Three 'start-ups' to revolutionize the cities of the future in Guatemala

November 12, 2021

Over the past 20 years, Guatemala has experienced a 45% population growth.  Currently, 52.03% of the population lives in urban areas, compared to 42.11% in 1995. While this rapid urbanization has generated numerous opportunities, it has also brought challenges, particularly regarding the provision of decent housing, mobility, security, and water resource management. 

With these problems in mind, Progreso, through its corporate accelerator, Progreso X, launched the  third edition of its open innovation program, Exponential Changemakers  (ECM), a few months ago. The program aims to  redefine Guatemala's current spaces and  design its cities of the future, putting people at the center with a sustainable, scalable, and replicable approach . The question the  participating startups had to answer  was: How can we rethink the way we live, challenging the current design of our cities and the way we use our natural resources?    

For weeks, the open innovation program conducted a comprehensive, global search for innovative players in the  water  tech  and  smart city sectors , capable of addressing the challenge. Program participants completed an initial application and were subsequently contacted and interviewed. After a rigorous selection process, the 11 best candidates were narrowed down to finalists for the intensive week-long competition, which included a  demo  day  and  boot  camp.  

The week of Demo Day and Boot Camp was filled with enthusiasm, high energy, and spanning multiple time zones.  Finalist participants had  the opportunity to meet with Progreso's various business units , who shared their main challenges and needs . After gathering all the necessary information from the introductory sessions, inspirational talks by  water tech  and  smart city experts,  and other preparatory activities, the participants presented their  final pitches  . These included a potential work plan to implement based on their business models, solutions, and technologies.

From this experience emerged the  three   winning startups of Exponential Changemakers 2021,  which are currently preparing to begin working with Progreso next year on a pilot project. The winners and their respective use cases are detailed below:  

1. HydroIQ 

Country: Kenya 

Use case: Solutions for transmitting real-time data on water inputs and outputs, allowing for the determination of water balance, quantification of potential leaks, and optimization of consumption. 

2. Metropolder   

Country: Netherlands  

Use case: Solutions to integrate alternative options for independent water collection and treatment of the resource according to its use. 

3. Remote Waters  

Country: Chile  

Use case: Solutions to integrate alternative options for independent water collection and treatment of the resource according to its use.   

During 2022 , the three pilot projects (innovation  loops) will be implemented,  marking  the final phase of the Exponential Changemakers open innovation program.  These projects will be implemented  using the  agile methodology framework  . Each  startup  will be supported and led by a representative from the Progreso business units where the main pilot implementations are based, along with support from Progreso  X.  

The Commitment to Progress 

Since its creation,  Progreso has stood out as a company distinguished by its consistency , whose actions reflect the values ​​that characterize it as an organization: putting the human being at the center of its solutions, adapting its operations towards a responsible and sustainable business model, aware of the necessary focus on quality and sustainability that the world needs. 

An open innovation program is truly successful when the concept is successfully implemented.  The co-development format and the agile methodology framework   have been essential to the success of previous editions and will be equally so in this pilot.  By embracing adaptation and change, the organization has ensured the continuity of an ongoing transformation. This has successfully instilled a sense of the need for reinvention and continuous improvement, not only of the tools, processes, and technologies used, but also of the  mindset  of all employees.