UPB, in alliance with Fundación Solydes, launched the first tech startup incubation program of INCUBATEC powered by Solydes + UPB. The kickoff took place in person at its three campuses —La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz— reinforcing a decentralized commitment to Bolivian entrepreneurial talent.

The program received 96 applications from across the country, from which 22 teams were selected: 10 in La Paz, 5 in Cochabamba and 7 in Santa Cruz. Fifty-five percent of the selected teams belong to the UPB community, among undergraduate and graduate students and alumni. Over the next five months, the teams will develop and validate their business ideas with the goal of becoming startups and reaching their first customers.

The program kickoff included two workshops. The first, led by Jimena Sainz from BuenasPracticas SRL, addressed personal leadership and the entrepreneurial mindset from a systemic approach, working on intra-strategy tools, relational leadership, and assertive communication under a central premise: the business grows as far as the founder grows.

The second, led by Sergio Barbery, Director of Product Strategy and UX at Giro54 Latam, focused on structuring early-stage ideas. Under the title "From Idea to Hypothesis", he guided participants in defining the problem, the user segment, the value proposition, and hypothesis validation.

INCUBATEC complements its program with the Spark Networking Sessions —open monthly networking events— and the Fintech Challenge, in which partner companies pose real challenges so that entrepreneurs can develop innovative solutions. The next one will take place on April 25 in La Paz and Santa Cruz, in alliance with BCP, the Fintech Bolivia Chamber and IdePro IFD. This launch reaffirms UPB's commitment to developing an impact-driven innovation ecosystem in the Bolivian economy.