Mexico Business News Archives

LGBTQ+ Activists Awarded Grants from Hornitos Tequila to Amplify Advocacy Work

Posted on 24 June 2022

Earlier this year Hornitos Tequila proudly announced its official partnership with GLAAD – the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization – with the goal of identifying, honoring and celebrating LGBTQ community members who are spearheading change on a local and national level. As a brand that was founded on the belief that nothing great ever happens without taking a chance, Hornitos is proud to announce the inaugural selected grant recipients who have challenged the status quo for the better.

About the Grantees

DaShawn Usher and Julian J. Walker of Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI)

DaShawn Usher, Founder and Executive Director of MOBI, is a native New Yorker and an award-winning advocate, published researcher, and celebrated leader within the LGBT community and HIV prevention field. He has cultivated more than 15 years of extensive experience in research, program development and design, health communications, and campaigns. Julian J. Walker is an esteemed silver screen Actor, Author, and the Deputy Director of MOBI, this Jackson, MS native has spent the past seven years partnering with campaigns, leaders, universities, and organizations across the globe in hopes of creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ POC.

MOBI is curated social connectivity events for gay and queer people of color to see their holistic self while promoting community, wellness, and personal development. MOBI’s signature programming includes MOBItalks, a personal and professional development series for Black gay men and MOBIfest, an interactive wellness experience that celebrates Black queer voices in fashion, music, visual arts and media.

The full MOBI team features: Anthony Curry (Director of Operations & Events), Dwyane Williams, Jr (Director of Community Engagement), and LaQuann Dawson (Visual Director).

Maria Louise Roman-Taylorson of TransLatin@ Coalition (TLC)

Maria Louise Roman-Taylorson has been a leader in social services for the transgender community in Los Angeles for more than 20 years. Maria is Vice President & Chief Operations Officer of the TransLatin@ Coalition, the largest Trans-lead organization in Los Angeles. As a 51-year-old Puerto Rican Latina woman who began her journey to self-discovery at age 19, Maria has become an outspoken voice, activist, and a role model to the Transgender community. Hornitos is honored to recognize Maria and TLC on their mission to advocate for the specific needs of the trans community through education, resources and empowerment. In recent years, TLC has hosted the G.A.R.R.A.S. Fashion Show (Groundbreaking Activism Redirecting and Reforming AllSystems) – an event that provides the opportunity for members of the Trans community to showcase themselves as high fashion models and leaders through community mobilization while participating to raise funds for the organization.

The grantees will be honored with an event in their respective cities this year, where each organization will receive a $10,000 grant to further their goals and commitment to the LGBTQ community. These grants are in addition to Hornitos’ initial donation of $135,000 to support GLAAD and its mission of giving the doers, creators and innovators the opportunity to take on issues and create meaningful change in the world.

“It has been our honor to partner with and learn from GLAAD over the course of the year, taking their guidance and connecting with changemaking individuals and organizations,” said Rashidi Hodari, Managing Director of Tequila at Beam Suntory. “Our first selected grantees – DaShawn, Julian and Maria – are a true manifestation of the Hornitos brand mission to provide inspiration and create opportunities that propel people to “take shots” of their own, no matter how big or small. We are proud to amplify their incredible work.”

For those who are interested in donating to the cause or learning more about how to get involved, please visit www.hornitostequila.com/x-glaad/.

About Hornitos® Tequila

Hornitos® Tequila has a history of breaking tradition dating back to 1950 when founder Don Francisco launched the brand in honor of Mexican Independence Day. The Hornitos family of tequilas keeps Don Francisco’s legacy alive, using the same high standards to cultivate the best and most flavorful agaves, molding them into premium tequilas that everyone can enjoy. Hornitos inspires its fans to adopt the same boundary-pushing mindset through its “A Shot Worth Taking” campaign that highlights the extraordinary things that can happen when people are willing to take a chance. Since the inception of “A Shot Worth Taking” in 2017, Hornitos has empowered fans to take their shot and provided funds and opportunities to make their aspirations achievable.

To learn more about Hornitos Tequila and its tradition breaking brand history, visit www.hornitostequila.com or follow along with Hornitos Tequila on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

About GLAAD

GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.

To learn more about GLAAD and its steadfast mission to advocate for the LGBTQ community, visit www.glaad.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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Monarch Butterfly Population in Mexico Rises by 35%

Posted on 25 May 2022

The effects of climate change can be seen every day, from temperature changes to a rise in occurrences of natural disasters. While many experts and governments have their own actions and goals to combat it, the effects continue to present themselves. Other effects can include animal migration patterns altering, with some favoring other climates.

The once endangered species grew its presence in Mexico last year, and a recent study revealed a glimmer of hope as researchers tracked the butterfly’s migration patterns, despite the dwindling population numbers in the last few decades. On 23^rd May 2022, experts said that 35% more monarch butterflies arrived this year to spend the winter in mountaintop forests, compared to the previous season.

Last winter, the pockets of Mexican forest where the intrepid insects end up each year saw 35% more butterflies than in 2020, according to the study led by the local office of the environmental organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

In one of the planet’s most epic wildlife migrations, the slow-moving monarch butterflies travel south as many as 2,800 miles (4,500 km) from spots in Canada and the United States to hunker down for the winter in warmer Mexico, where millions cover entire trees that tourists flock to see.

The government commission for natural protected areas (CONANP) said the butterflies’ population covered 2.84 hectares (7.02 acres) this year, compared to 2.1 hectares (5.19 acres) last year. However, this compares to nearly 45 acres of Mexican forest covered with monarch butterflies in the mid-1990s.

The annual butterfly count doesn’t calculate the individual number of butterflies, but rather the number of acres they cover when they clump together on tree boughs.

The race to help the species recover is also tied to the crucial role it plays in the health of interconnected species. Each year the monarchs return to the United States and Canada on an annual migration that is threatened by the loss of the milkweed they feed on the north of the border, and deforestation in the butterfly reserves in Mexico.

Gloria Tavera, the regional director of Mexico’s Commission for National Protected Areas, said logging in the butterflies’ wintering ground rose by about 4.5% this year, to 13.9 hectares (34 acres). However, trees were lost to fire, drought or plant diseases, and pests. So overall tree loss in the 2021-22 season was about 18.8 hectares (46 acres), down from 20.6 hectares (51 acres) in the 2020-21 season. But dire challenges to the butterflies’ future persist, including climate change, illegal logging plus the growing scarcity of the plant where they lay their eggs.

Specifically, monarch butterflies boost ecosystems as pollinators, with their migratory journey promoting a wide range of flowering plants as well as helping crops humans tend, WWF Mexico head Jorge Rickards said in a statement accompanying the study.

Despite the recent uptick, the monarch butterflies’ “steady decline is worrisome,” the WWF added.

The group recommends more scientific monitoring, sustainable tourism, and forest management, as well as “alternative income-generating ventures” like mushroom production and tree nurseries to help restore the forest and boost local incomes.

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Best Contemporary Phone Directory – Mexico

Posted on 23 March 2022

Directorio Guadalajara Código 33 Agencia de Publicidad y Marketing Digital, a marketing directory that is the first of its kind for its region, has secured its critical place in the Mexican economy by helping local companies secure a digital footprint. In a global economy that is currently going from rebound to recovery, its dedication to these clients and the understanding, empathetic way it serves them has become more critical than ever before, and so Código 33 is currently doing the best it can to get Mexico and its professionals back on their feet.

Since 2009, the company known as Directorio Guadalajara Código 33 Agencia de Publicidad y Marketing Digital has been making a name for itself as one of Guadalajara’s most prolific and successful agencies. Fundamentally, this company has made itself the first digital business directory in the region of Jalisco, and thus has become known as a hotspot of talent management and identification, allowing for a team to grow around it that focuses on curiosity, collaboration, and growth. The importance of this growth mindset in the team proper is how it can extend out to the clients, as Código 33’s clients and staff alike guide what it creates and achieves on an intrinsic level that is incredibly important to foster.

Thus, Código 33 has become a healthy organisation through naturalistic and sustainable development. With a client base that trust it implicitly with their company’s marketing and digital health, and a team that prioritise openness, honesty, and transparency when working with a client, information sharing is its default setting. In this manner, a client can always choose as much or as little input into the process as they would like, with Código 33 bending over backwards to ensure the process is as stress free as possible. Critically, it encourages an atmosphere where people are welcome to speak their mind.

Helping people become comfortable to speak their mind means setting the parameters of the environment in which they do so; for Código 33, this means building an ecosystem wherein people use their hearts and minds in tandem in order to think hard about what they say, when they say it, and how. This has created a business fuelled by both heart and head in equal measure. Therefore, its ‘measure twice, cut once’ attitude has also grown from the seeds this has sown, making for an internal culture of always double checking one’s working and then being sure and decisive with the following action that the research made possible, using resourcefulness and courage in order to do so.

This also feeds into its dedication to consistent improvement. With more companies under its wing than ever before, across a myriad of different industries from car agencies to bounce house parties, its marketing through its directory is an invaluable resource in its region, emboldened by straightforward, fair, level-headed, generous business strategies that allow it to maintain its independence. The tenacity it displays throughout each of its business moves has certainly heled it survive the tumult of the pandemic, playing a critical role for the health of the local economy in helping companies in their shift towards digital work, implementing its own changes to move towards innovative and hybrid work.

For business enquiries, contact Javier Bradley at Directorio Guadalajara Código 33 Agencia de Publicidad y Marketing Digital via email at [email protected] or online at https://codigo33.com.mx/index.php/es/.

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Avión Tequila Introduces Avión Reserva Cristalino

Posted on 28 February 2022

Pernod Ricard’s Avión tequila is tapping into the soaring demand for prestige tequila by expanding its exclusive Reserva range with the launch of Avión Reserva Cristalino – the second release to join the Avión Reserva line-up.

Who are Tequila Avion?

A multi award-winning tequila, Avión is crafted with a simple philosophy; committed to creating a single origin tequila that embodies the best of craft processes to ensure the natural, rich, and roasted flavours of the Avion agave.

The journey of Avión begins in the small town of Arandas, Jalisco. Here, single origin, blue agave is grown at some of the highest elevations for 7 – 10 years. When ripe, the finest single source agave is then handpicked and slow roasted in brick ovens for three days. These low temperatures gently caramelize the agave, bringing out its natural sweetness and rich flavour.

Avión tequila is then distilled in small, handmade pot stills, before it undergoes meticulous, ultra-slow filtration. Finally, the liquid is aged in former American whisky barrels.

This launch comes off the back of an impressive year for Avión (achieving high double-digit growth) and reflects increasing demand for prestige tequila – now the fastest growing price segment within the category.

“This growth is driven by consumers’ excitement and desire to try new Tequilas, both at home and on premise,” says Michael Merolli – CEO at House of Tequila, Pernod Ricard´s division in charge of all Mexican origin spirits. “With this launch we aim to expand our Avión Reserva Range with a new fresh profile so consumers can choose their favorite Reserva according to their taste preference, the setting or moment in which they are enjoying it.”

A crystal-clear aged tequila, Avión Reserva Cristalino is aimed at propelling Avión’s success even further, driving both penetration and higher value sales among consumers seeking the perfect serve for an ultra-premium tasting experience.

Avión Reserva Cristalino Tasting Notes:

Nose: Primary notes of oak, vanilla, caramel and warm spices, like cinnamon. These aromas are complemented by hints of minerality, lime zest and fresh agave.
Taste: Creamy notes of vanilla, pecans and roasted agave and pineapple. Agave bright notes of fresh herbs and minerality.
Finish: Full bodied and Smooth palate of oak, caramel and earthy tones.

Distilled in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico – using mature, hand-selected agave grown at the highest elevations – Avión Reserva Cristalino is crafted using a unique blend of the finest 12-month-old Añejo and a touch of 3-year-old Extra Añejo Reserva. The liquid then undergoes double-charcoal filtration to achieve a clear tequila of unparalleled smoothness with a fruity, floral character, which carefully balances the citric nuances of agave with the signature taste and aroma of barrel aging. The brand claims the delicately balanced profile of Avión Reserva Cristalino will appeal to both Blanco and Añejo tequila aficionados alike.

“Since its foundation in 2008, Avión has been driven by a desire to make tequila that is truly unique, a passion that has resulted in the use of only the finest quality agave from higher elevations,” says Michael Merolli – CEO – House Of Tequila (Pernod Ricard).

Xavier Zamudio, Brand Manager for Avión, says: “Through the introduction of Avión Reserva Cristalino, we have crafted a tequila that pays homage to every step in our production process – from field to bottle – showcasing the uniqueness of our terroir, the character of our agave, the purity of our distillation and the delicate relationship with wood during ageing.

“The result of this vision is a crystal-clear Añejo tequila which strikes the perfect balance between aged complexity and agave brightness. Best enjoyed neat, or on the rocks, this new launch offers consumers an elevated drinking experience with every sip, which we’re confident will contribute to the continued growth of the prestige tequila sector.”

To ensure its unique appearance and flavour profile, the new launch has been developed in collaboration with renowned spirits judge, restaurant critic and cocktail expert Virginia

Miller. The final product is the result of rigorous testing, with over 56 prototypes coming before it.

Miller comments: “It has been exciting working with the Avión team for over a year, creating the Cristalino I longed to see in the market. Taking inspiration from across spirits categories and working outside the box with a range of flavour profiles and blends, I am proud of what we created together: a Cristalino with age and complexity, balance and nuance, but one that is a tequila first – showcasing our beloved agave.”

Avion Reserva Cristalino (750ml, RRP: $149 USD) will be available in the USA, Mexico and St. Barts from the beginning of February, and will be rolled out in Europe by Summer 2022.

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Mexico and the Republic of Korea Commemorate 60 Years of Diplomatic Relations

Posted on 1 February 2022

Presidents Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Moon Jae-in exchanged messages of congratulations on the anniversary
Diplomatic relations between our countries were officially established on January 26, 1962

According to Korean tradition, the number 60 is important because it represents the conclusion of a zodiac cycle.

Over these 60 years, Mexico and Korea have created a solid institutional framework that has allowed them to work successfully in many areas: student exchanges, cultural events, tourism, and technical-scientific cooperation, among others. The high-level political dialogue between heads of state and foreign ministers is stronger than ever.

For more than fifteen years, our countries have had a Strategic Partnership for Mutual Prosperity that has led to a diversified agenda and exchanges of all kinds. This foundation has been important for binational cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue as we combat common challenges in the future.

The areas of agreement between Mexico and the Republic of Korea extend to the multilateral and regional spheres. We share the goal of strengthening international cooperation in forums such as the United Nations, the G20 (which brings together the world’s leading economies), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) and MIKTA.

Mexico and Korea are bridges between Latin America and Asia, including their air connectivity. Today, Korea is Mexico’s fourth-ranked trading partner, while Mexico is Korea’s most important trading partner in Latin America. Korean investment in our country ranks second among Asian investors. Additionally, in 2020, South Korea was our third-largest supplier and the fifth-ranked buyer of products from Mexico.

Both governments are committed to making this new Korean zodiac cycle that is beginning even more prosperous for our bilateral relationship.

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TerraPay Strengthens its Position in Americas by Launching Services in Mexico and 15 Other Latin American Markets

Posted on 23 November 2021

TerraPay, a leading global payments infrastructure company, bolstered its operation in the LATAM region after successfully launching in the USA and Canada earlier this year. TerraPay’s technology compliance systems and local partners enable their clients to conduct transactions cost effectively and seamlessly on any bank account in the following countries: Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

TerraPay has established itself as a global Partner to leading banks, Money Transfer operators, Mobile Wallet Operators and financial Institutions to facilitate digital transactions without borders. As a B2B company, TerraPay partners with other businesses and helps them leverage its agile, secure, and scalable technology platform to enhance their customer proposition for remittances, payments, and cross border spends.

It is interesting to note that remittance inflows into Latin America and the Caribbean grew by an estimated 6.5 percent to $103 billion in 2020. While COVID-19 caused a sudden decrease in the volume of remittances in the second quarter of 2020, remittances rebounded during the third and the fourth quarters. This rebound can be attributed to the improvement in the employment situation in the United States. Although employment numbers is yet not back to pre-pandemic levels, it did support the increase in remittance flows into countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras and Jamaica, for whom the bulk of remittances originate from migrants who are working in the United States.

Moreover, Latin America (LATAM) is also one of the fastest-growing mobile markets in the world and mobile penetration in the region has been rising consistently. In 2018, there were 326 million mobile internet users in the region, and that figure is anticipated to burgeon to over 422 million by 2025. Part of the reason for such exponential growth is that mobile is the main tool for internet access in Latin America, providing a portable way for people living in the rural areas to get online.

As mobile penetration continues to increase in LATAM, it is also facilitating a surge in the number of innovative apps that promote opportunities for social mobility, financial independence, access to overseas markets and societal development which gives TerraPay and its partners a great opportunity to do business in the region. Also, in the recent past, TerraPay embarked on the first step to enter the Colombian region for enabling cross-border digital payments partnered with MOVii, a leading mobile wallet service that allows both banked and unbanked Colombians to do financial transactions from their mobile phone, with ease, convenience and security. Like partnership with MOVii, TerraPay is strategizing and planning to onboard more such wallets and increase its footprints in the LATAM region.

Speaking on the LATAM market and the viable opportunities it presents for TerraPay, Philip Daniel, Regional Director, TerraPay said Latin America was one of the few regions to see positive growth in remittances in 2020 despite initial projections that economic fallout from the pandemic would cause the number of people sending money internationally to friends and family to plummet. According to data from Creative Associates International, Latin America had a 1% increase in remittances in 2020, while the amount sent to Africa and Asia dropped by 9% and 8% respectively. Initial projections from the World Bank predicted a nearly 20% fall in Latin America at the start of the pandemic.This is one of the many indicators which represents the opportunity that lies in the region. At TerraPay, we believe that the smallest payment deserves a borderless journey as safe as the largest. We are currently registered and regulated across 15 global markets and has a strong network of partners at the ‘send’ regions; the existing network will further benefit our future partners and associates in 16 LATAM markets. Built to simplify the complex barriers that stand in the way of smaller global payments, TerraPay’s infrastructure assure that it reaches its destination safely and instantly.

In the future, TerraPay also plans to expand footprints in other LATAM markets like the Dominican Republic. It has been observed and stated by credible reports that remittances make up a significant part of the Dominican Republic’s economy, with estimates placing the value of remittances at about 8% of the total GDP in 2019, DR, after a GDP decrease of -6.7% during 2020, expects a GDP growth of 4.8% in 2021 and 4.5% in 2022 being well above of the LATAM region growth projection of 3.7% for 2021, DR double the average of most low-income countries. While some remittances come from Europe and other Latin American countries, a staggering 75% come from the United States. This data backs TerraPay’s plans to enter the region in near future, opens up an incremental opportunity for the people and businesses of DR to connect with TerraPay’s 4Bn+ bank and 1.5Bn+ mobile wallet accounts partner customers globally.

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Tall Ship Cuauhtémoc, Mexico’s Star Attraction at Expo 2020 Dubai

Posted on 15 October 2021

The arrival of the sail training ship in Dubai on November 8 will be a major attraction.
The Foreign Ministry and the Navy are working together to promote Mexico.

Mexico’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, being held from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, will feature the Navy’s ARM Cuauhtémoc BE-01 sail training ship, which will arrive in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on November 8. The Foreign Ministry coordinated its participation in the World Expo to promote Mexico’s culture, tourism industry and business opportunities abroad.

In keeping with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s instructions to the Foreign Ministry to promote the country’s business opportunities abroad, Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard instructed the Undersecretary of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights to coordinate Mexico’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai with actors from the public and private sectors.

Mexico’s presence at Expo 2020 Dubai, the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, is key to our economic reactivation, as it is an exceptional opportunity to showcase the economic and investment opportunities that Mexico offers to the world. The theme of the World Expo is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.” Over 190 countries are participating, and 25 million visitors are expected. It is essential to promote Mexico’s economic and business opportunities at a universal event of this size to boost its exports, increase investment and enhance the international presence of Mexican companies around the world.

The Cuauhtémoc sail training ship, also known as the Ambassador and Knight of the Seas, has made 40 trips to different regions of the world in its 39 years of service, with the goal of showcasing a young and enterprising Mexico and bringing a message of peace and goodwill to the world. More than forty classes of captains, officers, cadets and other personnel have been trained in the time-honored traditions of sailing, learning the ropes and to sail by the stars with a sextant while taking in the values of honor, duty, loyalty and patriotism.

The arrival and presence of the tall ship in Dubai will enhance Mexico’s participation and will be a major attraction on Mexico Day at Expo 2020 Dubai, to be held on November 10. The sailing ship will have a ceremonial arrival in port, waving a monumentally-sized Mexican flag with its crew at their posts, its guns firing salutes of honor and live mariachi music onboard.

The ship began its 41st instructional cruise to Dubai on August 16 with a crew of 249 people, including 62 cadets from the Heroic Naval Military Academy. It left from Acapulco with stops at the ports of Balboa, Panama; Cozumel (Mexico); Norfolk, Virginia in the U.S.; Cádiz, Spain; and Crete, Greece. The Cuauhtémoc follows a carefully planned route with ports selected to enable it to navigate under sail as much as possible.

After Dubai, the Cuauhtémoc will continue its journey, putting in at the ports of Malta, Valencia, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Rio de Janeiro, where it will participate in the “Velas Latinoamérica 2022” Regatta. Continuing through South America, the ship will then visit ports in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Curaçao, returning to Veracruz on June 23, 2022.

For the first time, the Foreign Ministry and the Navy agreed to have Foreign Service officials on board to document the journey and serve as liaisons for promoting Mexico, in this case, at Expo 2020 Dubai. The goals is to strengthen the institutions’ collaboration in their promotion of Mexico.

The Mexico Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai was officially inaugurated on October 4. The event was led by the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, Martha Delgado, with the Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, as a special guest of the Government of the United Arab Emirates. The Mexico Pavilion, located in the Mobility District of the Expo, has an area of 900 square meters divided into three levels to promote Mexico’s culture, SMEs, investment and cuisine.

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Kocomo Has Raised $56 Million to Allow Co-Ownership of Luxury Vacation Homes

Posted on 1 September 2021

The sharing economy has upended various industries, including car rides, private jet travel, and home rentals. Kocomo is the long-awaited extension into vacation home ownership.

Kocomo, a pre-seed stage proptech startup backed by leading U.S., European, and Latin American investors, has raised US$56M in debt and equity to tackle cross-border, co-ownership of luxury vacation properties. Kocomo’s mission is to make the dream of vacation home ownership an attainable reality for more people around the world.

“In the same way that Netjets uses shared ownership to create a more cost-effective solution for people to enjoy the benefits of private air travel, we apply a co-ownership model to create a smarter way for people to own and enjoy luxury vacation homes worldwide,” explained Martin Schrimpff, co-founder and CEO of Kocomo.

This funding round was led by AllVP and Vine Ventures — with participation from Picus Capital, Fontes – QED, FJ Labs, Clocktower Technology Ventures, and JAWS (the family office of Starwood Capital Group Chairman Barry Sternlicht), while the debt investment was financed by Architect Capital.

Investments from the founders of four of Latin America’s most prominent companies— including Mate and Florian of Loft, Oskar Hjertonsson of Cornershop, Carlos Garcia of Kavak, and Sergio Furio of Creditas — also make up the round.

Kocomo seeks to upend conventional vacation home ownership by enabling people to own a luxury vacation property abroad through its best-in-class co-ownership and property management model — starting with Mexico. “With Kocomo, we have created a new unit of real estate ownership that is better suited to actual use patterns for vacation properties — and our end-to-end platform makes co-ownership completely hassle-free,” added co-founder and CFO, Tom Baldwin.

Leveraging the power of technology, Kocomo aims to create a transparent marketplace that empowers people to purchase, own, and sell co-ownership interests in luxury homes through its vertically-integrated platform. In addition to benefiting from potential home appreciation and rental income, co-owners also experience stress-free vacations themselves as Kocomo manages both the luxury property and the other vetted co-owners.

Kocomo is led by a multinational team of seasoned entrepreneurs who are driven by their shared passion for international travel, technology, business, design, and real estate innovation. “We came together as a team because we believe vacation memories fuel life,” says co-founder and CPO, Graciela Arango. “Often our fondest memories are created during vacation — and we’re passionate about providing more accessible opportunities for people to own a vacation home that’ll serve as the backdrop to unforgettable moments like family game nights, learning how to ride a bike, or holiday celebrations.”

About Kocomo:

Kocomo is an early-stage proptech startup, backed by leading U.S., European, and Latin American investors. Leveraging the power of technology, Kocomo aims to create a transparent marketplace that empowers people to purchase, own, and sell co-ownership interests in luxury homes through its vertically-integrated platform, starting in Mexico. Kocomo’s mission is to make the dream of vacation home ownership an attainable reality for more people around the world.

For business enquires contact Martin Schrimpff CEO, Kocomo [email protected]

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Butchershop Creative Acquires Maniak, A Digital-First Design and Technology Firm

Posted on 16 April 2021

Butchershop®, the global brand experience agency, has acquired Maniak™, a digital-first design and technology firm based in Guadalajara, Mexico. As a fast-growing independent agency, the move marks Butchershop’s continued investment in digital brand experience and innovation. Underscored by its most successful year to date in 2020 amidst the pandemic, Butchershop specializes in building brands in the new economy for B2B and B2C clients across health and wellness, hospitality, DTC and consumer products, fintech, crypto/blockchain, data + AI, SaaS and cybersecurity verticals. Past and current clients include BFA Industries, Okta, Databricks, Nike, Mountain Hardwear, and Real Chemistry. By combining proprietary brand discovery tactics, strategy, creative storytelling, brand design, digital experiences and solutions under one roof with Maniak, Butchershop will bring greater value to client partners and teams internationally.

Founded over a decade ago by entrepreneurs Christian and Carlos Dominguez, Maniak has evolved over time with focus points in hardware, SaaS, digital media and marketing, serving markets in the US, Europe and Latin America. As a Butchershop company, Maniak will operate under the helm of Hector Garcia, who will transition from CEO of Maniak to Chief Innovation Officer of Butchershop. The addition of Maniak’s 56-person digital team advances Butchershop’s level of technical sophistication to build impactful eCommerce experiences, softwares, native applications, and unique digital brand experiences.

“Carlos, Christian and Hector have built an incredible team and practice. Maniak’s culture is something special which matters in this business. As an international agency, we are focusing our efforts to provide client partners with solutions for connecting their brand, business, and product to their customers and internal cultures,” says Trevor Hubbard, Global Butchershop CEO. “We’re continuing to invest heavily in the ‘digitization of brand’ to solve problems and create opportunities for our client partners. And Maniak is a key part of our collective growth.”

Founders Christian and Carlos will operate and lead a new joint venture created by the acquisition: ImaginedBy™, a smart incubator focused on building and launching digital SaaS products and platforms from the company’s braintrust and products partnerships with outside venture-backed founders. Leveraging the combined brand, business and product acumen of Butchershop and the technology capabilities of Maniak, several ImaginedBy™ funded projects are currently underway, including Priio™, a self-service SaaS platform that helps teams with prioritization, clarity and risk mitigation, launching in Spring 2021.

The acquisition of Maniak formalizes a longstanding working relationship between the two agencies. As part of Butchershop’s extended global partnership network, the US-, Europe- and Mexico-based teams are adept at decentralized collaboration. Most recently, the Maniak team has helped Butchershop win several innovative digital brand experience projects with companies like Exabeam, Snappy, BFA, ShapeTX, Voyo Adventures, and Okta.

“We are ready to build upon years of collaboration with Butchershop to open a new world of possibility as a united team, leveling up the existing digital know-how of Butchershop and scaling technological expertise and bandwidth,” said Chief Innovation Officer Hector Garcia. “Combining Maniak’s digital expertise with the renowned brand work that Butchershop is known for, we’ll be able to offer a wide-range of custom solutions for client partners ready to evolve their digital brand experiences, products and transformations.”

With their first major acquisition, Butchershop is better positioned for accelerated growth. The agency has grown its global footprint and resources, increasing headcount by 19% in the last three months in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco and opened an office in Graz, Austria to better serve evolving and emerging client needs in the DACH market with venture firms, startup founders, and multinational brands. The diversity in client partner verticals and industries has helped the agency build long-term sustainability, adapting to market swings and shifts in real time.

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IFC and Neolpharma Unite Efforts to Increase Accessibility to Medicines in Low Income Population and Finance Climate Change Mitigation Projects

Posted on 31 March 2021

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), member of the World Bank Group, will provide a US$30 million to Neolpharma, a Mexican pharmaceutical group focused on R&D, manufacturing, distribution, and commercialization of high-specialty generics for the private and public health system, to satisfy the growing demand of high-specialty medicines for the middle to low income population in the region.

The loan will finance Neolpharma’s growth plan which includes expansion of its production facilities of high-specialty products and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the most important raw material in the production of medicines.

Juan Gonzalo Flores, Country Manager of IFC México, said: “Budget constraints have increased due to the Covid-19 crisis and other macroeconomic factors. By financing Neolpharma’s expansion plan, IFC will contribute to increase the access and affordability of high-quality medicines in Mexico and the LAC Region for the middle to low income population in important therapeutic areas such as cardiovascular, oncology, central nervous system and diabetes.”

Efrén Ocampo, CEO for Neolpharma group said: “We are eager to collaborate with IFC in accelerating our expansion plans, while also focusing efforts towards sustainability and long-term growth. By investing on production capabilities, we aim to bring more resilience to our production supply chain. Neolpharma remains strongly committed on improving accessibility of high-quality medicines to benefit underserved populations.”

The US$30 million financing package is composed of a US$15 million loan of IFC’s own account, and a US$15 million loan from Canada-IFC Blended Climate Finance Program (BCFP). This is the first transaction of IFC in Pharmaceutical sector that includes funding from BCFP. At least US$15mn of the Loan is earmarked for climate investment. The operation will contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 11,400 tons per year and the implementation of climate change mitigation projects, such as waste heat recovery for efficient cogeneration in production sites, rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) with battery storage and green buildings certified under Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE).

Neolpharma will be one of the first EDGE certified pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

Globally, 100 million people fall below the poverty line every year as a result of healthcare costs. IFC works with generic pharmaceutical companies and global medical technology companies to bring the latest standard of care to emerging markets affordably.

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