The acceleration of startups has been one of the keys that explains the stage of greater maturity that Spanish entrepreneurship has entered. During the last decade, founders, accelerators and incubators, corporations and the capital sector have evolved towards the present moment where the synergies accumulated in this type frame a promising future hand in hand with technology and digitalization.
Corporate acceleration is one of the most fruitful and impactful lines of this new ecosystem that has been able to move from more traditional acceleration proposals to what the new digital economy demands.
In this context, and with a focus on the construction sector, Cemex Ventures represents one of the main agents in this profound process of change that has managed to combine the strength and solidity of a company like Cemex with the flexibility and disruptive capacity of the startup ecosystem.
DISRUPTORES-EL ESPAÑOL delves into its value proposition to lead the foundations of a new construction sector, more efficient, sustainable and adapted to new times.
Cemex Ventures' incubation and acceleration proposal was born in 2017 as part of Cemex's open innovation strategy to promote the revolution of the construction industry and contribute to a better future.
"The objective was to support disruptive innovation in our industry, involving startups, entrepreneurs, universities and other relevant actors to transform the construction ecosystem," Cemex Ventures explained to this editorial team.
"With a global approach, we start by investing and collaborating with the most innovative, sustainable and promising startup solutions," they add.
However, just like the innovation itself, its value proposition has evolved over the years. In 2022, to promote the growth of startups, an exclusive acceleration program for solutions applied to construction was developed.
In this way, the expansion of high-potential startups was prioritized with Cemex Ventures Leaplab, a platform for joint experimentation, co-creation and transformation.
After two cohorts with ten global startups, pilots have been carried out in 15 countries, more than 100 Cemex employees have been involved and 200 experts and mentors have participated in the program.
But what are their distinguishing features, those that differentiate them from other incubation and acceleration programs in the ecosystem? Cemex Ventures is clear: " We go beyond simply providing financial support to emerging companies . As Cemex's open innovation unit, one of our purposes is to seek innovation in the construction field that can be linked to Cemex's core business," the same sources say.
