Start-Up Chile
Quick facts
- Headquarters
- Santiago, Chile
- Founded
- 2010
- Model
- Equity-free grant (government-funded)
- Duration
- 4–7 months, depending on tier
About
Created by the Chilean government, Start-Up Chile was the world's first public startup accelerator and remains one of the largest in Latin America — over 1,800 startups and 4,000 alumni from 85+ countries. It runs three tiers by stage (Build, Ignite, Growth) offering roughly US$15K–80K in equity-free funding plus a visa for foreign founders relocating to Chile.
Before you apply anywhere
Profiling Start-Up Chile here is informational, not an endorsement or a guarantee of acceptance. Every program has its own selection bar, terms and fine print — verify current details on the program's own site before applying.
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Equity-free public money changes the calculation
A government-funded, equity-free grant is a materially different instrument from an accelerator that buys shares. The company keeps its cap table intact, and the cost is compliance: residency requirements, reporting, and rules on how public money may be spent. For an outside investor looking at an alumnus, early dilution is likely to be lower than at an equity-taking program — and some of the traction on display was financed by a grant rather than by customers.
Who it suits
Founders willing to base themselves in Chile for the program period, who need runway more than a US investor network. It has historically attracted a high share of non-Chilean founders, which is the policy working as intended: importing companies is cheaper than growing them from scratch.