Five Women

Five Women-Led STEM Startups Win IDB Lab’s WeXchange 2026

WeXchange activities are supported by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, known as We-Fi, which works to expand financial opportunities for women-led businesses.

Five women-led businesses from Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia and Colombia have been named winners of the 2026 WeXchange Women STEMpreneurs competition, earning a major opportunity to present their innovations to investors and business leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Organised by IDB Lab, the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, WeXchange connects women entrepreneurs working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics with investment networks, practical support and opportunities to grow their businesses. This year's competition drew more than 350 applications from 35 countries, reflecting the breadth of women-led innovation emerging across the region.

More Than 80 Judges Helped Select the Winners

The applications covered sectors such as education technology, digital health, financial technology, biotechnology, climate technology, agricultural technology, e-commerce and software as a service. Colombia-based venture capital firm EWA Capital led the selection process, supported by more than 80 judges representing over 60 organisations, including 50 investment funds active across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Each winning startup is currently raising capital or preparing to seek investment in the coming months. Their founders will showcase their solutions at WeXchange Demo Day 2026 on October 7 in Quito, Ecuador, held as part of the GET Forum, where they will meet venture capital investors and other members of the regional innovation community.

From RNA Technology to Breast Cancer Screening

Argentina's Kresko RNAtech is developing functional ingredients made from bioactive ribonucleic acid. Its team combines artificial intelligence, a proprietary stabilisation method and biological testing to identify compounds found in plants and foods that could be used in health, nutrition and beauty products.

Mexico's GOW Credit is building AI-powered financial infrastructure for small and medium-sized businesses. Its technology helps financial institutions identify reliable companies that may be overlooked by conventional approval systems, opening new paths to credit while allowing lenders to stay within their own risk policies.

Bolivia-based Ciudata turns street-level information into useful economic intelligence. Vehicles fitted with cameras collect territorial data, while computer vision technology converts the material into insights about commercial establishments and local economic activity, helping businesses and public institutions make better-informed decisions.

Pilou, also from Mexico, gives individuals and companies across Latin America access to investment opportunities in the United States and Mexico. The wealth management platform already serves more than 1,500 clients across 17 countries, showing the growing regional appetite for accessible cross-border financial services.

Colombia's Salva Health created Julieta, a portable, fast and noninvasive medical device designed to make breast cancer screening easier to access. The technology could be especially valuable in communities where distance, cost or limited healthcare infrastructure prevents women from receiving timely screening.

Demo Day Could Open Doors to Investment and Growth

The five entrepreneurs will gain more than stage time at WeXchange Demo Day. Their participation in the GET Forum will include networking with investors, business leaders and innovation specialists, creating space for funding conversations, partnerships and connections that could help their companies enter new markets.

The winning group highlights how women entrepreneurs are using technology to tackle real challenges, from restricted business credit and gaps in health services to incomplete territorial data and limited access to international investments. Their selection also places them in front of people who can help move promising ideas into wider commercial and social use.