Start your start-up in Chile and get $40K (equity free)

Join hundreds of other entrepreneurs from around the world and start your company in Chile! Each startup participating in Start-Up Chile receives USD$40.000 and 1-year work visas for its founders. A new application process is open and you should apply!

What is Start-Up Chile?

Start-Up Chile is one of the initiatives that the Chilean Government created that has converted the nation into the innovation and entrepreneurship hub of Latin America. 23 startups were selected in 2010, they plan to select 300 by end of 2011 and 1000 by 2014!

What's my relation to Start-Up Chile?

I am participating in the program (my company Wedoist was selected for the first round of 2011). So far it has been a pretty amazing experience. I have met talented people from all around the world that are working on very different projects. I would also love if more hackers joined this program!

In Chile I am also in the process of learning Spanish and to dance salsa [ha! :)]

Why Chile?

Here are some key tidbits why Chile is an attractive country:

• Chile is 1 of only 2 LatAm countries (the other being Mexico) that has been a part of the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]
• Chile has one of the best economies in Latin America and one of the fastest growing economies in the world
• It’s the country that has most free trade agreements in the world and is the only nation in LatAm to receive the lowest political risk rating from the Aon Corporation
• Chile was just named the most innovative country in LatAm and, last year, investment went up 201% (reaching USD$13.3 billion)
• It has 4 seasons and all climates you can think of – from desert to rainforest to arctic and, in Santiago, you are only 1 hour from ski resorts or the beach
• Santiago is a very tech savvy city with more than 2 cell phones per person, a solid technical and transportation infrastructure and a very well educated population

Apply now!

If you are thinking about starting a company and want to visit another country and another culture then this is a great deal. The applying process is now open and will close down on August 11, 2011.

The small print

I think it's important that you read the small print, generally these two things have surprised some people in the last round:

• The 40,000 USD are provided by a process of reimbursement and are not given without an invoice or a technical validation by the Start-Up Chile accounting division
• We recommended you bring enough money to live on for the first two months of your stay in Chile (@$5,000 USD)

Check out the promotion video