Instituto de Emprendimiento

What Instituto de Emprendimiento does

The Instituto de Emprendimiento Eugenio Garza Lagüera (IEEGL) is the entrepreneurship institute within Tecnológico de Monterrey, one of Latin America's largest private university systems. It operates four core program tracks — Exploración e Incubación (idea exploration and incubation), Emprendimiento Social (social entrepreneurship), Emprendimiento Tecnológico (technology-based ventures), and Desarrollo de PyMEs (SME development) — delivered across 15+ Tec de Monterrey campuses in Mexico. The institute also runs the Beca al Talento Emprendedor (BTEM), a scholarship program offering 50% or 70% tuition coverage to entrepreneurial students, which integrates AI tools into its selection process and awarded 55 scholarships in 2025. The research arm, OE TEC (Observatorio de Emprendimiento), produces scientific knowledge through the GUESSS student survey, GED ecosystem studies affiliated with MIT D-Lab, and the annual EIIE international research conference.

Beyond its academic programs, the institute operates acceleration and corporate innovation platforms including the 18-month enlace strategic accompaniment program, the incMTY innovation hub, the CATAL1.5T LATAM climate-tech accelerator, and named corporate challenges — HEINEKEN Green Challenge (decarbonization, running for 7 years), Daikin Airtech Challenge (HVAC), and PotencIA MX (AI, launched October 2025 with Meta). Corporate partners deploy venture-client models where startups pilot inside the corporation (e.g., Bioram at a HEINEKEN Mexico plant). The business model is institutionally funded: core programs are delivered within Tec de Monterrey tuition, BTEM scholarships are funded from the institutional budget, and corporate challenge programs are co-funded by partners. No commercial revenue is disclosed; the institute operates as an academic cost center rather than a revenue-generating entity. Notable programmatic output in 2025 includes 24 startups recognized in Las 100 PRO, 16 in E100 ASEM, 14 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Mexico finalists, and a Hult Prize global finalist (Celanova).

Name

Instituto de Emprendimiento

Legal name

Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey

Website

https://emprendimiento.tec.mx

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Instituto de Emprendimiento Eugenio Garza Lagüera is the entrepreneurship arm of Tecnológico de Monterrey, running exploration, incubation, social, technology, and SME programs across 15+ Mexican campuses, plus research via OE TEC, the EIIE conference, and corporate venture-client challenges with HEINEKEN, Daikin, and Meta.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Education & Startup Acceleration

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Entrepreneurship & Impact Business (EDAMAHAK), Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship education
• Startup acceleration programs
• Corporate innovation challenges
• Social entrepreneurship
• Small business development

Headquarters

HQ city

Monterrey

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding (Tecnológico de Monterrey): As an institute within Tec de Monterrey, primary funding is institutional. Core programs (exploration, incubation, social entrepreneurship, tech entrepreneurship, PyME development) are delivered at no direct cost to students.
2. Corporate Innovation & Challenge Programs: Programs like HEINEKEN Green Challenge, Daikin Airtech Challenge, and PotencIA MX (Meta partnership) involve corporate sponsors who co-fund or fully fund startup acceleration activities. incMTY co-leads with IEEGL.
3. Beca al Talento Emprendedor (Scholarship Grants): Awards 50% or 70% tuition scholarships to entrepreneurial students. 55 scholarships granted in 2025 (35 at 70%/50% tier + 20 for standout profiles). Funded through Tec institutional budget.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Instituto de Emprendimiento Eugenio Garza Lagüera is an academic institute within Tecnológico de Monterrey that operates a comprehensive entrepreneurship ecosystem. It delivers four core program tracks (Exploración e Incubación, Emprendimiento Social, Emprendimiento Tecnológico, and Desarrollo de PyMEs), the Beca al Talento Emprendedor scholarship, advisory and mentorship services, an entrepreneurship research observatory (OE TEC), an annual international research conference (EIIE), and corporate innovation challenges in partnership with firms such as HEINEKEN, Daikin, and Meta. It positions itself as the largest entrepreneurship ecosystem in Latin America.

Product overview

The Instituto de Emprendimiento Eugenio Garza Lagüera (IEEGL) at Tecnológico de Monterrey operates as a comprehensive entrepreneurship ecosystem offering multiple interconnected programs and services. The portfolio includes four core program tracks: Exploración e Incubación for idea development, Emprendimiento Social for social impact ventures, Emprendimiento Tecnológico for tech-based startups, and Desarrollo de PyMEs for SME development. Supporting these are the Beca al Talento Emprendedor scholarship program (50-70% tuition), the Kit para Emprendedor resource toolkit, and Asesorías, Mentorías y Espacios advisory services. The research arm includes the Observatorio de Emprendimiento producing studies, whitepapers, and foresight content, plus the annual Encuentro Internacional de Investigación en Emprendimiento (EIIE) conference. External-facing acceleration programs include enlace (18-month strategic accompaniment), incMTY innovation hub, CATAL1.5T Latinoamérica for climate tech, HEINEKEN Green Challenge, Airtech Challenge with Daikin, and PotencIA MX as Mexico's first AI accelerator. All programs aim to position Tec de Monterrey as the largest entrepreneurship ecosystem in Latin America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OE TEC (Observatorio de Emprendimiento TEC): Research observatory that produces scientific knowledge about entrepreneurship, conducts studies, and publishes whitepapers, foresights, reviews, and insights on entrepreneurship ecosystems.
• EIIE (Encuentro Internacional de Investigación en Emprendimiento)
• Beca al Talento Emprendedor (BTEM)
• Programa enlace

Products and services

• Exploración e Incubación Core program focused on helping entrepreneurs explore business ideas and grow them through structured incubation support, offered at Tec de Monterrey campuses.
• Emprendimiento Social Program supporting social entrepreneurship projects aimed at creating positive community and environmental impact, offered to students and community members.
• Emprendimiento Tecnológico Program supporting the development of technology-driven ventures in fields such as AI, biotech, clean tech, and HVAC, providing access to capital, corporate partners, and scaling infrastructure.
• Desarrollo de PyMEs Program supporting established small and medium enterprises (PyMEs) with strategic guidance, growth resources, and community building.
• Beca al Talento Emprendedor (BTEM) Scholarship program offering 50% or 70% tuition coverage for Tec de Monterrey students with high entrepreneurial potential, using AI-enhanced selection that achieved a 40% reduction in evaluation time and 85% match rate versus human evaluators.
• Kit para Emprendedor Entrepreneur toolkit providing resources, templates, and tools for innovation and entrepreneurship, available to entrepreneurs across Tec de Monterrey's campus network.
• Asesorías, Mentorías y Espacios Advisory, mentorship, and physical/digital space services for entrepreneurs to develop their ventures, delivered across Tec de Monterrey's campus network.
• Observatorio de Emprendimiento (OE TEC) Research observatory producing scientific knowledge about entrepreneurship, including whitepapers, foresights, reviews, studies, insights, and tools, serving as the research pillar of the institute.
• Programa enlace Strategic accompaniment program providing 18 months of tailored support to entrepreneurs, with regional kick-offs across Mexico, designed to scale ventures through structured mentorship and corporate exposure.
• incMTY Innovation Hub Innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship hub operating as the most influential in Latin America, partnering with major corporations (HEINEKEN, Daikin, Meta) on innovation challenges and acceleration cohorts.
• CATAL1.5T Latinoamérica Climate tech acceleration and pre-acceleration program across Latin America supporting startups in decarbonization and climate solutions, including Water Tech cohorts (ALIAR) supported by BID Lab and FEMSA Foundation.
• HEINEKEN Green Challenge Corporate innovation challenge focused on decarbonization and environmental impact, selecting startups for venture client pilots at HEINEKEN Mexico plants.
• Airtech Challenge Corporate innovation challenge led by Daikin to identify and support HVAC startups across Latin America, with opportunities to present at Expo AHR and collaborate with Daikin's innovation centers.
• PotencIA MX First AI accelerator in Mexico, launched in October 2025 by incMTY in partnership with Meta to support organizations in artificial intelligence adoption and AI-enabled ventures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55 students received BTEm scholarships in 2025, with 53% women; AI reduced evaluation time by 40% with 85% human-evaluator match
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HEINEKEN MéxicocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025HEINEKEN México runs the HEINEKEN Green Challenge focused on decarbonization. The first startup (Bioram) was selected under a Venture Client model and will pilot at a HEINEKEN Mexico plant. The challenge has been running for 7 years.
• MetacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025In partnership with incMTY, Meta launched PotencIA MX in October 2025 — the first AI accelerator in Mexico. Also referred to as PotencIA Mx in October and PotencIA MX in November 2025.
• ONU Mujeres (UN Women)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Signed a convention in September 2025 to promote female entrepreneurship through the Care Accelerator, supporting women entrepreneurs in the care economy. Also collaborated on the Aceleración de Emprendimiento de Cuidados program launched in February 2026.
• Daikin / Daikin Latinoamérica / Daikin Open Innovation Lab MonterreycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Daikin, a global HVAC solutions company, co-leads the Airtech Challenge with incMTY. The 2024 winner (EC.DATA) visited Daikin's Technology and Innovation Center in Japan. Airtech Challenge 2025 seeks HVAC startups across Latin America.
• incMTYcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024incMTY is the most influential innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship hub in Latin America. Partners with IEEGL on corporate innovation programs including HEINEKEN Green Challenge, Airtech Challenge (Daikin), and PotencIA MX (Meta).
• EY (Ernst & Young)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEY Entrepreneur of the Year program featured 14 finalists from the link program in 2025, providing national visibility and recognition for link entrepreneurs.
• MIT D-LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGED (Global Ecosystem Dynamics) initiative is affiliated with MIT D-Lab. GED studies how economic ecosystems function globally, focusing on collaboration within innovation-oriented entrepreneurial ecosystems using the TE-SER model and Complex Network Analysis.
• GUESSS (Global University Entrepreneurship Spirit Student Survey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research project on entrepreneurship studying intentions and activities of university students globally. IEEGL produces GUESSS Mexico reports (2021, 2023 editions available), covering entrepreneurial intention, nascent entrepreneurship, new venture growth, and family business succession.
• EGADE Business School (Tecnológico de Monterrey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized the VIII EIIE (Encuentro Internacional de Investigación en Emprendimiento) in 2025 alongside IEEGL. EGADE contributed panelists and academic research to the international conference.
• AshokaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTec strengthened its presence in the Ashoka network of changemakers, connecting Tec entrepreneurs to the global social entrepreneurship ecosystem.
• ASEM (Asociación de Emprendedores de México)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerASEM runs the E100 ASEM recognition. In 2025, 16 link entrepreneurs were included in the E100 generation, the list of Mexican entrepreneurial leaders with greatest projection.
• BID Lab (Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBID Lab provided support for the ALIAR program bootcamp for Water Tech startups, alongside FEMSA Foundation and other strategic allies.
• Fundación FEMSAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic ally supporting the ALIAR program for Water Tech startups, together with BID Lab and Centro del Agua para México y Latinoamérica.
• Centro para el Futuro de las CiudadesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the ALIAR bootcamp with the Centro del Agua para México y Latinoamérica and IEEGL for Water Tech startups.
• Centro del Agua para México y LatinoaméricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with IEEGL and Centro para el Futuro de las Ciudades to deliver the ALIAR bootcamp for Water Tech startups in Mexico and Latin America.
• Secretaría de Innovación, Ciencia y Tecnología del Estado de JaliscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-time collaboration in 2025: the VIII EIIE was held within the Innovation Fest of the Jalisco state government, marking the EIIE's first edition in Guadalajara.
• Universidad de los AndesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed a panelist (Hamilton López, Director of Entrepreneurship Center) to the VIII EIIE 2025 international research conference.
• Universidad de GuadalajaraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed a panelist (Gabriela Villanueva, Head of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centers Unit) to the VIII EIIE 2025. Guadalajara hosted the 2025 EIIE.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global network of leading social entrepreneurs (changemakers) in which Tec de Monterrey / IEEGL has strengthened its presence. Comparable in social entrepreneurship focus and changemaker network convening, though Ashoka is a global NGO rather than a university institute.
• Endeavor: Global high-impact entrepreneur support organization with strong Latin American presence. Comparable as an ecosystem player that selects, supports, and scales founders; differs in being a non-profit rather than university-anchored, but overlaps in founder pipeline and corporate challenge programming.
• Babson College - Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship: Babson is consistently ranked #1 globally for entrepreneurship education. Comparable as a university-anchored entrepreneurship program with deep curricular integration, research, and accelerator activities, though at a much larger standalone scale.
• INSEAD Entrepreneurship: Global business school offering entrepreneurship executive education and research centers (e.g., INSEAD Entrepreneurship). Comparable in combining entrepreneurship research, executive programs, and global corporate-startup engagement, especially relevant given IEEGL's EGADE Business School co-branding.

Regional players

• Universidad de los Andes - Centro de Emprendimiento: Leading Colombian university entrepreneurship center that co-participated in IEEGL's VIII EIIE 2025 as a panelist. Comparable as a Latin American university entrepreneurship hub offering incubation, acceleration, and corporate innovation programs.

Direct peers

• Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP): Stanford's flagship entrepreneurship education and research program, offering courses, research, accelerator programs, and ecosystem partnerships. Directly comparable to IEEGL as a university-anchored entrepreneurship institute combining education, research, and founder support, though at a different (US/global) scale.
• EGADE Business School (Tecnológico de Monterrey): Tecnológico de Monterrey's graduate business school, which co-organized the VIII EIIE 2025 with IEEGL. Internally comparable as a Tec de Monterrey unit offering executive education and research on entrepreneurship, with overlapping faculty and corporate networks.
• incMTY: Innovation, investment and entrepreneurship hub in Latin America co-led by IEEGL. Directly comparable as a startup ecosystem convening organization running corporate innovation challenges (HEINEKEN, Daikin, Meta) alongside IEEGL programs.
• MIT Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship: MIT's central entrepreneurship center offering education, mentorship, accelerators, and the MIT D-Lab affiliation that IEEGL explicitly partners with via the GED methodology. Closely comparable in its blend of academic programs, research output, and startup ecosystem convening.

Emerging players

• Hult Prize Foundation: Global social entrepreneurship competition and accelerator in which IEEGL startups (Celanova, Celunova) have won national Mexico and reached the global final. Comparable as a student/early-stage founder competition ecosystem; differs as a foundation rather than an academic institute.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Instituto de Emprendimiento