The Startup Competition was the grand finale of the sixth edition of the Córdoba VC Summit, once again putting dynamic and innovative ventures from the local and regional ecosystem in the spotlight.

The competition, organized by the Córdoba Innovar y Emprender Agency together with ARCAP, took place on July 4 at the Hotel Quinto Centenario and brought together ten startups selected for their level of innovation, scalability, and value proposition.

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With a welcome address, the president of the Agency, Manuel Ron, officially opened the event, thanking the presence of entrepreneurs, judges, and attendees who filled the auditorium. He also highlighted the leading role of entrepreneurs within the innovation ecosystem. “For us, entrepreneurs are the foundation of everything. At the Agency, we have been working for years—even before its formal creation—to build a solid, connected, and forward-looking ecosystem. These events are essential because they allow projects to gain visibility, connect ideas, and inspire new entrepreneurial vocations,” he stated.

He also emphasized the importance of creating spaces where projects can showcase their value proposition in front of key figures in the venture capital community: “This competition is not only a showcase for those who already have a startup up and running, but also a source of inspiration for the young people here today, listening, observing, perhaps dreaming of their own ideas. Hopefully, this sparks new initiatives in them.”

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The competition

During the event, the finalist startups—PILL.AR, Motivia, Enlite, BioSynáptica, Autonomy, Cyanomin, Eiru, Kigüi, Antarka, and Silo Real—presented their projects in a pitch format before a specialized jury, which evaluated the proposals based on traction and key metrics, founding team, value proposition, and market potential.

The jury was composed of top-level figures from the entrepreneurial and investment ecosystem: Leandro Javier Pisaroni Gerbaldo, General Partner at Kalei Ventures; Mona Hautala, Managing Partner at DSM Capital; Silvia Torres Carbonell, President of Emprender IAE and professor at IAE Business School; and Santiago Murtagh, Managing Partner at The Yield Lab.

The competition awarded 10 million pesos in Non-Refundable Contributions (ANR). Pill.Ar was awarded first place and received 6 million pesos, while second place went to Silo Real, which received 4 million pesos.

The Startup Competition was conceived as a platform to provide visibility to high-impact projects and facilitate access to real investment opportunities. At the same time, it served as a direct connection platform between entrepreneurs and key ecosystem players, including accelerators, venture capital funds, incubators, universities, and entrepreneurial support institutions.

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The 10 selected startups

Among the finalist startups, there was a diverse range of innovative, technology-based proposals from different regions of the country and abroad. From Córdoba, PILL.AR presented its solution to automate pharmacies through 3D printing, aiming to personalize treatments and improve well-being. Also from Córdoba, Cyanomin proposed using cyanobacteria to capture carbon dioxide and transform industrial effluents into a valuable mineral, while Kigüi showcased its AI-based system to prevent food waste in supermarkets.

From the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Motivia participated with its digital health platform focused on improving adherence to chronic treatments through behavioral science, and Silo Real presented its platform to digitize agricultural assets, manage them, and sell them remotely. Enlite, also from Buenos Aires, proposed a comprehensive solution to connect families with therapeutic companions, including training, monitoring, and integration with health insurance providers.

Meanwhile, BioSynáptica, from Santa Fe, focused on developing biotherapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, while Eiru, from Bariloche, introduced technology for monitoring and validating biodiversity using acoustic sensors and geospatial algorithms. From Montevideo, Antarka joined the competition with a biotech proposal to repair DNA damaged by UV radiation, using enzymes derived from Antarctic microorganisms. Finally, Autonomy, based in Buenos Aires, proposed a vehicle access model for mobility app drivers based on rent-to-own schemes and strategic partnerships with manufacturers.

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A closing with forward-looking perspective

During the Startup Competition, key opportunities were also created for international connections and the opening of regional prospects. From Uruguay, ANII presented the SprintUY program, a soft-landing initiative designed to attract startups to the country through benefits and an agile, strategic landing process. In parallel, Bizkaia (Basque Country) shared its entrepreneurial development experience and its personalized soft-landing program, with applications open year-round. Within this framework, a collaborative agreement was signed between the Agency and the Bizkaia Provincial Council, represented by Joseba Mariezkurrena, Director General of Entrepreneurship, Talent, and Business Competitiveness, thereby consolidating an alliance that projects new opportunities for Córdoba entrepreneurs in Europe.

This competition concluded an intense week of activities, including side events, panels, conferences, and networking, all within the Córdoba VC Summit. More than 500 people attended the main day of the event, setting a record for the sixth edition.

The Startup Competition not only rewarded the best projects but also reaffirmed Córdoba’s strategic role as a regional innovation hub, where capital, ideas, and talent come together to generate real impact.