Previous publications
Autolab
Autolab - a New Choice of Auto Repair for LatAm Middle Class
Latin America consistently ranks among the top developing country markets of motor vehicles, with 350 motor vehicles per 1,000 people in Bra…People & Culture
The road to building a winning Startup Culture
The startup culture is one of the most overrated concepts of our times. It has its own halo of divinity filled with high expectations, sever…Polymath Umbrella
Lessons learned from our CEO, Wenyi Cai
Polymath Ventures was founded on an audacious hypothesis: that building tech companies intentionally designed for the emerging middle-class …Venture
The rise of Social Commerce in Latin America
Social Commerce trend has grown dramatically in the past years, recent research has forecasted that e-sales will exceed $735 billion by 2023…People & Culture
Developers at Startups: How to build a great career?
Working at a Startup is an exciting opportunity for developers eager to build from scratch, pitch new/crazy ideas, and be part of a scrappy …Polymath Umbrella
The Venture Studio model in Latin America
Polymath and our VenturesPeople & Culture
From Corporate to Startup: Myths and Truths
Moving from corporate to startup may seem daunting. For years you have been used to the traditional corporate ways and immersing in a new, s…Fundraising
Fundraising in Latin America: Our Journey
Building a Venture Studio with the right capabilities to systematically build new startups requires, among other things, access to capital. …Colombia
Intro to Colombia’s VC Landscape
Colombia has one of the most dynamic and competitive economies in Latin America; Colombia's VC landscape continues to flourish and the rapid…People & Culture
Service Designers 101
Service Designers have become one of the hottest profiles in the Company Building Ecosystem in the past few years. The reaffirmation of huma…China
China and Latin America: Time to Collaborate
We are a multicultural organization. Born in Colombia with Chinese-American and Spanish founders and a clear purpose towards the Latin Ameri…China
Why Live Commerce? - A New Growth Point of Online Shopping
Live commerce is a combination of live streaming and online shopping. During the past five years, it has been incredibly relevant for China'…China
Short-Video Apps taking over Latin America
Short-video apps have raised the attention of social commerce and e-commerce players around the world, due to its relevance as a marketing c…Industry Insights
How COVID-19 impacted SME finance?
Last month, we at Polymath Ventures had the opportunity to virtually attend the 3-day Global SME Finance Forum. Sponsored by the IFC, this y…People & Culture
How to succeed as an early-stage founder
As enablers of entrepreneurship in Latin America, we are committed to developing and supporting initiatives designed to elevate our ecosyste…People & Culture
Polymath Fellowship program: The experience and opportunities
In our current process to recruit the best talents for our Service Design Fellowship, we often get questions about the overall experience, t…Colombia
Alianza IN: "Innovation is the most powerful tool to transform societies"
Conversation with David Luna about Alianza IN and its role to face Colombia's innovation challenges. In May of this year, eleven technolog…People & Culture
Why you should work in Latin America
Are you thinking about working in Latin America? Four years ago I was at the same place and my decision to work in Latin America was driven …Industry Insights
Key takeaways from the first Venture Summit of Emerging Markets
On July 7-8, Polymath Ventures co-hosted the first online Venture Summit of Emerging Markets with The Passage. It was the first global event…People & Culture
Polymath fellowship program: all you need to know
Insider perspective of our fellowship programManagement
How to master work from home
When working remotely companies and employees must consider implementing policies and guidelines to ensure productivity and performance are …Industry Insights
How to Build Startups in Developing Countries
In order to build successful startups in developing countries, entrepreneurs need to fully understand the complexity of the market. These ma…Industry Insights
GSSN STUDIO SUMMIT 2020: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Startup Studio concept was founded in 1996 with the creation of Idealab, which is currently the longest-running studio in the world, and…Industry Insights
An intro to Brazil's dazzling venture capital landscape and unlimited potential
After meeting with some of the most important players in Brazil’s tech ecosystem, from active venture capital investors to successful tec…Industry Insights
Industry Insights: The rise of Venture Builders
The rise and consolidation of Venture Studios or Venture Builders in the world have opened a collaborative conversation between main playe…Industry Insights
Julie Ruvolo, Director of Venture Capital at LAVCA, shares her vision about the investment scene in Latin America
Julie Ruvolo is the Director of Venture Capital at LAVCA, where she manages venture investor relationships in Latin America and globally. S…Methodology
Inside Polymath Ventures: how to turn talent acquisition into a science
We care about our talent today and tomorrow At Polymath Ventures, what really makes us different is that we attract and retain highly c…Venture
Elenas breaks socioeconomic barriers with its innovative social commerce business
The opportunity to transform the direct sales category by combining existing trust-based relationships with the power of digital sharing and…Industry Insights
Patrick Morselli, former Uber LATAM expansion head, shares tips on how to grow your tech business in Latin America
Patrick Morselli is a renowned entrepreneur with extensive experience in Europe, the US and Latin America. He led Uber’s successful intern…China
An Inside Look into Polymath Ventures’ First Latin American Tech Expedition to China
DAY 1 “Consumers are at the center of our Universe” Our first visit took us to Xiaomi Technology’s avant-garde new…China
Polymath Ventures hosted the first China-Latin America Tech & Innovation Summit in Beijing
On September 7th of 2019, Polymath Ventures hosted the first technology summit specifically focused on discussing Latin America’s techno…Industry Insights
Latin America's FinTech Boom: industry analysis
In our latest Industry Insights report, we analyze why FinTech solutions are becoming such a driving force across Latin America. Renowned gl…News
Polymath Ventures is now an official advisor of the Global Startup Studio Network
We are excited to announce that Polymath Ventures has been appointed by the Global Startup Studio Network (GSSN) as its board…Industry Insights
How local Latin American startups are enabling ride-hailing in the region
In Polymath’s recent Industry Insights article about mobility, we discussed the effects of increasing urbanization rates and population de…China
How Chinese Investors can become a growth engine in Latin America
Chinese investors have a unique investment approach Chinese management philosophy revolves around the idea that in any process, all compo…China
CreditEase: how the largest fintech conglomerate in the world was built with an ecosystem strategy
CreditEase was founded in Beijing in 2006 by Ning Tang. The company started as the first P2P lending platform in China, seeking to bridge th…Industry Insights
The changing landscape of mobility in Latin America
A report developed by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) in 2018 shows the direct relationship between GDP per capita and the perce…Industry Insights
LESSONS FROM AFLORE, A FINTECH COMPANY BRINGING FORMAL FINANCIAL SERVICES TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN LATIN AMERICA
In Latin America, almost 40% of the population is considered vulnerable, meaning they are at risk of falling back into poverty, especially d…Industry Insights
A thriving Fintech ecosystem is driving financial inclusion in Latin America
Overview Financial inclusion is one of the most pressing and challenging issues to tackle worldwide. Access to financial services reduce…China
Why Latin America is becoming the world’s next technology mega-hub
SoftBank recently announced their new US$5 billion Latin America-focused venture capital fund, the SoftBank Innovation Fund. The fund has a …China
China-Latin America: the next most consequential alliance
Latin America’s biggest tech opportunity Life reboots at 7 am in the streets of Bogota and traffic builds up as work commuters frenetical…News
Polymath Ventures plans US$50M ‘Horizon Fund’, announces independent advisory board
An innovative investment fund combining follow-ons and external investmentsPeople & Culture
The reason I moved to Colombia to join Polymath Ventures
I see entrepreneurship, and particularly the Polymath company builder model, as a beacon of light, a truly meritocratic and honest economic …News
Mesoamerica and Polymath Ventures Form Strategic Partnership
THE FIRST PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN A PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTOR AND A COMPANY BUILDER The partnership Mesoamerica, a pioneering private equity inv…Management
Prototyping beyond the end customer
A prototyping journey that built a new competitive advantage Adopting prototyping is more than only rapidly testing customer-facing feature…Management
So you have product-market fit, now what?
Tools for managing growth beyond the founding team As startups grow they struggle to remain agile while learning to become efficient across…News
Interview: Launching and growing startup ventures in Colombia.
Wenyi Cai managing partner at Polymath and Jeremy Dann Professor of Innovation of USC were interviewed at Bay Area Ventures. A weekly show a…Methodology
Seed, (our company design process) explained.
Seed is where it starts Seed is a collaborative process of discovery and experimentation designed here at Polymath. We recruit talented tea…Methodology
Gamification for Ops Improvement: Play The Change
Salvador Zepeda is Autolab’s Founder & COO. “Chava”, as we call him, brings a strong operational toolkit and is passionate about …News
Going regional - Polymath in Mexico City
At Polymath we build human centered companies, a process that begins and ends with finding and solving deep needs in people’s expressions,…Management
Insightful books, articles and online resources that really changed my thinking
Thomas Harsch, has joined Polymath Ventures as a Business Designer after working as an Entrepreneur in Residence for several Berlin -and Bar…People & Culture
Tortoises, Hares, Chickens and Pigs: How you should live and work in your 20s (Part II)
In part I of this post, I talked about the importance of being a pig in your 20s. It's the only way to open yourself to the possibilities of…People & Culture
Tortoises, Hares, Chickens and Pigs: How you should live and work in your 20s (Part I)
At 21, I said yes to the McKinsey Dubai office without ever having been to Dubai, or any part of the Middle East for that matter. …News
Harvard Business Review Case Study
Polymath's model is the subject of a Harvard Business Review Case Study which will be taught in an HBS course during 2017. Jeremy Danns a…News
Prensa: Entrevista exclusiva a nuestra founder, Wenyi Cai, en La República
En entrevista exclusiva para el diario La República, nuestra CEO, Wenyi Cai, explicó los orígenes de Polymath, nuestra ubicación estrat…Methodology
Venture building: the evolution of the startup model
Venture builders are organizations that build companies in-house from pre-concept to full-scale operations. Many company builders not only c…Uncategorized
Why building business in Latin America means building trust
If you want to understand the dynamics behind building successful businesses in Latin America, you need to acknowledge the importance of cre…Uncategorized
Portafolio - Polymath Ventures, los especialistas en construir empresas
Prensa: Portafolio - Polymath Ventures, los especialistas en construir empresas Estamos muy contentos de anunciar que el diario Portafoli…Uncategorized
Prensa: La República y Portafolio revelan los planes de expansión regional de Autolab
Prensa: La República y Portafolio revelan los planes de expansión regional de Autolab Estamos muy contentos de anunciar que Autolab, un…Uncategorized
¿Qué es un insight y cómo nos ayuda a construir negocios enfocados en las personas?
En Polymath el uso de la metodología de design thinking, nos ha permitido descubrir y entender verdaderas necesidades de la clase media a p…Uncategorized
What is an insight, and how does it help us build human-centered businesses?
At Polymath the use of the design thinking methodology has allowed us to discover and understand deep needs of the middle class via analysis…Uncategorized
Aflore selected a BBVA Open Talent Finalist for second year in a row
We are very proud to announce that Aflore has been nominated for the BBVA Open Talent Award 2016 for the second year in a row! Now in its 8t…Uncategorized
Táximo expands internationally
Táximo continues to grow and move closer to its goal of becoming Latin America’s leading taxi administration company. Founded three ye…Uncategorized
Polymath featured in Wharton School’s Business Report
Polymath is featured in the Lauder Institute at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania’s 2016 Business Insight Report, “G…Uncategorized
Prensa: Dinero - El encanto de la clase media
En su edición No. 494 de Mayo de 2016, la Revista Dinero, especializada en temas de negocios, emprendimiento y finanzas, realizó un report…Uncategorized
We are excited to announce that we have become part of LAVCA, the Latin America Private Equity & Venture Capital Association
Polymath Ventures is excited to announce that we have become part of the Latin America Private Equity & Venture Capital Association. LAVCA i…Uncategorized
Aflore selected a FINNOSUMMIT Challenge finalist
We are proud to announce that Aflore has been selected with 10 finalists in the FINNOSUMMIT Challenge from more than 100 Fin-tech startup ap…Uncategorized
Táximo Raises USD $4.6M Investment Fund
Táximo (www.taximo.co) just closed a USD $4.6 million investment round, the majority of which will be used to purchase 80 new taxis in Colo…Venture
Aflore nominated for BBVA Open Talent Award
September will be an exciting month for Aflore, with BBVA Open Talent Award and Colombia Start-up Summit ahead. We are proud to announce …Venture
Announcing the 2015 Seed fellows
We are very excited to share the members of the 2015 Polymath Seed Fellowship. From Ukraine to Capetown, New York City to Bogotá, we can’…Venture
VincuVentas: managing growth and innovation
VincuVentas innovates placement services, to massively bring quality sales people to SMEs in Latin America, which contribute 85%-95% of empl…Uncategorized
Autolab raises US $500K
In most of Latin America, two options exist for auto repair: dealerships which offer satisfactory but overpriced services or informal worksh…Venture
A New Look
Updating the Polymath brand had been on our to-do list for months, but there’s never enough time when you’re busy launching three new ve…Colombia
Building billion-dollar businesses
Check out a great article in Ozy about how Polymath approaches building billion-dollar business in Latin America. Take a moment and read …Colombia
Interview with Wenyi Cai, Founding Partner of Polymath Ventures
Wenyi Cai, founding partner of Polymath Ventures, answers all your burning questions about Polymath in this latest interview. Excerpts below…Aflore
Ana of Aflore Named Finalist in "Women In Business Competition"
Ana is tearing up the startup world! In addition to growing Aflore to 100+ informal advisors and a disbursed loan portfolio of $50,000 as…Aflore
Aflore, a hot/wise investment
Aflore, one of our latest ventures, is included in the first portfolio of Colombian Hottest Startups to Invest In from iNNpulsa Colombia, su…Colombia
Ana Barrera announced as McNulty Fellowship recipient
We recently announced Ana Barrera as new CEO of Aflore, one of our latest ventures. We were excited about what Ana brought to the …Venture
Culture Matters
Culture is the consequence of some persistent economic activity. It is anchored by a traditional industry – its ingredients, craft, demand…Colombia
Polymath Ventures Mentorship Program
For the first time, Polymath Ventures is opening our doors to a selected number of Colombian entrepreneurs to be mentored directly by Polyma…Venture
Introducing... Ana Barrera and Aflore!
We’re crazy excited about all the activity happening with Aflore lately. One of our very first ventures from our 2012 Seed, Aflore has b…Colombia
Bienvenidos Seed 2013 Fellows!
The countdown to the start of the 2013 Seed Project seemed to accelerate as the team members’ arrival neared. We put some final touches on…Venture
Lean Innovation in International Development
This summer I am working with Polymath Ventures on a financial services venture, having previously worked in economic research in emerging m…Colombia
Push & Pull: Design Forces in Colombia
"The form of an object is a 'diagram of forces', in this sense, at least, that from it we can judge of or deduce the forces that are acting…Colombia
THE NEXT WOMEN
The NextWomen, a business magazine of inspiring female entrepreneurs and businesspeople, interviews Wenyi Cai, our Managing Partner, on ho…Colombia
Yorokubo on Polymath
Yorokubo writes a nice little piece on Polymath serving the middle class in Latin American. Find the article here, which pays special atte…Colombia
Táximo is live!
Táximo, our first portfolio companies is live!...and taking people where they need to go, safe and sound. Check out the site: //taximo…Colombia
Pulsosocial Interviews
Pulsosocial, one of the most popular entrepreneurship and innovation blogs in Lat Am, interviews Craig on why now and why colombia? Find …Colombia
How I got here
By Kevin McElroy - - This past May was the annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) at the Jacob Javits Convention Cente…Colombia
An email update...
By Ash Kirvan - - (Blog post adapted from an email home…) Friends, I have a few spare minutes so figured it was a good opportunit…Colombia
Innovation + People
By Santiago Gonzalez - - It’s all about the people When the polymath team was being assembled, I was told several times: “The succ…Colombia
Hola Medellín
By Alejandro Lucero - - The next series of blog posts are going to cover the day-to-day experiences of both seed teams in the Summer 20…BE THE FIRST TO READ WHAT WE'RE SAYING
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