Gofest 2024 breaks attendance records with over 30,000 participants

BOGOTÁ, Colombia, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With over 30,000 attendees and 300 speakers, mentors, investors, and corporates, the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce successfully hosted Gofest 2024 between August 28th and August 30th, solidifying its position as one of Latin America's premier entrepreneurship events.

The impressive line-up featured renowned figures such as Hernán Kazah, co-founder of Mercado Libre and Kaszek Ventures; Tomás Bercovich, CEO and founder of Global 66; Regina Zurutuza and René Lomelí, partners at 500 Global Latam; Enzo Cavalie, CEO of Startupeable; Sebastián Noguera, co-founder and CEO of HABI; Silvina Moschini, co-founder and CEO of Unicorns Inc.; and Karen Scarpetta, CEO of WeWork Spanish America. Venture capital giants like Softbank and Riverwood Capital also participated, inspiring attendees with insights on AI, innovation, venture capital, and technology.

Ovidio Claros, Executive President of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, remarked: "This edition of Gofest doubled last year's attendance, demonstrating our commitment to positioning Bogotá as a regional hub for entrepreneurship. Gofest continues to evolve as an inclusive event, welcoming everyone."

Speaker Highlights

Hernán Kazah, co-founder of Kaszek Ventures and Mercado Libre: "To create and scale a startup, you need a bit of craziness, a deep commitment, and the conviction that this is what you want to dedicate yourself to for the next 15 years."

Maité Muñiz, Truora: "Building a diverse team is crucial. It allows us to understand different perspectives, integrating people of all genders and ages. For this effort to succeed, it must be embedded in the organization's DNA."

Camilo Sánchez, CEO of Laika: "Efficiency comes from understanding why our clients need pet supplies and identifying the type of customers we want. This enables us to segment and prioritize areas where we can excel effectively."

Camila Salamanca, MD, Endeavor Colombia: Bogota's Chamber of Commerce "Gofest" is a crucial platform for driving entrepreneurship in Colombia, uniting top experts and key players to share valuable insights. For Endeavor, participating is about more than just presence—it's about empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, access capital, and transform industries. We are committed to fostering bold, high-impact ventures that are vital to the country's economic growth, and Gofest allows us to amplify this mission."

Award-Winning Startups

During the festival, the Entrepreneurs Organization awarded Artwear, a startup developing portable devices to alleviate symptoms of diseases like Parkinson's and body tremors, a prize of $10,000 USD, mentorship, acceleration sessions, and a business trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

At Demo Day, Glya, Dreembio, and Carbon Box emerged as winners, earning a full immersion program with the Mana Tech accelerator in Miami. Meanwhile, Meagroup, Xperience, Ingenios, and Innova Solutions were recognized as top performers in the Open Innovation Bootcamp 3DE.

SOURCE Bogota Chamber of Commerce