3 Puerto Rico startups win Bravo Family Foundation’s Rising Entrepreneurs program
Three Puerto Rico-based start-ups — INSU Health Design, Cinco and Skootel — won the top spots during the first edition of the Bravo Family Foundation’s Rising Entrepreneurs Program, with each receiving $60,000 for their businesses.
INSU Health Design, is a company that provides a bio-medicine storage solution in times of disaster, CINCO, is dedicated to the development of technological applications for risk management and compliance management for pharmaceutical industries, and Skootel, is the first micro-mobility and electric scooter rental company in Puerto Rico.
Last week, the 10 participants in the program’s first edition presented their results to a panel of judges and mentors. The three winning companies will receive the cash prize, as well as mentoring and ongoing access to the network of resources from Thoma Bravo a private equity investment firm led by Puerto Rican businessman Orlando Bravo.
“All the participating companies had an extraordinary performance and I’m very satisfied with what we’ve achieved in this first edition,” Bravo said.
“However, these three companies stood out for having a focused, scalable business plan with a forward-looking vision. Puerto Rico has a fertile entrepreneurship ecosystem comparable to any other market in the world, and I’m proud to be able to contribute to its strengthening,” said Bravo, who expressed his views about the three winning companies.
On INSU Health, Bravo said, “I think the story behind this company and its mission-driven founders is as compelling as the business itself. The effects of Hurricane María inspired Mason and Doris to create new ways to protect a vulnerable population during natural disasters and other emergencies, and I’m so proud to continue supporting that innovation.”
On Skootel, the executive said he has “been extremely impressed by the confidence, attitude, and resilience shown by Juan and Aldo during the last few months as COVID-19 so dramatically altered their business.”
“Their willingness to roll up their sleeves to help Skootel succeed even in the face of unprecedented challenges should be an inspiration to entrepreneurs across Puerto Rico, but especially in our shared hometown of Mayagüez,” said Bravo.
As for CINCO, Bravo said “I’m proud of Ruben and Yari for tackling such a complex challenge with their product and for working with an industry that’s so important to Puerto Rico. I’m looking forward to watching them continue to disrupt the life sciences industry and serve as leaders for the entrepreneurial community on the island.”
Now that the first edition has ended, Bravo Family Foundation opened its second call to be part Rising Entrepreneurs Program. The application can be accessed through the following link.
The deadline to submit is Nov. 15, 2020. Those selected will be announced on Dec. 15, 2020.
The second edition of Rising Entrepreneurs will begin its regular curriculum on March 1, 2021 and will conclude on May 7, 2021. There will be a special summer curriculum that will begin on June 7 and will conclude on Aug. 31. The closing activity with additional awards will be on Sept. 23, 2021.
