Wayra Hispam
Wayra Hispam is the Latin American Corporate Venture Capital arm of Telefónica, investing in startups and connecting them with Telefónica's business units through a venture-client model that provides capital, commercial collaboration, and access to a global telecom customer base.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersBogotá, Colombia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Wayra Hispam does
Wayra Hispam is the Latin American arm of Wayra, the Corporate Venture Capital division of Telefónica, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Telefónica Open Innovation, S.L.U. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, the firm identifies and funds early- and growth-stage startups and connects them with Telefónica's business units under a venture-client model designed to provide portfolio companies with commercial collaboration, scaling support, and access to one of the world's largest telecommunications customer bases.
The core offering is not a software product but an investment and open-innovation platform. Supporting programs include the Activation Programme (startup scaling), OUTLIERS 2026 (future-shaping startup discovery), and thematic accelerators such as TUI Futureshapers (sustainable travel-tech, in partnership with TUI Care Foundation and Target 8.9) and the ACCIÓN digital health accelerator (with AstraZeneca España and Kunsen). The portfolio is built around technology, sustainability, and energy-transition themes; the January 2025 Solfium investment extended the portfolio into solar energy. Core technology is not publicly disclosed and there is no API, SDK, or proprietary AI/ML platform.
The economic model is that of a strategic CVC rather than an independent venture fund: capital is supplied by Telefónica, returns are generated through equity appreciation in portfolio startups, and the principal "revenue" indicator published is the volume of business generated for startups through commercial collaboration with Telefónica's business units (cited as €1M+ on the firm website). Total investment deployed to date is cited at €1M+. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and no management fees, fund vintage structure, or external LP terms are described. Customers are effectively two-sided: startups receive capital and corporate access, while Telefónica and select third-party corporations (AstraZeneca, TUI Care Foundation, Kunsen) consume open-innovation program design and execution services.
Wayra Hispam firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wayra Hispam
- Legal name
- Telefónica Open Innovation, S.L.U.
- Website
- https://hispam.wayra.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wayra Hispam is the Latin American Corporate Venture Capital arm of Telefónica, investing in startups and connecting them with Telefónica's business units through a venture-client model that provides capital, commercial collaboration, and access to a global telecom customer base.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wayra Hispam industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Corporate Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Management Consulting Services (54161), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type) (BPADACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Enterprise Architecture & IT Operating Model (BPAHAEAB)
Keywords
Where Wayra Hispam is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bogotá
- HQ country
- Colombia
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wayra Hispam business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Venture Capital Investment Returns: Wayra Hispam generates returns through equity stakes in portfolio startups. The company invests in startups with potential to generate real impact within Telefónica and helps them scale through commercial collaboration, creating value through both equity appreciation and business partnership revenues.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Wayra Hispam product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wayra Hispam is Telefónica's Corporate Venture Capital arm for Latin America, investing equity in startups and connecting them with Telefónica's business units through a venture-client model. Beyond direct investment, the firm designs and delivers open innovation and corporate venture programs — both directly and via dedicated platforms — supporting startups with capital, market access, and commercial collaboration opportunities to scale within Telefónica's ecosystem and global markets.
Product overview
Wayra Hispam operates as the Latin American arm of Wayra, which is Telefónica's Corporate Venture Capital division. The company functions as an investment and innovation platform that identifies and funds startups with potential for impact within Telefónica's ecosystem. The core offering is the venture-client model that connects invested startups with Telefónica's business units, providing access to global markets and customer bases. Supporting services include the Activation Programme for startup scaling, the OUTLIERS 2026 initiative for identifying future-shaping startups, and thematic acceleration programmes such as TUI Futureshapers for travel-tech innovation. The 2025 Solfium investment marks entry into the solar energy sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wayra Corporate Venture Capital (Latin American arm) Telefónica's Corporate Venture Capital arm investing in startups with potential to generate real impact within Telefónica, helping them scale through commercial collaboration using the venture-client model across Latin America and Telefónica's broader operating geographies.
- Activation Programme An acceleration and support programme designed to help startups scale and collaborate with Wayra and Telefónica's business units.
- OUTLIERS 2026 A discovery initiative to identify and support startups that are already shaping the future, referenced as part of Wayra's investment initiatives.
- Open Innovation and Corporate Venture Program Design Services Design and delivery of open innovation and corporate venture programs for Telefónica and other corporations, either directly or through open innovation platforms.
Quantifiable outcome
- Corporate Venture Capital activity in Latin America doubled between 2020 and 2023
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Wayra Hispam
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Wayra Hispam technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Wayra Hispam partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- TUI Care FoundationcoreLaunch of TUI Futureshapers program in Spain, a hackathon organized for university talent and young innovators focused on solving real challenges in the travel-tech sector for sustainable tourism.
- Global Corporate VenturingcoreJoint co-authorship of a report on Corporate Venture Capital in Latin America. The report highlights that CVC activity in the region doubled between 2020 and 2023, with corporate investors now participating in 15% of all venture capital deals.
- AstraZeneca EspañacoreCollaboration with AstraZeneca and Kunsen to select innovative projects for ACCIÓN, an accelerator focused on digital health solutions in Spain. The partnership includes a Pitch Day event for startups and healthcare professionals.
- KunsencorePartner in the ACCIÓN accelerator program for digital health innovation in Spain, working alongside AstraZeneca and Wayra.
- Target 8.9coreCo-launcher of TUI Futureshapers program in Spain, focused on accelerating travel-tech solutions towards sustainable tourism.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wayra Hispam competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- monashees: Leading Brazilian-born LatAm VC fund investing from seed to growth; comparable as a leading independent LatAm investor that competes with Wayra Hispam for the highest-quality regional startups.
- Kaszek Ventures: One of the largest independent LatAm-focused VC funds, active across Brazil, Mexico, and Spanish-speaking LatAm; comparable as a primary independent competitor chasing the same founder pool in the region.
- Atlantico: LatAm-focused early-to-growth VC fund with presence across the region; comparable as an independent fund pursuing similar stage and geographies to Wayra Hispam's portfolio.
- Cometa (formerly Cometa/Endeavor Catalyst LatAm): Early-stage VC investing in Spanish-speaking LatAm startups; comparable as a regional fund targeting similar founder segments and stages as Wayra Hispam.
- Globant Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Globant focused on LatAm tech and digital services startups; comparable as a regional strategic CVC combining capital with corporate client access for portfolio companies.
Broad incumbents
- Salesforce Ventures: Global corporate VC arm of Salesforce investing in enterprise SaaS and platform startups, with growing LatAm activity; comparable as an established CVC offering enterprise customer access alongside capital, similar in concept to Telefónica's venture-client model.
- Qualcomm Ventures Latin America: Global corporate venture arm of Qualcomm that invests across LatAm and other regions in deep tech and telecom-adjacent startups; comparable as a large corporate VC investing in connectivity and platform technologies relevant to Telefónica's ecosystem.
- Intel Capital: Established global corporate venture arm with deep LatAm exposure investing in enterprise, connectivity, and semiconductor-related startups; comparable as a strategic CVC in adjacent telecom-infrastructure themes.
- Google for Startups Latin America: Google's accelerator and CVC-style program in LatAm providing capital, mentorship, and product credits; comparable as a large strategic player offering distribution and capital similar to Telefónica's venture-client value proposition.
Direct peers
- Wayra Brasil: Telefónica's CVC arm operating in Brazil under the same Wayra brand and venture-client model; directly comparable as a Telefónica regional CVC unit operating in LatAm.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Wayra Hispam social profiles
Digital presenceWayra Hispam financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wayra Hispam leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Wayra Hispam funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wayra Hispam M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments13 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wayra Hispam
What does Wayra Hispam do?
Wayra Hispam is Telefónica's Corporate Venture Capital arm for Latin America, investing equity in startups and connecting them with Telefónica's business units through a venture-client model. Beyond direct investment, the firm designs and delivers open innovation and corporate venture programs — both directly and via dedicated platforms — supporting startups with capital, market access, and commercial collaboration opportunities to scale within Telefónica's ecosystem and global markets.
Is Wayra Hispam a public or private company?
Wayra Hispam is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Wayra Hispam founded?
Wayra Hispam was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wayra Hispam based?
Wayra Hispam is headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, in the Latin America region.
How does Wayra Hispam make money?
One revenue line is on record: venture Capital Investment Returns.
Who are Wayra Hispam's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are monashees, Kaszek Ventures, Atlantico, Cometa (formerly Cometa/Endeavor Catalyst LatAm) and Globant Ventures. Broad incumbents are Salesforce Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures Latin America, Intel Capital and Google for Startups Latin America. Wayra Brasil is listed as a direct peer.
Does Wayra Hispam have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wayra Hispam.
What industry is Wayra Hispam in?
Wayra Hispam's product category is Corporate Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADACAJ, Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type), with a secondary code of BPAHAEAB, Enterprise Architecture & IT Operating Model. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.