What Socialab does

Socialab is a Chilean-founded corporate innovation services firm operating across five Latin American countries (Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay) under a "triple impact" (social, environmental, economic) framework. The company helps enterprises, governments, and institutions source external innovation through four core service lines — Convocatorias (open innovation challenges), Socialab Lite (startup scouting), Socialab Intra (internal innovation capability installation), and Socialab Portafolio (portfolio acceleration) — supported by a digital community platform (comunidad.socialab.com) that has received solutions from 63 countries. It also runs Aceleradora Socialab, an impact accelerator whose G-24 (2024, 10 startups) and G-25 (2025, 15 startups) cohorts focus on decarbonization, circular economy, and climate innovation, with cohort execution funded in part by CORFO under Convenio 23POT-AC-248157. The client base of 50+ organizations includes SAP, Itaú, BCI, ABInBev, BID, Caja Los Andes, Coca-Cola, Santander, Google for Startups, Inst. Votorantim, and CMPC; the company is B Corp certified (2020, recertified February 2024) and was co-founded by Julián Ugarte (Chairman/Executive Director) and Alejandra Mustakis (board member).

The company's revenue model is project-based professional services: fees for designing and executing open innovation programs, corporate accelerators, scouting engagements, and internal innovation installations, with quote-based and non-publicly-disclosed pricing. Country-specific product extensions include rural women care data systems, infrastructure and territorial governance solutions (Huella Local / Mesas de Convergencia), and community-based Natural Centers in Colombia. The most recent strategic initiative is the January 2026 'AI Here!' (¡IA Presente!) call, implemented by Socialab for the Inter-American Development Bank and Ceibal, which mapped AI solutions in education across Latin America and the Caribbean and drew 193 submissions from 22 countries. The company does not disclose financials and has not raised institutional venture or private equity capital based on available sources.

Name

Socialab

Legal name

SOCIALAB SpA

Website

https://socialab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Socialab is a Chilean-founded corporate innovation services firm operating across five Latin American countries, running open innovation challenges, startup scouting, and an impact accelerator (G-24/G-25) that connect enterprises, governments, and impact startups pursuing triple-impact (social, environmental, economic) outcomes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Innovation Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Energy & Clean Tech Access (Off-grid, Energy Poverty Solutions) (BPAGALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Impact Investment & Social Finance Programs (BPADAOAJ)

Keywords

• Corporate innovation services
• Open innovation platform
• Startup acceleration programs
• Social impact consulting
• Triple impact solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Innovation Consulting: Socialab provides innovation process accompaniment services to organizations, helping them design and implement open innovation programs and internal innovation capabilities.
2. Open Innovation Program Management: Manages open innovation calls and challenges on behalf of corporate and institutional clients, receiving fees for program design, execution, and solution curation.
3. Startup Acceleration Programs: Accelerator programs (G-24, G-25) connect startups with corporations and investors. Revenue generated through corporate partnerships and public funding support from entities like CORFO.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Socialab is a corporate innovation services firm that designs and runs open innovation programs for enterprises, governments, and institutions across Latin America. Its services span four lines: Convocatorias (mass open innovation challenges), Socialab Lite (startup scouting), Socialab Intra (internal corporate innovation capability installation), and Socialab Portafolio (portfolio acceleration via bootcamps). It also operates Aceleradora Socialab, a flagship startup accelerator (G-24 and G-25 cohorts) for high-impact climate and circular economy startups.

Product overview

Socialab is a corporate innovation platform operating across 5 Latin American countries (Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay) focused on Triple Impact (social, environmental, and economic). The platform operates as a multi-product ecosystem comprising: (1) Core innovation services including Convocatorias (open innovation calls), Socialab Lite (startup scouting), Socialab Intra (internal innovation), and Socialab Portafolio (portfolio acceleration); (2) Aceleradora Socialab, a high-impact startup accelerator with G-24 and G-25 portfolios totaling 25 startups focused on decarbonization and circular economy; (3) Country-specific solutions including rural women care, infrastructure governance, and Natural Centers community development; and (4) 25+ accelerated startups across portfolios G-24 and G-25 offering solutions in water management, circular economy, fire safety, silver economy, logistics optimization, sustainable tourism, regenerative agriculture, and ESG management. The company also implements the AI Here! (¡IA Presente!) education AI initiative with the Inter-American Development Bank and Ceibal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Convocatorias: Open innovation challenge programs that call for entrepreneurial solutions to challenges posed by corporate clients
• Socialab Lite
• Socialab Intra
• Socialab Portafolio
• G-24
• G-25

Products and services

• Convocatorias de Innovación (Innovation Calls) Open innovation challenges that summon entrepreneurial solutions to address client-defined social and environmental impact challenges through mass open innovation processes. Sold to enterprises and institutions seeking external innovation sourcing.
• Socialab Lite (Scouting) Startup scouting service that connects startups with enterprises to solve pre-competitive challenges through Client Venturing models. Targets corporate clients needing targeted startup sourcing.
• Socialab Intra (Intra Innovation) Installs innovation capabilities within organizations and orchestrates innovation processes among employees and collaborators. Sold to enterprises seeking to build internal innovation culture.
• Socialab Portafolio (Portfolio Management) Portfolio management service that accelerates portfolios of internal innovations or third-party startups to achieve pilot implementations through Bootcamps. Targets organizations needing to convert innovation pipelines into pilots.
• Aceleradora Socialab (Accelerator) High-impact startup acceleration program connecting entrepreneurs with corporations, mentors, and investors to scale businesses focused on decarbonization, circular economy, and sustainable development. Runs G-24 (10 startups, 2024) and G-25 (15 startups, 2025) cohorts totaling 25 startups.
• Solutions for Care of Rural Women (Colombia) Living data laboratory that promotes the well-being of rural women through trust networks and peer learning, providing insights for territorial impact projects. Operated by Socialab Colombia.
• Infrastructure and Governance Solutions (Convergence Tables for Local Development) Public-private-community alliances designed to reverse territorial inequity by strengthening local government capacities to design and execute high-impact social projects through Convergence Tables for Local Development. Operated in Chile and Colombia.
• Natural Centers (Centros Naturales) Initiatives promoting economic, social, and environmental development in rural areas through community-ecosystem relationships, creating physical spaces for collaboration and biodiversity care. Implemented by Socialab Colombia.

Quantifiable outcome

• 193 AI education solutions submitted from 22 countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2026The IDB, in partnership with Ceibal and implemented by Socialab, launched the 'AI Here!' (¡IA Presente!) call for AI solutions in education across Latin America and the Caribbean. The mapping initiative received 193 submissions from 22 countries.
• CeibalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with IDB and Socialab on the AI in education mapping initiative across Latin America and the Caribbean.
• AB InBevcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic ally in the 100+ Labs Chile program and global sustainability initiatives. AB InBev integrates Socialab's innovation programs into their sustainability strategy.
• BCIcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing client in the 'Alianzas con impacto' program supporting ESG projects and social innovation initiatives.
• Caja Los AndescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTECLA fund partner supporting social innovation programs including Softlanding and internationalization tracks.
• Google for StartupsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partner supporting startup ecosystem development in Brazil operations.
• SantandercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate partner in G-24 accelerator program with strategic pitch event and corporate linkage for startups.
• CMPCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnered with Hydra Research to win the first edition of the Corporate Impact Venturing Award.
• Itaú UnibancocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic ally supporting innovation and social impact programs across Latin American operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wayra (Telefónica): Telefónica's global corporate open-innovation and accelerator arm, active across Latin America. Like Socialab, it runs open innovation calls, scouts startups, and connects corporates with high-impact entrepreneurs — directly competing for the same LatAm enterprise innovation budgets.
• MassChallenge: Global zero-equity startup accelerator with strong impact-focus and corporate partnership programs. Operates a similar accelerator model connecting high-impact startups with enterprise partners, and runs programs in multiple LatAm countries competing for the same cohort startups.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused innovation hubs and accelerators operating in dozens of countries including Latin America. Offers overlapping services — innovation programs, corporate partnerships, and impact startup support — with a comparable mission of social and environmental impact.
• Village Capital: Global impact venture firm running peer-selected accelerator programs for startups addressing social and environmental challenges. Directly comparable to Socialab's Aceleradora in mission, structure, and corporate-funding model, including presence in Latin America.
• Unreasonable Group: Global impact accelerator that pairs high-growth entrepreneurs tackling social/environmental problems with enterprise partners and investors. Closely comparable to Socialab's accelerator-plus-corporate-partnership model with a focus on scaling impact at the base of the pyramid.
• New Ventures: Global accelerator and incubator network supporting high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets, with strong Latin America presence. Overlaps directly with Socialab on impact-startup acceleration, corporate matchmaking, and emerging-market sustainability focus.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: One of the world's largest startup accelerators with corporate-sponsored programs. While broader and more global than Socialab, Techstars increasingly runs sustainability- and impact-focused accelerators that compete with Socialab for corporate ESG sponsorship and impact-startup deal flow.

Regional players

• NXTP Labs: Latin America–focused early-stage venture fund and accelerator. Operates corporate-innovation programs across the region, overlapping with Socialab on enterprise-backed acceleration services for high-impact startups in Argentina, Brazil, and broader LatAm markets.
• Pomelo: LatAm-focused platform serving as an ecosystem hub for startups and enterprises across the region. Comparable as a regional enabler connecting corporates, governments, and founders — though more oriented toward fintech infrastructure than pure open innovation.

Others

• Social Enterprise @ Goizueta (and similar B Corp innovation intermediaries): The B Corp movement and B Lab certification bodies represent the broader ecosystem of certified impact enterprises and innovation intermediaries. Socialab operates within this ecosystem, competing for the same ESG-aligned corporate clients and impact-startup deal flow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/socialab_com
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@canalsocialab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/socialab---www-socialab-com
• TikToktiktok.com/@socialab
• Facebookfacebook.com/SOCIALABcom

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Socialab