Lamborghini's chief executive says that the Italian supercar manufacturer is planning to abandon its all-electric supercar. So where next for speedy, luxury EVs?
It’s no secret that Colombia’s startup ecosystem is booming. Over the past few years, the country has emerged as one of the leading business hubs in Latin America.
But where do women fit into the picture? According to KPMG’s latest annual tech report, one in five Colombian founders is a woman. The good news is that there’s a nationwide drive to close the gender gap in leadership, and the numbers are reflecting that: the number of women occupying C-suite roles jumped to 40% in 2025.
As momentum continues to move forward in Colombian entrepreneurship and innovation, here are the 2026 female tech leaders to watch.
Isabella is leading the charge to empower remote workers to gain access to U.S. financial infrastructure. In fact, Midi is the only fintech in Colombia to do so, removing payroll barriers for Colombian-based freelancers. With Colombia ranking among the world’s most prominent leaders for outsourcing talent, Midi’s offering is crucial. Moreover, the startup recently raised $10 million in a funding round, paving the way for accelerated growth.
And Isabella has helped people take leaps and bounds in other ways, too. In 2013, she founded Kangoo Jumps Colombia, where she opened and managed three boutiques in Bogota.
Florence is at the helm of transforming customer engagement across Latin America’s retail landscape. Founded in 2015, Leal 360 now boasts over seven million users and has established partnerships with one thousand brands across eight countries. Leal’s AI software helps businesses access and action powerful customer insights for optimal lifetime value.
In 2025, Leal 360 was recognized by Gartner’s Capterra for being the ‘best ease of use’ CRM platform. This is a testament to Florence and her team’s dedication to making customer engagement easier and smarter.
Having seen multiple sides of private debt, and how convoluted the process can be, Valentina set out to rectify the situation, which led to the founding of Vaas. At just 25 years old, she raised $5 million in seed funding and last year made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
At Vaas, Valentina is helping lead the charge to revolutionize financial infrastructure so it can keep pace with private credit growth. She comes with more than eight years of fintech experience in Latin America, which includes overseeing the financing of 250,000 devices and managing $150 million across top-tier fintechs.
Zaira’s passion for data inspired her to make analytics accessible to everyone—hence, she brought Daxus LATAM to life. Data knowledge has fast become a core skill that’s redefining the future of the workplace. In the span of just three years, Zaira now has 30,000 alumni who have built their knowledge on data and analysis principles via the Daxus learning platform.
She’s also a founding member and principal CEO of Zakidata, helping individuals translate data into powerfully actionable insights. Throughout her career, Zaira has impacted over a million minds to build their data and analytics capabilities.
From law to pageantry to authoring a book to becoming a well-known national TV host, Gabriela’s journey to becoming a tech founder is uniquely impressive. She’s now shifted her focus to behind the camera as the founder and CEO of Idilio TV, Colombia’s first vertical screening platform.
Upon her return to Colombia after completing her MBA at Stanford University, Gabriela quickly realized a massive yet untapped opportunity in Latin America: streaming short-form novelas. All around her, people were streaming Spanish-dubbed Asian micro-dramas. The demand was there, but the natively Spanish supply wasn’t. At Idilio TV, Garbiela and her team are on a mission to create original and entertaining micro-dramas—all in Spanish, and all available from the comfort of your smartphone.
Valentina’s mission is clear: democratize the early detection of breast cancer. One of the world’s deadliest diseases, breast cancer accounts for 27% of cancer cases in Latin America. However, early-stage detection remains elusive for the majority of individuals.
Valentina and the team at Salva Health are changing that with their cutting-edge technology, Julieta, which uses electrical bioimpedance technology to assess how breast tissue responds to small, safe, and painless currents.
Manuela has forged a strong career, helping international entrepreneurs create and refine their offerings through her expertise in visual design and UI/UX. Now, she’s running projects at Source Meridian, a Medellin-based healthcare software innovator, and 360 Health Data, a startup transforming medical knowledge in Latin America. Manuela’s leadership at the two companies not only enables her to propel tech innovation in Colombia but also directly impacts local communities to access better health opportunities.
Legal frameworks matter just as much as technical ones in startups, and Estefania has built and scaled Addi’s legal and compliance function from the ground up. With 15 years of experience, she’s no stranger to the legal intricacies of fintech and the financial world. Her background includes working in the Colombian Securities Exchange and the Colombian Financial Regulator.
Estefania has guided Addi, one of Colombia’s biggest payment apps, through complex equity raises, debt transactions, and the process of becoming a regulated financial institution.
Daniela spent almost a decade managing the legal side of SURA before she moved to VaxThera, a leading biotechnology provider in Colombia. Since joining the company, Daniela has established an important role in ensuring VaxThera’s innovations can reach the public.
Just last year, VaxThera announced a partnership with the Colombian Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Health to strengthen health sovereignty across the nation. VaxThera also announced its partnership with Seguros SURA to launch the region’s largest HPV program in the bid to prevent cervical cancer.
Daniela leads strategic initiatives at Publicize, a global PR firm serving technology startups and Fortune 1000 enterprises from its hubs in Medellin and Barcelona. As a graduate of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Social Communications and PR, she leverages her academic background and industry expertise to position clients at the forefront of the media landscape.
Beyond her executive role, Daniela is a driving force in the ecosystem, actively mentoring talent at both the Founder Institute, Universities and top tech events. Her industry authority is further recognized through her contributions to Entrepreneur Magazine and Forbes, her speaking engagements at conferences like TechBeach, and her recent role as a Judge for Colombia’s National Digital Journalism Award.
Innovation needs talent to thrive, and Paula is ensuring this need is constantly met so Somos Internet can continue to scale its software and services in more than 50,000 Colombian households.
Late last year, Somos Internet raised $18 million in Series A funding, a significant chunk of which will go to strengthening the company’s engineering and operations teams. As the head of culture and recruitment, Paula has a major role to play in ensuring talent continues to be nurtured and innovation propelled.
Whether founders, CEO, or heads of departments, Colombian women have carved a firm place in the country’s tech landscape. As 2026 unfolds, keep a pulse on these powerhouses and how they’re helping amplify innovation opportunities for women and men alike.
Laura has dedicated the past 11 years to Source Meridian, evolving from an international business background into a specialized leader in healthcare technology. With a comprehensive 360° view of the software lifecycle, she currently directs cross-functional teams focused on Security and Compliance, successfully guiding clients through rigorous SOC 2, HITRUST, and HIPAA certifications for the U.S. market.
Driven by a spirit of continuous learning and a passion for mentorship, Laura views leadership through a human-centric lens. She is committed to empowering her colleagues to grow from scratch, fostering a collaborative culture where teams succeed united as “galaxies” rather than individual stars, ensuring that technical excellence is always matched by collective professional growth.
President Trump’s reversal of the landmark ‘endangerment findings’ will cause major upset in the automotive industry – here’s what it could mean for electric vehicles.
If you’re a Mac user who has recently discovered their Logitech mouse or keyboard is not working suddenly, or not working properly with missing customizations and functionality, it might be because of an issue with an expired security certificate with Logitech devices on the Mac. Specifically, if you use Logi Options+ or G HUB with ... Read More
As innovation in Colombia reaches new heights, the country is attracting a new wave of international entrepreneurs.
Colombia has had an incredible year in 2025, establishing itself as a rising star for international business. In fact, the OECD ranked Colombia as the third most entrepreneurial country among its 38 members, thanks to a burgeoning tech and startup scene.
The government is playing an important role in supporting this culture of entrepreneurship, with a commitment to invest $30 billion pesos of capital into the country’s science, technology, and innovation over the next 10 years.
Yet Colombia already has proof of its ability to build and scale startups. In Bogotá alone, there are already 800 venture-funded startups. Meanwhile, Colombia has given rise to two unicorns. Rappi, a well-known trailblazer, is one of these, and is the largest on-demand delivery company that specializes in “quick commerce,” or 10-minute deliveries in Latin America.
A more recent rising star is Habi, the property tech platform that is already the biggest buyer and vendor for used houses in Colombia and México.
This progress has seen foreign capital flowing into Colombia. The country ranks 4th in Latin America for the amount of foreign investment it receives. As a result, Latin American entrepreneurs and innovators are flocking to the country to establish new ventures or expand into Colombia’s thriving tech ecosystem.
From Baranquilla to Bogota, here are the 2026 international innovation leaders to watch in Colombia.
Mike Hoey, Founder of Source Meridian
Mike Hoey is the President and Owner of Source Meridian, a software development company that specializes in life science, big data, business intelligence and machine learning solutions running on commercial clouds.
One of the large tech employers in Colombia, the company’s mission is to provide its customers with early access to cutting-edge technologies, helping their clients to maintain their competitive advantages in the marketplace.
Source Meridian includes a staff of international software engineers and data scientists and has offices in the US and Colombia, including in Medellin, Rionegro and Cali.
Its Founder, Mike Hoey, has long been praised for his mentorship of colleagues.
Alan Gongora, Managing Partner at Langon Law Group
Alan Gongora is the Managing Partner at Langon Law Group, a law firm with offices in the United States and Colombia. His firm works with enterprises across North and South America.
Alan earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and studied at Oxford University and at the University of Michigan where he received his B.A.
Colombia has seen a sizable uptick in the number of companies deciding to expand their operations to this market, with target industries ranging from consumer goods, to technology and telecommunications. Alan Gongora has played an instrumental role in helping these new business ventures navigate the complexities of Colombian business law to drive growth across the country.
Langdon Law is now one of the most prominent law firms in Colombia, with plans for continued growth in 2026.
Francisco (Paco) Solsona, Head of Accelerator of Google
Francisco (Paco) Solsona is the Head of Accelerator & Startup Ecosystem, SpLATAM at Google. He has long been recognized for playing a key role in the region’s tech ecosystem.
According to Contxto, Google has 24 acceleration programs distributed worldwide, with Latin America playing an important role in these programs. A total of 283 startups and developers from their programs are from the region, or 25% of the global total.
Solsona, who was earlier the regional leader of Google for Developers in Latin America, earlier expressed pride in the role that LatAm startups have played since the program’s inception, saying in an interview, “Latin American startups have been part of Google’s acceleration programs since the first Google office in Mountain View, California, in 2016. We started with national and regional programs in 2018, first in Brazil, followed by Mexico, and the rest of the region. We are proud of all the companies that trusted us over the years and started our programs to connect with the best of Google: our people, technology, and global network of mentors and allies.”
Maria Camila Quiñones, Delivery Director at Slalom Consulting
With a career that combines the financial world with sustainable development, Camila Quiñones has established herself as one of the most influential voices in social impact consulting in the region. A leader who has been based in Mexico for a decade, she currently manages projects as Director of Delivery at Slalom Consulting, where she draws on more than 14 years of experience in high-level strategy and implementation.
Her career began in the financial sector, specializing in capital markets, with a focus on technology implementations for treasuries of large banks in Colombia, Panama, and Mexico. However, in 2019, she made a decisive change: she founded and led the social and environmental impact area at a leading Mexican consulting firm, working with organizations that address critical challenges such as education and employability, financial inclusion, and climate action, among others.
An expert in program design, ecosystem mapping, and strategic alliances, Quiñones combines analytical rigor with a transformative vision. Her work not only drives projects forward, but also generates research and innovative thinking, positioning her as a key bridge between the private sector and social development in Latin America.
In a career that has spanned more than two decades at leading healthtech companies and as an Executive Advisor at Blue Mountain Capital, Shahir is shaping the future of data-driven healthcare. As the founder of Veritas Data Research, he champions the use of FAIR principles in health data projects that include transparency, trust and resilience.
To get the best outcomes for patients, healthcare data needs to be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. However, not every region in the world has the same access. To address this, Shahir and a close group of industry veterans launched 360 Health Data to create a bespoke resource platform that connects Spanish-speaking clinicians in Latin America with high-quality medical knowledge.
This will empower healthcare professionals across South America by harnessing the vast potential of scientific research and Real-World Evidence (RWE), providing up-to-date journal articles on all relevant disease areas and comprehensive information on pharmaceuticals and other treatments. As a result, the team at 360 Health Data hopes to foster informed decision-making, improve patient outcomes, and advance the field of medicine.
Jitesh Shetty, CEO of Credibl ESG
Jitesh Shetty is the Founder and CEO of Credibl, a San Francisco-based SaaS company that has a growing presence across Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. At Credibl the team are rethinking sustainability data management across operations, products, supply chains from the ground up to drive sustainable corporate growth with an AI-powered ESG platform.
Shetty’s vision is a world where technology empowers organizations sustainably and drives positive impact. His AI-powered sustainability technology platform for the future of business has helped key players in the ecosystem transform end-to-end sustainability for companies. Its impact has set it apart, making them leaders in the hospitality and textile value chain industries. His company has also improved the sustainability of more than 100 companies worldwide, including enterprise clients such as Amazon, Nvidia, Red Hat Storage, Global Knowledge, and QA.
Earlier, he founded in 2012 Qwiklabs, a large-scale hands-on lab company for software professionals, which he sold to Google in 2016. He is also co-founder and board member of MR Access, a portable MRI company with native AI that, thanks to its innovative design in the healthcare sector, has reduced both capital and operating expenses.
Dr. Jorge Emilio Osorio Benítez, CEO, VaxThera
Dr. Jorge Emilio Osorio Benítez, founder and CEO of VaxThera, is leading Colombia’s push to become a regional biotech hub. A former virologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Osorio returned to his homeland with a mission: “I need to do something for my own country… this is it.”
Founded in 2021 with support from Colombian insurance giant Grupo SURA, VaxThera is headquartered in Rionegro, Antioquia, just minutes from Medellín’s José Maria Córdova International Airport. The company’s state-of-the-art biopark; the first of its kind in Latin America, is capable of producing over 100 million vaccine doses annually. “We took the best technology and equipment from around the world and translated that to the local language here, because nobody here has made a facility like this before,” Osorio said.
VaxThera focuses on tropical and neglected diseases like dengue, chikungunya, and Mpox, while also producing mRNA vaccines for COVID-19. “I’d like to have the concept of health independence, that we can do health sovereignty for the region,” he explained.
Beyond production, VaxThera is cultivating Colombian talent, training scientists in advanced research and business skills: “We want to stimulate young people to say, ‘I can do something as well for my country.’” With these efforts, Osorio envisions Colombia exporting both vaccines and scientific expertise, transforming the nation into a leader in global biotechnology.
Deepti Juturu, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Prezent
Deepti Juturu is the Chief Customer Officer and Co-Founder of Prezent, which is an AI-driven presentation productivity platform that is rapidly expanding across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe.
The entrepreneur earlier was CEO of Prezentium, which was acquired this month by Prezent.
According to TechCrunch, Prezent raised an additional $30 million in a round led by Multiplier Capital, Greycroft, and Nomura Strategic, bringing its total funding to $74 million.
The company is now valued at $400 million following the acquisition of Prezentium, and also recently debuted its first AI-Coach to create the future of business communication training at scale.
Prior to Prezentium, Juturu was a Senior Manager, Commercial Operations at Genentech and a Senior Associate at McKinsey.
Sebastián Wilson, CEO, OK to Shop
Startup OK to Shop is on a mission to make food shopping easier-and safer-for anyone with dietary restrictions or particular ways of eating. At the helm is CEO and Co‑Founder Sebastián Wilson, who built an app allowing users to scan barcodes or search products to immediately get nutritional information, ingredients, and whether the item matches their diet profile.
Whether it’s allergies, intolerances, or vegan, vegetarian, kosher, or halal diets, OK to Shop seeks to take the guesswork out of choosing what to eat. Users can even set up multiple profiles for family members, save favorite products, and keep track of what’s safe or suitable.
But the platform isn’t just for shoppers. OK to Shop data and analytics can also be tapped into by supermarkets and food brands to underpin product suitability, enabling them to better engage with consumers in a far more responsible and informed manner.
With Colombians becoming increasingly more digital and diet-conscious, OK to Shop’s approach is a perfect fit. OK to Shop is a very simple idea for an app, solving the real problem of turning such a complicated shopping experience into a manageable, transparent, and empowering one.
Antony Cobiak, Executive at Rotate
Antony Cobiak is helps lead operations for Rotate, a global cybersecurity platform that provides a unified “cyber protection cloud” across identity, email, endpoint, data and training. The company offers solutions such as 24/7 managed detection & response (MDR), incident response, cyber insurance readiness and compliance monitoring.
Under Cobiak’s leadership in Latin America, Rotate has expanded aggressively through Brazil and is now looking to Colombia as a key market of interest, positioning itself to serve enterprises and service providers who require scalable, integrated cyber‑security tools. With its modular hubs; Identity Hub, Email Hub, Data Hub, Endpoint Hub and EASM Hub, Rotate aims to protect workforces, devices and data with AI‑driven monitoring and response.
Cobiak, who brought significant global experience in technology and security leadership, emphasises Latin America’s growing appetite for robust managed security services and the advantage of using nearshore teams to deliver them. Through Rotate’s Brazil‑based operations, he is building a bilingual (Spanish/Portuguese) technical and service delivery hub to serve the region.
Rotate’s mission is rooted in the belief that “everyone deserves 360 degrees of protection,” and Cobiak is looking to translate that vision into growth across the region, capitalising on Colombia’s and Brazil’s rising tech‑talent pools and the surge in digital transformation across industries.
Juan Pablo Granda, CEO of LemonTech
LemonTech transforms legal operations across Latin America through AI-powered SaaS solutions that help law firms and corporate legal departments scale, automate, and modernize workflows. Under the leadership of Juan Pablo Granda, the company’s platforms automate labor-intensive tasks into AI-enhanced, data-driven processes.
In the last few years, the global legal ecosystem has experienced an unparalleled transformation. Law firms, corporate departments, and legaltech startups increasingly resort to artificial intelligence to automate repetitive tasks and conserve resources for strategy. This is a shift that raises not just productivity but the quality of the advice given, according to Granda.
According to data provided by Legalcomplex, there are only over 200 legaltech companies operating in Latin America, while more than 490 operate in the United Kingdom alone. The difference not only points to a technological gap but also at an opportunity that accelerates the adoption of AI-based and digitally transformative solutions in Latin American markets. “Today, artificial intelligence lets lawyers focus on what really generates value: strategy and human judgment”, said Granda in a recent interview with Contxto.
At LemonTech, Granda is leading legal teams across Latin America away from manual processes and toward more efficient, transparent, and scalable operations, driving the digital legal-services transformation in the region.
Roberto Peñacastro, Co-Founder and CEO of Leadsales
Roberto (Roby) Peñacastro is the co-founder and CEO of Leadsales, an innovative startup focused on providing specialized CRM for WhatsApp and social media, designed to drive direct results—often tripling sales for its clients. Originally from Querétaro, Roby stands out in the entrepreneurial world for his innate ability to lead high-performing teams and find effective solutions to complex business challenges.
Roby’s dedication and strategic acumen have earned him significant recognition across the global tech ecosystem. He has successfully navigated and been supported by elite accelerators and programs, including SkyDeck Batch 14 S22, the Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund, and StartX S23. Beyond his impressive track record in scaling tech ventures, his commitment extends to philanthropic causes. This blend of business savvy and social responsibility was formally recognized when Forbes Mexico highlighted him as one of their “30 Promising Business Leaders” in 2024 and recently named as one of the Innovators Under 35 LATAM of MIT Technology Review 2025.
Peñacastro is focused on the next evolution of sales, positioning Leadsales to capitalize on the high-volume, direct messaging to empower businesses sales and power social platforms.
Marcelino Bellosta, Chairman of Midi
Marcelino Bellosta is the Chairman of MidiFinancial, a financial platform that gives both U.S. companies and Latin American remote workers access to U.S. banking, payments, and financial services, all at zero monthly cost.
Born out of a pain point that many Latins have: Latin American remote workers finally had access to jobs with U.S. companies, but were losing thousands of dollars each year to commissions, bad exchange rates, and outdated banking systems. Midi solves this by giving workers in Latin America access to a U.S. bank account and debit card in minutes without needing to live in the U.S. or deal with bureaucracy. This levels the playing field for millions of talented professionals, ensuring they keep more of what they earn and gain true financial freedom.
Bellosta is leading efforts to connect Latin America with the global economy. In partnership with BSJI (Bank of San Juan International), he is building an ecosystem that enables remote workers in LATAM to receive USD payments seamlessly. With 25+ years in banking and finance, Marcelino combines strategic vision and innovation to drive economic growth across the region.
Christian Struve, Co-founder of Fracttal
Christian Struve is the Co-Founder and CEO at Fracttal, a 100% cloud-based platform that integrates asset management software, IoT, and artificial intelligence.
Christian wrote his lines of code at age 10, marking an early passion for technology. He went on to earn a degree in Computer Science before getting his first real exposure to maintenance management in the oil and gas industry.
He later joined PwC as a consultant, specializing in ERP and maintenance solutions, before transitioning into a CIO role in manufacturing, where he led large-scale digital transformation projects.
In 2008, he launched his own consulting firm, working on hundreds of projects to optimize maintenance operations through technology. Over the next years, Christian saw that asset management was stuck in the past. Companies were still relying on spreadsheets and outdated systems that couldn’t keep up with modern industry demands.
This served as the catalyst to launch Fracttal to revolutionize maintenance and asset management with AI, IoT, and cloud technology, helping companies shift from reactive maintenance to predictive intelligence.
Mahesh Raja, Chief Growth Officer at Ness Digital Engineering
Mahesh Raja is the Chief Growth Officer at Ness Digital Engineering, a global full-cycle digital transformation company that announced last month the opening of its new offices in Mexico. The company is looking to hire up to 200 employees in Latin America by 2026.
Raja joined Ness to support the global growth ambitions of the product engineering and native digital engineering company. The firm operates at the intersection of deep domain expertise across four industries and technical expertise in five digital capabilities. Unlike traditional IT services companies, Ness is a native digital engineering company with strong roots in customer software development.
Previously, he served the Senior Vice President and Sector Head of Banking and Financial Services Business Unit at Wipro.
Raja is also a Mentor at Tec de Monterrey’s entrepreneurship program, and is a Contributor at Entrepreneur Magazine.
Login
