LISPOLIS Polo Tecnológico de Lisboa
Portugal
LISPOLIS is a private non-profit association with the aim of managing the Lisbon Technological Pole (PTL) and creating conditions for …
Good practice
Imported
★ 86
★ 86
★ 81
★ 81
Startup Chile — Government Startup Accelerator (CORFO)
Chile · Santiago · See the Chile profile · See the Santiago profile
Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 10% 86/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice
World's first government-funded, equity-free international startup accelerator, launched 2010 by CORFO. Over 1,600 startups from 85 countries; alumni raised $998M — 13.8× CORFO's investment. Portfolio valued at $2B+. Directly inspired government accelerators across Latin America
1,600+ startups
Startups supported from launch to date (2010-2024)
85 countries
Countries represented among alumni (cumulative)
4,500+ entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs participating cumulatively (cumulative)
998 US$ million
Cumulative funding raised by alumni (cumulative)
13.8 x
Multiple of CORFO's cumulative investment raised by alumni (cumulative)
2 US$ billion+
Portfolio valuation (current)
<30 %
International alumni remaining in Chile post-programme (n/a)
Details
- Maturity
- Established
- Promoter
- CORFO (Corporación de Fomento de la Producción)
- Period
- 2010–present
- Keywords
- startup accelerator, technology, innovation policy, Latin America
Context
Startup Chile was launched in 2010 by CORFO, the Chilean government's economic development agency, as the world's first government-funded, equity-free international startup accelerator, deliberately targeting foreign founders to catalyse a startup culture in Chile.
Objectives
Attract entrepreneurial talent to Chile and build a startup culture, offering equity-free support across seed, growth, women-only and impact tracks.
Activities
Through four programme tracks -- Start-Up Chile (seed stage), Scale (growth stage), S-Factory (women-only, launched 2013) and Cataliza (impact startups) -- CORFO has supported over 1,600 startups from 85 countries, with more than 4,500 entrepreneurs participating.
Results
Portfolio alumni have collectively raised $998 million -- 13.8 times CORFO's cumulative investment -- and the portfolio is valued above $2 billion. Notable alumni include NotCo (valued $1.5B+), Cumplo and Fintual.
Conclusions
A documented limitation is retention: studies and Chilean press (La Tercera) found that fewer than 30% of international alumni remain in Chile post-programme. CORFO has responded through stricter Chilean-team requirements in recent cohorts and a 2026 pivot toward deep tech and scientific ventures; the model directly inspired the Colombian iNNpulsa accelerator and Mexico's INADEM programmes, and is now a standard reference in OECD and World Bank reports on government innovation policy.
Implementation
- Indicative cost
- High (€500k–€5M) — Equity-free government funding across four tracks; no specific total public budget figure found in source, though cumulative alumni funding raised reached $998M against CORFO's own investment.
- Time to results
- Long (> 3 years) — Launched 2010; 15 years of continuous operation, with a 2026 pivot toward deep tech and scientific ventures.
- Staffing & skills
- CORFO (Corporacion de Fomento de la Produccion), Ministry of Economy, private-sector mentors and international partners
Conditions for success
- Equity-free funding structure to attract global founders without deterring them with equity dilution
- Multiple programme tracks tailored to stage and founder profile (seed, growth, women-only, impact)
- Willingness to adapt requirements (e.g. Chilean-team rules) in response to retention data
Common failure modes
- Fewer than 30% of international alumni remain in Chile post-programme, limiting local economic retention benefits
- Primarily state-driven governance with limited independent multi-actor structure
Where it fits
- Governance type
- national state development agency (CORFO)
- Scale
- national programme with international applicant pool (85 countries)
- Income level
- upper-middle/high-income country (Chile)
Commonly funded by
National / regional programmes
Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.
Do you run this practice? Claim it — verified implementers get a public contact pathway and can propose corrections.
Data sources
Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.
- C-NAPSE web research — accessed 2026-06-26
- CORFO (Corporación de Fomento de la Producción) — accessed 2026-06-26
- Start-Up Chile official — accessed 2026-06-26
- Start-Up Chile — Wikipedia — accessed 2026-06-26
- WIPO Magazine — Start-Up Chile — accessed 2026-06-26
- CAF evaluation: The case of Start-Up Chile — accessed 2026-06-26
Attachments
Where it's been adopted
Documented replications and adaptations of this practice elsewhere.
| Place | When | Adopter | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | — | iNNpulsa Colombia | Equity-free government accelerator directly inspired by the Startup Chile model |
| Mexico | — | INADEM (Instituto Nacional del Emprendedor) | Government startup-support programmes directly inspired by the Startup Chile model |
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