CEMEX Ventures launches 2019 construction startup competition

CEMEX Ventures, the open innovation and corporate venture capital unit of CEMEX, has launched the competition under the slogan “Apply. Grow. Make Your Mark.” The company is presenting its third call, which is open from 19 February until 21 April 2019. It challenges entrepreneurs and startups to set their mark in the construction ecosystem, to grow, and to position their solutions in the industry.

Winners will be evaluated for their relationship with six areas of opportunity that have been set by CEMEX Ventures. Among others, these include the following: intelligent buildings and cities, the optimisation of supply chain management, construction with innovative materials and construction methods, and the optimisation of the productivity, efficiency, and quality of the daily management of work onsite.

Once all of the proposals have been evaluated, the winning startups will be invited to Monterrey, Mexico, where they will present their projects to an audience made up of world leaders in innovation, investment, and construction on 18 July 2019. In addition to this introduction to new investors and companies focused on innovation, CEMEX Ventures has stated that it will work with the startups that best fit its needs. More than four startups were selected from the two previous competitions.

Finalists of the first competition in 2017, Ipsum and Prysmex are part of the investment portfolio and continue what the company has called an eminent process of expansion to new geographies. Opening markets in new countries, piloting their technology, and exploring investment possibilities, some finalists from the 2018 competition continue to work closely with the company.

CEMEX Ventures was launched in 2017 to leverage the company’s knowledge of the business with new, leading-edge technologies and platforms. The focus is on solving the main challenges in the construction ecosystem through sustainable solutions. CEMEX Ventures has created an open, collaborative platform to lead the construction industry’s revolution, engaging startups, entrepreneurs, universities, and other stakeholders to tackle current challenges in the industry and shape tomorrow’s value ecosystem.

“We have a large offering for startups that enter our portfolio, through which we commit to build together a tailor-made path to achieve the best results,” said Gonzalo Galindo, CEO of CEMEX Ventures. “Beyond pure investment, we offer smart money to understand the needs of the entrepreneur and take advantage of our resources to enable them to lead the construction revolution.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/27022019/cemex-ventures-launches-2019-construction-startup-competition/