initial tour stops are São Paulo, Brazil and Mexico City, Mexico with additional stops slated at a later date for Bogotá, Colombia, Santiago, Chile, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The top two winners of each pitch competition will be fast-tracked into the curated eMerge Americas 2020 Startup Showcase, a multi-week high potential program - at no cost - which will culminate in a grand finale pitch competition in front of leading venture capitalists, corporate enterprises, government officials, and global media outlets at the annual eMerge Americas conference on March 30-31, 2020 in Miami Beach, FL. Additionally, all participating startups will be allocated prime space on the 2020 conference expo floor as an anchor tenant of the investor-startup matchmaking agenda. To date, more than 70 startups that have participated in the eMerge Americas Startup Showcase since the program's 2014 inception have each raised a total of $500 million in venture funding.

"We believe the most compelling investment opportunities at a global scale will emerge from across the Americas," said Felice Gorordo, CEO of eMerge Americas. "This has been a record year for venture capital investment throughout Latin America, and eMerge Americas seeks to be a catalyst for building sustainable startup ecosystems throughout the region by partnering with entrepreneurs, investors, large corporate enterprises, higher-ed institutions and governments in each market."

The eMerge Americas multi-city tour will be hosted in partnership with the University of Miami through an initiative backed by the Hemispheric University Consortium - a platform for collaboration in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship in partnership with leading universities across Latin America.

"The Startup Showcase is the heart and soul of eMerge Americas - it's the cornerstone of our year-round programming and an anchor of our annual conference," said Melissa Medina, President of eMerge Americas. "We have meticulously created programming to not only foster exposure to networks of venture capital funds and growth equity firms but also connecting stakeholders to nurture and scale the nascent technologies these innovative startups have created."

The initial eMerge Americas tour stops throughout Latin America announced are:

Mexico City, Mexico

October 14th, 2019: Fintech Startup Pitch Competition in partnership with ScotiaBank
October 14th, 2019: Startup Pitch Competition at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla
October 15th, 2019: Startup Pitch Competition in partnership with Endeavor Mexico
October 15th, 2019: Startup Pitch Competition with Tec de Monterrey

São Paulo, Brazil

October 17th, 2019: Startup Pitch Competition at the Universidade de São Paulo

For more information or to apply to the eMerge Americas 2020 Startup Showcase, visit www.emergeamericas.com.

About eMerge Americas

eMerge Americas is the premier technology event connecting the Americas held annually at the Miami Beach Convention Center. By connecting global industry leaders and investors with corporate business executives, government leaders, and entrepreneurs, eMerge Americas is transforming Miami into the tech hub of the Americas. In 2019, eMerge Americas attracted over 16,000 attendees and more than 400 participating companies from over 40 countries. eMerge Americas serves as a catalyst in order to foster innovation and investment in South Florida and Latin America. The eMerge Americas founding partners include: Medina Capital, A Rod Corporation, Greenberg Traurig, Knight Foundation, Miami-Dade County, and the Miami Herald. The upcoming eMerge Americas conference is scheduled for March 30-31, 2020. For more information about eMerge Americas, please visit: www.emergeamericas.com.

SOURCE eMerge Americas