WeXchange

What WeXchange does

WeXchange is a platform initiative of IDB Lab, the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), designed to connect women entrepreneurs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) from Latin America and the Caribbean with mentors, investors, and ecosystem players. Founded in 2013 following IDB Lab's 2012 research identifying weak networks and limited mentoring as the key bottlenecks for women-led STEM ventures in the region, the platform serves four interlocking user groups: women STEM entrepreneurs with high-growth-potential businesses, investors interested in LAC, experienced mentors, and socially responsible businesses and institutions. The core activation mechanism is the annual GET Forum (Global Entrepreneurship and Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean), an IDB Group Innovation for Impact Platform where selected entrepreneurs present to investors and ecosystem stakeholders. The first edition launched in Miami in 2013 in partnership with NXTPLabs and Ellas2, and subsequent editions have rotated annually through Monterrey, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Asunción, Bogotá, with 2025 planned for San Salvador and 2026 for Quito. The platform pivoted to a virtual format during 2020-2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The platform is not a technology product in the conventional sense — it is a matchmaking and community initiative rather than a SaaS or marketplace with proprietary software features. Its architecture centers on the annual forum event and ongoing networking among participants. There are no disclosed APIs, SDKs, integrations, mobile applications, or AI capabilities. Participation is free for qualifying entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and experts.

Its business model is mission-driven rather than commercial: WeXchange is funded through IDB Lab and the broader IDB Group's development mandate as a non-profit initiative, with no disclosed pricing, revenue streams, or monetisation mechanism. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees and the entity is government-affiliated through IDB Lab (described as a government/state entity), with no separate funding rounds, venture capital ownership, or subsidiaries. As a development platform within a multilateral institution, its value is measured in network and capital-flow outcomes rather than financial revenue, and it offers free access to its four target user segments across more than ten LAC markets.

Name

WeXchange

Legal name

WeXchange

Website

https://wexchange.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WeXchange is an IDB Lab initiative, founded in 2013, that connects women STEM entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean with mentors, investors, and ecosystem players through an annual forum and ongoing community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Development Platform

akta.pro primary industry

Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) & Learning Portals (EDAFAAAB)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship platform
• STEM investor matchmaking
• Venture capital networking
• Startup mentorship programs
• Entrepreneurial ecosystem development

Headquarters

HQ city

Asunción

HQ country

Paraguay

HQ region

Latin America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Platform Services: WeXchange is an initiative of IDB Lab (the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group) founded in 2013. As a non-profit development initiative, specific revenue generation details are not disclosed. The platform appears to provide services free of charge to participants including women entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors, funded through IDB Group's mission-driven activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WeXchange is an annual forum and matchmaking platform that connects women STEM entrepreneurs from Latin America and the Caribbean with mentors, investors, and ecosystem players. It is delivered primarily through the GET Forum (Global Entrepreneurship and Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean), an IDB Group Innovation for Impact Platform where participating entrepreneurs present their businesses to investors and key ecosystem players.

Product overview

WeXchange is a single unified platform that connects women STEM entrepreneurs from Latin America and the Caribbean with mentors, investors, and ecosystem players. The platform operates primarily through an annual forum event (GET Forum) and ongoing networking capabilities to support women-led innovative businesses with high growth potential.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GET Forum: Global Entrepreneurship and Technology Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean, an IDB Group Innovation for Impact Platform where women entrepreneurs present their businesses to investors and key ecosystem players.

Products and services

• WeXchange Platform Annual forum and matchmaking platform that connects women STEM entrepreneurs from Latin America and the Caribbean with mentors, investors, and ecosystem players, featuring the GET Forum (Global Entrepreneurship and Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean) under the IDB Group Innovation for Impact Platform.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NXTPLabscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013NXTPLabs partnered with IDB Lab and Ellas2 to launch the first edition of WeXchange in Miami in 2013. NXTPLabs contributed to the development and execution of the inaugural forum, helping bring together women entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors.
• Ellas2coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Ellas2 partnered with IDB Lab and NXTPLabs to launch the first edition of WeXchange in Miami in 2013. Ellas2 contributed to bringing WeXchange to life as part of the collaborative effort to connect women entrepreneurs in the region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NESsT: Non-profit organization that supports social enterprises in Latin America and emerging Europe with mentorship, financing, and capacity building. NESsT is directly comparable as a development-focused, multi-country program providing structured support to mission-driven entrepreneurs in LAC.
• Acumen Latam: Acumen's Latin America operation invests in early-stage social enterprises and supports founders with mentorship and patient capital. Like WeXchange, Acumen Latam combines patient capital with mentorship-driven support for high-impact LAC entrepreneurs.
• Village Capital: Peer-driven mentorship and investment-readiness program for early-stage entrepreneurs, including women- and impact-focused cohorts. Village Capital's cohort-based matchmaking between founders, mentors, and investors mirrors WeXchange's annual forum model.
• Agora Partnerships: LAC-focused accelerator and mentorship program supporting social enterprises and impact entrepreneurs. Agora Partnerships is comparable as a regional, cohort-driven program that combines mentorship, investor access, and capacity building for mission-driven founders.
• Springboard Enterprises: Global accelerator network dedicated to women entrepreneurs, providing mentorship, investor connections, and growth programming. Springboard is directly comparable to WeXchange's mission of accelerating women-led ventures through curated mentor and investor networks.
• Echoing Green: Global fellowship and leadership development program for social entrepreneurs, providing seed funding and mentorship. Echoing Green is comparable as a development-bank-adjacent program that combines fellowship-style recognition with mentorship-driven founder support.

Broad incumbents

• Endeavor: Global high-impact entrepreneurship support organization with deep LAC operations and a strong mentorship-driven model. Endeavor is broader in scope than WeXchange but uses the same formula of connecting high-growth founders with curated mentors and investors.
• We-Fi (Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative): World Bank-affiliated initiative that mobilizes capital and support for women entrepreneurs in developing countries. We-Fi shares WeXchange's women-entrepreneur-in-emerging-markets focus but operates at a much larger, multi-region institutional scale.

Emerging players

• WEConnect International: Global nonprofit that connects women-owned businesses to qualified buyers and capital opportunities. WEConnect overlaps with WeXchange's women-entrepreneur focus but emphasizes corporate and institutional procurement rather than venture investor matchmaking.
• Fledge: Mission-driven accelerator focused on social enterprises in emerging markets, including LAC. Fledge's cohort-based model with mentorship and investor introductions aligns with WeXchange's forum-driven approach to supporting mission-aligned founders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WeXchange
• Facebookfacebook.com/WexchangeCommunity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments13 records

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

Frequently asked questions about WeXchange