{"id":19484,"date":"2017-09-14T19:18:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-14T18:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/about-us\/regions\/latin-america-and-the-caribbean\/?p=19484"},"modified":"2018-01-10T13:44:26","modified_gmt":"2018-01-10T13:44:26","slug":"2017-mobile-world-congress-americas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/about-us\/regions\/latin-america-and-the-caribbean\/2017-mobile-world-congress-americas\/","title":{"rendered":"Latin American startups excel in San Francisco at inaugural Mobile World Congress Americas"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Latin American entrepreneurial scene was among the major players in San Francisco at Mobile World Congress Americas 2017 (MWCA17), which attracted more than 21,000 attendees from 110 countries. The three-day conference and exhibition was attended by executives from the industry\u2019s largest and most influential mobile operators, software companies, device makers, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as government delegations from around the world. More than 55 per cent of MWCA17 attendees held senior-level positions, including upwards of 2,400 CEOs. <\/p>\n

The Latin America Investment Summit was a point of contact and networking for investors, accelerators, startups and the regional mobile ecosystem. Executives from mobile industry companies including Millicom, Telecom Personal and Telef\u00f3nica Open Future had the opportunity to discuss the regional innovation ecosystem with representatives from capital venture and technology investors such as Patagonia Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank and LAVCA. The summit included presentations of success stories and experiences of Latin American startups and accelerators, addressing the topics of startup incubation and the role of government investment promotion agencies in Argentina and Mexico. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Latin America Investment Summit provided a fluid space in San Francisco for exchange of experiences to learn from the successes and failures of Latin American entrepreneurs. It encouraged the networking and connections among ecosystem players that may one day produce the region\u2019s next unicorns,\u201d said Sebasti\u00e1n Cabello, Head of GSMA Latin America. <\/p>\n

Industry leaders attend all three days of conference<\/h3>\n

With 39 hours of content and more than 200 speakers, the Mobile World Congress Americas conference programme highlighted themes such as networks, platforms, consumer IoT, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, content and media, public policy and sustainability. <\/p>\n

Keynote speakers at MWCA17 included Carlos Slim Domit, Chairman of Am\u00e9rica M\u00f3vil<\/a>, who said meeting increasing demand for data and creating a digitally inclusive society for all are some of the biggest challenges facing the mobile industry in Latin America. <\/p>\n

Growth of Latin American startups<\/h3>\n

According to data from the GSMA \u201cMobile Trends Report\u201d<\/a>, launched at MWCA17, there were 690 million mobile connections in Latin America in the current quarter, with smartphones accounting for 60 per cent of these connections. The new report highlights the region\u2019s accelerating migration to 4G, which now accounts for almost a quarter of connections. Smartphone and 4G growth is fuelling a surge in social media usage and other mobile-based services across the region, enhancing the scope of regional startups. <\/p>\n

In this context, Latin American startups were among the major players at \u201c4YFN AMERICAS \u2013 San Francisco Edition\u201d, the world\u2019s premier startup exhibition and meeting, with stands by Brasil IT+ \/ SOFTEX, PROColombia and more. 4YFN hosted the panel \u201cInnovation Latin American: Championing Growth of the Next 1 Billion\u201d, with the heads of Telef\u00f3nica Open Future, APEX Brasil, Latino Startup Alliance and LEAP Global Innovation. <\/p>\n

\u201cBeing at this showcase is incredible. The Colombian companies taking part are the little guys, competing against big companies from other countries. In Colombia there\u2019s a new generation of ideas and entrepreneurs set to revolutionise the digital scene. Although our country\u2019s advancing, it still has to work to find its own formula and create an ecosystem that will encourage digital startups,\u201d said Colombian Andr\u00e9s Guti\u00e9rrez<\/a>, cofounder of Te Paga, a mobile wallet that enables taxi drivers to take fares without needing a bank account. Andr\u00e9s was one of the 24 to 30-year-olds in the eight Colombian startup teams that took part in 4YFN with the help of Apps.Co, an initiative of Colombia\u2019s ICT Ministry that supports local IT startups. <\/p>\n

According to the latest Tecnolatinas<\/a>, report, the tech startup ecosystem in the region is valued at $37.7 billion. The study notes that there are 123 \u201cTecnolatinas\u201d worth more than $25 million, including nine unicorns each valued at more than $1 billion. The seven emerging areas providing major growth opportunities for regional startups are FinTech, agri and food tech, artificial intelligence and automation, synthetic biology, renewable energies, virtual and augmented reality and the Internet of Things (IoT). <\/p>\n

Mobile World Congress Americas 2018<\/h3>\n

In 2018, Mobile World Congress Americas will be held from 14 to 16 September at Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC). <\/p>\n

\u201cWith its leadership in entertainment and content, along with flourishing creative and innovation communities, Los Angeles offers an outstanding platform for us to further develop Mobile World Congress Americas. This location will put a major focus on the intersection of the mobile, digital, entertainment and content worlds and will provide new opportunities for our exhibitors, sponsors, partners and attendees,\u201d concluded John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. <\/p>\n

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Resources<\/h2>\n