Innovum

What Innovum does

Innovum (operating as Fundación Chile, brand "FCh") is a Chilean public-private non-profit corporation founded in 1976 and jointly owned by the State of Chile (through Corfo) and BHP (through Minera Escondida Ltda), with a 12-member Board split equally between government and private appointments. The organization operates as an innovation and sustainable-development platform structured around three pillars: climate action, sustainable economic development, and inclusive human development. Its product portfolio is a multi-program stack rather than a unified software offering: startuplab.01 (deep-tech hub), ChileGlobal Ventures (a venture platform that has supported 4,000+ startups and raised US$30M+ in VC funds for portfolio companies), Hub Metropolitano (SME digital-transformation support in partnership with Claro Empresas), Expande (an open-innovation program that has generated US$40M+ in technology contracts in the mining sector), and adjacent sub-products including Circular HR, Tekna, Sumar Saberes, Entorno+Circular, ConvergEN+, a Basin Organization for water management, and a Tailings Dam Monitoring Platform. The underlying technology is non-proprietary — FCh functions as a knowledge and program-implementation consultancy with selectively developed internal frameworks (e.g., the Circular HR competency system covering 15 Chilean business sectors).

Revenue mechanics are non-commercial: recurring base support from Corfo (public) and BHP (private), supplemented by project-based funding from companies, civil society, and international organizations, plus ancillary venue-rental income from the Vitacura, Santiago headquarters (auditorium for 150, meeting rooms, terraces). The organization serves a diverse end-customer base including the mining industry (BHP and large/medium-scale miners), education sector (schools and technical-vocational institutions), SMEs and startups, and the energy sector (renewables, hydrogen, efficiency), with 160 partner institutions across government, industry, and academia. Operations are concentrated in Chile, with limited but growing international linkage via the Chile-Finland Platform (VTT and Tampere City). The organization employs 180 collaborators.

Name

Innovum

Legal name

Fundación Chile

Website

https://fch.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Innovum (Fundación Chile) is a 50-year-old Chilean public-private non-profit jointly owned by the State of Chile and BHP, operating programs in deep-tech acceleration, mining open innovation, SME support, education, and climate action across Chile.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Capital Management Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & IT Advisory (BPAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Enterprise Architecture & IT Operating Model (BPAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Human capital management
• Workforce competency systems
• Talent development solutions
• People management technology
• Employability platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public funding (Corfo): Base public support through Corfo (Corporación de Fomento de la Producción), Chile's economic development agency.
2. Private funding (BHP): Private support from mining company BHP through Minera Escondida Ltda.
3. Project-based funding: Funding through projects and initiatives with companies, civil society organizations, public agencies, and international organizations.
4. Space rental: Revenue from renting out auditorium, meeting rooms, and outdoor spaces to external organizations for events and workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Innovum provides technology solutions for the management and development of people and their employability, with its flagship Circular HR competency system spanning 15 key Chilean business sectors and implemented with more than 400 leading companies. The portfolio extends to startup acceleration (Deep Build, Deep Scale), a venture capital platform (ChileGlobal Ventures), SME digital transformation support (Hub Metropolitano), open innovation for mining (Expande), and workforce education programs (Tekna, Sumar Saberes, Digital Talent for Chile). Innovum also delivers sustainability initiatives including Entorno+Circular, ConvergEN+, water basin management, and a tailings dam monitoring platform.

Product overview

Innovum (Fundación Chile) is a public-private non-profit organization that operates as a multi-program portfolio rather than a unified software product. The organization offers a suite of innovation, entrepreneurship, and development programs including startuplab.01 (scientific-technological hub), ChileGlobal Ventures (venture capital platform), Hub Metropolitano (SME support), and Expande (open innovation for mining). Additionally, the organization provides venue rental services (auditorium, meeting rooms, gardens) through its facilities in Vitacura, Santiago. The programs are interconnected components of an innovation ecosystem supporting startups, SMEs, and sustainable development across Chile.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ChileGlobal Ventures: Entrepreneurship and venture capital area of Fundación Chile supporting startups
• startuplab.01
• Hub Metropolitano
• Expande
• Circular HR
• Tekna
• Sumar Saberes
• Digital Talent for Chile
• Entorno+Circular
• ConvergEN+

Products and services

• Circular HR Human resources management approach and competency system developed by Innovum/Fundación Chile, covering 15 key Chilean business sectors and deployed with more than 400 leading companies. The offering helps organizations standardize competency frameworks for workforce management and employability development.
• startuplab.01 Chile's first scientific-technological hub for deep tech startups, providing acceleration programs (Deep Build and Deep Scale) from scientific validation to global market entry. Aimed at science and technology-based startup founders.
• ChileGlobal Ventures Entrepreneurship and venture capital platform that has supported more than 4,000 startups and raised venture capital funds exceeding US$30 million. Targeted at science and technology-based companies.
• Hub Metropolitano de Emprendimiento Metropolitan entrepreneurship hub supporting SMEs through partnerships with large companies (e.g., Claro Empresas) for digital transformation in the Metropolitan Region of Chile.
• Expande Open innovation program that has generated technology contracts exceeding US$40 million in the mining industry, bringing open innovation to mining sector companies and supporting formation of science and technology-based suppliers.
• Deep Build Acceleration program for deep tech startups focusing on scientific validation and early market entry, part of startuplab.01 at Innovum/Fundación Chile.
• Deep Scale Acceleration program for deep tech startups focused on scaling to global markets, part of startuplab.01 at Innovum/Fundación Chile.
• Entorno+Circular Circular economy initiative developed by Innovum/Fundación Chile for sustainable resource management, contributing to decarbonization and a circular economy transition.
• ConvergEN+ Energy and Positive Nature program developed by Innovum/Fundación Chile that contributes to decarbonization, climate resilience, and energy-nature convergence.
• Sumar Saberes Public-private partnership for improving learning outcomes by scaling effective educational initiatives, launched by the Human Development Manager of Innovum/Fundación Chile.
• Tekna Pilot program from Innovum/Fundación Chile aimed at developing pedagogical skills in technical-vocational education teachers.
• Basin Organization Chile's first basin organization for water resource management, created by the Sustainability Manager of Innovum/Fundación Chile.
• Tailings Dam Monitoring Platform Pioneering platform developed by Innovum/Fundación Chile for monitoring tailings dams, supporting sustainable resource management in the mining sector.
• Auditorio FCh Modern auditorium with capacity for up to 150 people, equipped with LED screen, professional sound, wireless microphones, and programmable lighting for hybrid events. Available for rent to external organizations.
• Sala Embarque Meeting room at Innovum/Fundación Chile's Santiago facilities for strategic encounters, with natural lighting, flexible furniture, and audiovisual support including projector, TV, and videoconferencing. Available for rent.
• Punto Limpio (Clean Point) Waste management and recycling program implemented by Innovum/Fundación Chile in partnership with Recycla Chile, having reduced 1,470 tonnes of CO2e since 2022.

Quantifiable outcome

• US$5 billion+ in economic and social value generated for Chile over 50 years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and major.

• Recycla ChilesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for Punto Limpio (clean point) and waste management. From 2022 to June 2025, reduced 1,470 tonnes of CO₂e through recycling initiatives.
• CorfocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorfo (Corporación de Fomento de la Producción) provides public funding support and co-implements programs like the Chile-Finland Platform for Development and Technology Transfer. Corfo's Executive Vice President serves on FCh's Board of Directors.
• VTT (Finnish Research Centre)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVTT is a technical research center co-implementing the Chile-Finland Platform for Development and Technology Transfer with Corfo and Fundación Chile, focusing on sustainable development and technology transfer.
• VTT (Finnish Research Centre)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVTT is a technical research center co-implementing the Chile-Finland Platform for Development and Technology Transfer with Corfo and Fundación Chile, focusing on sustainable development and technology transfer.
• Tampere City (Finland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration agreement signed between Fundación Chile and Tampere city to deepen joint work in innovation ecosystems, startup and SME growth, human capital formation, and sustainable territorial development. Part of Chile-Finland Platform.
• CabifysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate mobility partnership compensating 100% of corporate emissions. Over 23,000 km neutralized = 3,396 kg CO₂e compensated.
• Startuplab.01coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChile's first scientific-technological hub, operated by FCh. Hosts Deep Build and Deep Scale acceleration programs for deep tech startups from scientific validation to global market. Also hosts regional seminars and events.
• ChileGlobal VenturescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFundación Chile's entrepreneurship and venture capital platform supporting science and technology-based companies, raising over US$30 million in VC funds and supporting 4,000+ startups.
• Hub Metropolitano de EmprendimientocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMetropolitan entrepreneurship hub supporting SMEs through partnerships with large companies. Alliance with Claro Empresas for digital transformation of SMEs in the Metropolitan Region.
• Claro EmpresasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance with Claro Empresas to drive digital transformation of SMEs in the Metropolitan Region through Hub Metropolitano.
• Hub Metropolitano and PolariasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy partnership to identify fragmentation in support for SMEs in the Metropolitan Region (RM).
• Chile-Finland Platform for Development and Technology TransfermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBinational platform supported by Corfo, implemented by FCh and VTT, focusing on three lines: sustainable mining, forestry industry, and intelligent territorial development.
• Government of SantiagosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterregional collaboration to strengthen entrepreneurship, innovation, and productive development through Hub Metropolitano.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nesta: UK innovation foundation that designs and runs programs in social innovation, education, and sustainable economic development. Functionally analogous to FCh as a national-scale mission-driven innovation intermediary operating across multiple sectors with public-private support.
• Ashoka: Global nonprofit supporting leading social entrepreneurs through fellowships and ecosystem-building. Comparable to FCh in mission (social innovation, education, sustainability) and structure (multi-program foundation with public-private funding).
• Socialab: Chilean and Latin American innovation consultancy running open innovation challenges, corporate venture programs, and impact acceleration. Directly comparable to FCh's Expande program in mining open innovation and Hub Metropolitano for SME digital transformation.
• Start-Up Chile: Government-backed startup accelerator operating in Santiago with a similar mission of attracting and supporting early-stage companies in Chile. Competes with startuplab.01 for the same founder pool and uses comparable acceleration models.
• IDB Lab: Multilateral innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank, focused on science and technology-based entrepreneurship in Latin America. Directly comparable to ChileGlobal Ventures and startuplab.01 programs, with similar mission and Latin American geographic footprint.

Emerging players

• Banco de Ideas (Chile): Chilean innovation and entrepreneurship support organization. Comparable as a domestic player working with public agencies and SMEs on innovation programs, though smaller in scale and portfolio breadth than FCh.
• MIT Solve: MIT-based initiative solving global challenges through open innovation, technology, and cross-sector partnerships. Comparable to startuplab.01 and Deep Build/Deep Scale as a deep-tech and social-impact accelerator bridging science to market.

Broad incumbents

• Wayra (Telefónica): Global corporate venture arm of Telefónica operating startup hubs across Latin America including Chile. Comparable as a larger incumbent offering acceleration, corporate venture, and digital transformation services to startups and SMEs.
• CORFO: Chile's national economic development agency and FCh's core public partner via base funding. CORFO operates broader financing and innovation programs across Chile; FCh is effectively its implementation partner for many initiatives, making them close operational peers.

Regional players

• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: FCh's binational partner in the Chile-Finland Platform, VTT operates applied research and technology transfer in sustainability, mining, and forestry. Comparable as a research-to-market intermediary; primarily Finland-based, with FCh as the Chilean counterpart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fundacionchile
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQ-0KsduhYWzYl1rUtgw5nA
• Facebookfacebook.com/fundacionchile
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundacion-chile
• Instagraminstagram.com/fundacionchile
• TikToktiktok.com/@fundacionchile

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Innovum