By Wel Andra Francis Rolle
Coral reefs are essential to the marine ecosystems and coastal economies of the Caribbean. Protecting and restoring them requires innovative approaches that combine scientific research, technology, and sustainable business models.
By Nicole Orillac
Building stronger venture capital ecosystems across Latin America and the Caribbean requires more than access to funding. It also depends on developing local investment talent, strengthening fund management capabilities, and connecting emerging managers with the networks and resources they need to succeed.
MONTEVIDEO — IDB Lab, the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), has approved financing of up to US$10 million for Paigo, a Uruguayan fintech company, to expand access to business credit for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Uruguay. The operation includes a loan of up to US$5 million, with the possibility of an additional US$5 million in the future.
WASHINGTON – IDB Lab, the innovation and venture arm of the IDB Group, announced the approval of a $10 million investment in Cometa IV, a venture capital fund that will invest in early-stage technology companies with high growth potential across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Latin America and the Caribbean’s innovation ecosystem is increasingly connected to global markets, capital, and networks. For high-potential ventures and investors across the region, strengthening these cross-border connections can open new opportunities for growth, knowledge exchange, and collaboration.
IDB Lab and Mana Tech are building on this opportunity through a new collaboration aimed at strengthening connections between the innovation and venture capital ecosystems of Latin America and the Caribbean and the United States.
By Kusi Hornberger, Chief Strategy Officer at IDB Lab
When IDB Lab’s predecessor – the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) – made its first venture capital investments in Latin America in the 1990s, the asset class was still nascent, with few local managers, limited track records and scarce exit precedents. The pitch asked institutional investors to price a market that had not yet been built.
Five selected startups will present their solutions to investors in October during the IDB Group’s Global Entrepreneurship and Technology Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean - GET Forum.
GEORGETOWN — IDB Lab, the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), has approved a financing for PAS Cargo Guyana Inc. to support the digital transformation and geographic expansion of its logistics operations, improving access to logistics services for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Guyana.
The IDB Group flagship event to take place on October 5-7 in Ecuador.
WASHINGTON – Leaders from the global entrepreneurial ecosystem will gather in Quito, Ecuador, from October 5-7 for GET Forum 2026, the Inter-American Development Bank Group’s (IDB Group) flagship event on innovation and early-stage investment for development. The forum aims to turn the region's entrepreneurial drive into businesses, investment and development impact at scale.