WeXchange - Research
wX Insights is WeXchange’s cornerstone knowledge product that provides the most recent data into the profiles of women STEMpreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
wX Insights 2024: Reducing the Gap in Access to Capital
This edition of the wX Insights report focuses on the gap in access to institutional capital faced by women STEMpreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
Through surveys and interviews with women STEMpreneurs and venture capital investors, the report covers:
- The profiles of STEMpreneurs and their companies in LAC.
- The expectations and experiences of STEMpreneurs when raising capital.
- The perceptions of STEMpreneurs and investors about the factors that contribute to capital raising.
- Best practices from entrepreneurs who have successfully raised capital and from VC funds that have invested in women-led companies.
The study is structured around four key sections:
- Profile of women STEMpreneurs and their companies
- Key learnings from women STEMpreneurs
- Key learnings from VC investors
- Recommendations for women entrepreneurs and investors
wX Insights: The Rise of Women STEMpreneurs
In 2019, WeXchange, in partnership with Santander X, commissioned a study titled wX Insights: The Rise of Women STEMpreneurs. This study complements the WeGrow report on women entrepreneurs, conducted in 2014 by IDB Lab and E&Y.
The study was based on 1,148 survey responses from women in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in LAC, of which 405 were identified as STEM entrepreneurs. It also included interviews with 17 VC investors from the region — either investors in women-led companies or women investors themselves.
WEGrow: Unlocking the Growth Potential of Women Entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean
This study was commissioned by IDB Lab (formerly the IDB's Multilateral Investment Fund) and produced by Ernst & Young. It analyzes the profiles, challenges, and needs of high-growth women entrepreneurs across nine countries in the region.
The first study of its kind in Latin America and the Caribbean, it was based on 427 survey responses from entrepreneurs and executives, and 8 focus groups with ecosystem players.