Washington, D.C. August 12th, 2025. In the framework of International Youth Day, the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), in collaboration with the Organization of American States (OAS) and Banreservas, is pleased to announce the two winners of the Start-Up Challenge, a special category in the 19th edition of the Talent and Innovation Competitions of the Americas Program (TIC Americas).

The announcement was made at a ceremony during the virtual Finals, which brought together members of the ten finalist teams, international authorities and leaders, international experts, strategic allies, and stakeholders from the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Learn more about the Finals at: www.ticamericas.net/finales

In the “Innovation and Development” category, the winner was mi-Biomark from Mexico, with an oncology diagnostic tool based on biomarkers and nanomedicine. In the “Digital Transformation, Connectivity, and Emerging Technologies” category, the winner was SiembraAi from Colombia, a solution that provides AI-powered digital agricultural assistance to small-scale farmers. The two winning projects were recognized for their exceptional combination of viability, innovation, and digital transformation, as well as their high growth potential.

The winning teams will receive US$5,000 in seed capital to support their ventures with personalized mentoring. They will also have the opportunity to present their solutions at international forums, access investment networks, and receive strategic support for their scalability.

The Opening Ceremony was presided over by the CEO of YABT, Luis Viguria; Ambassador Mayerlyn Cordero Díaz, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the OAS; and the Vice President of Strategic Business Programs of Banreservas, Ms. Linda Valette.

The program also featured among its speakers the Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Ambassador Laura Gil, the first woman to hold the position, who spoke on “Youth and Development: Strengthening Youth Participation and Action in the Hemispheric Agenda.” In her remarks, she emphasized the importance of promoting youth leadership and entrepreneurship as a tool and strategic investment for the region’s integral development.

The Start-Up Challenge Finals, as an entrepreneurship component of the VII Young Americas Forum, hosted a special session on youth participation in preparation for the X Summit of the Americas. The session featured speakers such as María Celina Conte, Director of the OAS Summits of the Americas Secretariat; Josefina Stubbs, Director of Regional Integration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic and Head of the Forums for the 10th Summit of the Americas process; and Valerie Lorena, Executive Director of YABT. In their interventions, they agreed on the importance of including youth in decision-making debates, recognizing their contributions to the fundamental pillars of human security: citizen, food, energy, and water security.

The Start-Up Challenge finalists actively participated as panelists, sharing their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned along the way as young entrepreneurs. They demonstrated how their proposals concretely address social, economic, and environmental issues, driving sustainable change through innovative entrepreneurship. During the sessions, the finalists shared space with experts from IICA, the OECD, business leaders, and YABT Alumni.

The Start-Up Challenge received 767 proposals submitted by 1,108 young people from 28 countries in the Western Hemisphere. After a rigorous evaluation process of the Semifinals by international experts, 10 finalists were selected, resulting in two winning teams.

YABT deeply thanks all the young entrepreneurs, Banreservas, OAS, local partners, and its network of experts, judges, mentors, and panelists at BOOTCamp for their commitment and continued collaboration.

The Start-Up Challenge demonstrates that investing in youth entrepreneurship means seeding transformative solutions for a more secure, sustainable, and prosperous hemisphere.

Are you interested in supporting youth entrepreneurship and participation as we advance toward the X Summit of the Americas? This is the perfect time to build an alliance for youth. Contact us now at ticamericas@yabt.net