The international meeting organized by the IDB's innovation and venture capital laboratory will promote innovative solutions that generate impact at scale in Latin America and the Caribbean.
IDB Lab, the Inter-American Development Bank's innovation and venture capital lab, will hold the third edition of IDB Lab Forum Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Forum is a flagship event dedicated to business innovation, venture capital and technology for development.
This edition will focus on financing innovation and development of entrepreneurial ecosystems to generate greater impact in Latin America and the Caribbean, and on promoting the use of artificial intelligence as a tool to close gaps.
The high-level international meeting will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, accelerators, policy makers and other players in the innovation ecosystem to take advantage of business opportunities, discover trends, identify talent and launch new initiatives to improve the quality of life of citizens in the region through innovation and technology.
Irene Arias Hofman, CEO of IDB Lab, will welcome 600 attendees who will hear from the most prominent experts about the need to invest in entrepreneurship and technological innovation to achieve greater economic growth and human development. "IDB Lab Forum has been from its inception a unique space to take the pulse of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in our region,” she said. “In this edition, the first to be held in the Southern Cone, we will once again witness the dynamism of those who are committed to innovation and new technologies and we will learn about the most cutting-edge trends and the potential of emerging sectors. We will also delve into the obstacles that hinder entrepreneurship in order to continue moving forward and create an inclusive impact that translates into sustainable development.”
IDB Lab Forum 2024 agenda will address use cases of technologies such as Web 3.0 and responsible artificial intelligence to foster inclusion, climate action and productivity. Venture capital, tokenization, the potential of biotechnology and the integration of cutting-edge technologies in our region's climate agenda, as well as business opportunities in global innovation ecosystems will also feature high on the talks. Fintechs will have an exclusive session organized by the Milken Institute to discuss how they are redefining the design of financial services and how their integration into the system is key to creating a more inclusive, sustainable and innovative ecosystem in Latin America and the Caribbean.
IDB Lab Forum 2024 will offer participants lectures by renowned experts, panels with leaders of innovative industries, workshops to apply knowledge, one-on-one contact networking spaces, and roundtables on topics of interest for entrepreneurial innovation in our region and the world.
This edition of IDB Lab Forum will once again include in its agenda WeXchange, Latin America and the Caribbean’s main platform to support female entrepreneurship in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) areas. During the event, 10 innovative women entrepreneurs, selected from among 355 applicants from 30 countries in the region, will present their companies to investors and event attendees to access financing opportunities and generate relevant networks for their businesses.
IDB Lab Forum’s previous edition, held in Bogota, Colombia, brought together more than 3,500 participants from 40 countries (700 of them in person). Ninety-three percent of attendants reported having gained access to business opportunities at this event, specifically designed to interact and exchange ideas, knowhow and knowledge, and expand contact networks.
IDB Lab Forum will be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Hilton Buenos Aires Hotel. For registration and more information, visit IDBLabforum.org.
About IDB Lab
IDB Lab is the innovation and venture capital laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank Group. Its purpose is to find new ways to boost social inclusion, environmental action and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean. IDB Lab leverages funding, knowledge and connections to support early-stage entrepreneurship, foster the development of new technologies, activate innovative markets and energize existing sectors. www.idblab.org