May 29, 2020 by Mariana Gómez Curated Lists, Trending Topics 0 comments

9 Incredible Startups in Guatemala You Should Know

Off the top of your head, do you know the names of any startups in Guatemala? The human desire for entrepreneurship is great, propelling business-creation and innovative startups all over the world. Competition comes into play to provide relevant products or services, vying to win clientele. Ultimately, this is beneficial for consumers, as it gives us more options in the market.

In Latin America, entrepreneurs are constantly innovating to add value to the market and the world! Guatemala is a country characterized by its creative and persistent people. You’d be surprised to see their ideas and how they make them happen. Today, let’s check out some of the most amazing startups in Guatemala.

Guatemalan Startups that Succeeded

Guatemala exports different products around the world, such as coffee, sugar, bananas, cardamom, and more. However, some of the most recognized startups in Guatemala have contributed to the world, too. The following organizations were created by entrepreneurs that began with a dream and now are changing the world! Check them out and be inspired!

Note that these “startups” in Guatemala are no longer considered startups because they’re more established now. However, they’re worth highlighting because they were once startups, have made a great impact in the world, and are definitely growing more over the years and influencing the global economy.

Kingo

Kingo provides decentralized solar energy services to families and businesses in off-grid villages across the world. For example, if people want energy to celebrate a birthday party and turn music on, they can literally buy “a piece” of energy with Kingo devices. Currently, around 5 million people around the world benefit from this amazing Guatemalan company.

Wakami

Wakami connects rural communities with the global market while promoting inclusive businesses. They select women in villages and train them to create accessories with their community’s beautiful Guatemalan textiles. Wakami exports these products to 20 different countries and a portion of the profits are dedicated to the training, education and nutrition of the women artisans and their families.

Duolingo

The goal of Duolingo is to provide personalized language education to people around the world. This company was founded by Guatemalan Luis Von Ahn in 2011,who sold it years later. It all started as a language platform startup in Guatemala, and then became one of the most popular sites to learn pretty much any language of the world. Duolingo currently has over 200 millions of users around the world and offers courses for more than 35 different languages, which include Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Hindi, Greek and Latin, among many others!

Ecofiltro

This company’s main goal is to provide filtered water to one million rural families in Guatemala by 2025. They created a natural filter that cleans water and removes bacteria so people can drink it. Ecofilters are available for purchase in more than 15 countries. They positively impact over 20,000 families per month around the world.

Startups in Guatemala Right Now

Guatemala is a country with a lot of social necessities. Extreme poverty and malnutrition are two of the many issues that this country faces. The high level of need here motivates people with the desire to help in some way. Also, this has opened a gap of opportunities for entrepreneurs to use their talents and create things that can help change this reality. Check out some of the most amazing startups in Guatemala that are creating an impact by improving people’s lives!

Gronn

Gronn means “green” in Norwegian. This startup wants to make this world a greener and more sustainable place, but they needed to start somewhere, and decided to do it in Guatemala. After realizing that many glass bottles end up being thrown away and polluting our planet, they came up with the idea of making products out of these “useless” bottles. They collect them, recycle, and transform them into beautiful glasses, vases, and flower pots. They’ve recycled more than 205,000 bottles and work with over 800 families who create the products.

Yummus

Yummus Foods is a social impact corporation that’s passionate about healthy food. They offer products such as hummus, tahini, dressings, and more. Their idea is to get the ingredients from low-income farmers and help them grow as merchants. Their “Buy One Help One” program promotes nutrition for kids in need Yummus sells delicious and healthy food, and helps the less fortunate at the same time! Plus, this amazing startup in Guatemala is implementing new plans to address reforestation, water access, and women’s health.

TraeGuate

This platform wants to improve traffic in Guatemala by promoting carpooling: a safe, ecological, economical, and friendly way to travel. According to Waze, Guatemala is in the top four countries with worst traffic in the world (or at least in the countries that use Waze). This Guatemalan startup offers a way of making the traffic experience more fun, which improves people’s lives in a way you could never imagine! With the TraeGuate app, people can ask for a ride and then commute with people that are willing to split the fare.

PediSuper

This startup’s website is basically an online supermarket that does home deliveries in Guatemala. This enables people to reduce their time in supermarkets (or eliminate it!) and use their time for something more productive. PediSuper offers different options for ordering what you want, such as selecting products on their website, calling them, or texting them via Whatsapp. More and more people in Guatemala are starting to use this website that was created in 2019.

Guatique

Guatique is a distributor of products of all kinds, from fashion to technology. People can order products through their website and have them delivered to their homes! This startup works because the mail service in Guatemala doesn’t work like in other countries. Most Guatemalans don’t have a postal code and can’t receive packages; they need a P.O. Box for that. So, this startup helps people in Guatemala get different products and enjoy the beauty of e-commerce! People pay for the product and also for the services that Guatique offers.

See? I told you Guatemalans are awesome in turning visions into actions! These are just some of the current startups in Guatemala, but there are many more that will absolutely amaze you, too! You can visit this official website of Guatemala for more information about this beautiful country.

Connect with the Latin American Business World!

So, now you know a little bit more about startups in Guatemala. Who knows? Maybe you can support them somehow! In order to connect with Latin American entrepreneurs and business-people, it’s super helpful to speak the native language. Why not start today? Homeschool Spanish Academy offers great Spanish classes for all kinds of learners. Our native Spanish-speaking teachers are fully trained to help you become a total pro! Sign up for a free class today to see how amazing it is to put the business and language worlds together!

Want to learn more about Business Spanish? Check out these posts!

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Mariana Gómez

Freelance writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Native Spanish speaker and Industrial Psychology student in Guatemala, I love studying the nuances of Latin culture, its family values, and the Spanish language. Writing is my passion; it's my avenue for connecting ideas and sharing important information with readers. My goal is to make of this world a better place with far more multilingual people!

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