ALIVE 2025 Investor Meeting
Recently, ALIVE welcomed its investor community to Medellín, Colombia, for the 2025 edition of our Annual Investor Meeting — a two-day gathering designed to provide fund updates, share strategic and portfolio insights, engage directly with entrepreneurs (and their customers) from ALIVE’s portfolio, and connect with key actors from the entrepreneurial and impact investing ecosystem.
Each year, we bring together our community of investors to reflect on the progress of our work investing in exceptional entrepreneurs who are addressing some of the region’s most pressing challenges.
Here’s a recap of the key highlights from the gathering.
Conversations with Founders: Building Resilience and Tackling Inequality
In addition to receiving general updates about the performance of both of our funds, throughout the event, participants heard directly from the founders of ALIVE’s portfolio companies.
For example, Diego Villegas, Co-founder and CEO of Slang, reflected on the company’s journey navigating challenges, and how the company has since strengthened its strategy for sustainable long-term growth as it continues to expand access to professional English education across Latin America.
Diego Villegas, Co-founder and CEO of Slang
Heather Terry, Founder and CEO of GoodSAM, joined the event to offer insights into how regenerative agriculture and ethical sourcing drive positive change in the lives of the smallholder farmers they work with in the region. She also emphasized how their approach enhances climate resilience for those farmers, who are particularly exposed and vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Finally, co-founder of Magneto, Alejandro Arango, shared how the company addresses inequities in the labor market in Colombia, and how their AI-powered platform reduces bias in recruitment processes, expanding access to quality employment for millions of job seekers across Colombia — many from underrepresented backgrounds.
Panel with Magneto's Co-founder, Alejandro Arango.
These founder conversations provided a unique, first-hand view into how ALIVE’s portfolio companies are navigating market conditions and scaling profitable business models with solutions designed to tackle inequality across the region.
Insights on Access to Capital for Early-Stage Ventures
One of the key sessions this year focused on the evolving dynamics of startup fundraising in Latin America. ALIVE portfolio entrepreneurs representing Finaktiva, SunCo, and FinMaq joined InQlab, a local investor, to discuss barriers in accessing capital and how those barriers have been overcome.
Panel on securing financing, featuring ALIVE entrepreneurs and local investor, InQlab.
The session offered candid, grounded perspectives on what it takes to raise capital in today’s environment — and reinforced the importance of patient, impact-aligned investors in unlocking growth for early-stage companies.
On-Site Company Deep Dives
As in previous years, the agenda included on-site visits to portfolio companies — an opportunity that continues to be one of the most valued aspects of our Annual Investor Meeting. These sessions allow participants a tangible connection to the companies and communities ALIVE supports by engaging directly with the teams, operations, and customers behind the businesses.
At Finaktiva’s offices in Medellín, attendees heard from CEO Pablo Santos and the leadership team about the company’s transformation into a comprehensive financial platform for SMEs.
Pablo Santos, CEO of Finaktiva and Santiago Álvarez, ALIVE's Managing Partner
Panel with Juan Sebastián Correa, CEO of AgriCapital and farmer clients.
The second visit brought the group to AgriCapital, where founder Juan Sebastián Correa and his team provided an overview of how the company is improving access to credit for smallholder farmers in Colombia. The session also featured real-life testimonials from farmers, highlighting how tailored financing is enabling them to build credit history, and increase productivity and income.
Closing Panel and Cocktail at Bancolombia’s Headquarters
To conclude this year’s Investor Meeting, ALIVE hosted a special evening in collaboration with Fundación Bancolombia at Bancolombia’s headquarters in Medellín. The session brought together key local stakeholders — including investors, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem builders — for a conversation on the opportunities and challenges shaping innovation, investing, and impact in the region.
Closing event at Bancolombia's offices.
The opening panel explored how the city is positioning itself as a hub for entrepreneurial activity and social innovation. Panelists from Ruta N, Comfama, Fundación Bancolombia, ACI Medellín, and ALIVE reflected on topics ranging from the importance of catalytic capital and public-private partnerships, to the role of local institutions in scaling solutions for inclusion, sustainability, and economic resilience.
The panelists at the closing event
Following the discussion, participants gathered for a closing cocktail reception —strengthening connections across ALIVE’s community and Medellín’s broader community of people and organizations at the forefront of impact, investing, and innovation.
To learn more about our work and our progress to date, check out our recently published impact report or visit our knowledge center.