That is the premise behind a program launched by the Chilean government, reports Deseret News. Their goal is to bring smart, innovative entrepreneurs to their country by offering a little incentive: $40,000.
“By bringing people in from outside of Chile, they’re introducing that culture of entrepreneurship and innovation to Santiago and bolstering the existing entrepreneur community in Santiago,” Avarell said.
The $40,000 grants pay for airfare to Chile and help with living expenses and initial operation costs. But Avarell and Wride, who have been in Santiago for more than three months now, say the contacts they’ve made are the real key.
“I think the biggest benefit is probably the networking connections that you make,” Wride said. “When I’m introduced to potential partners or investors, they love to hear that we’re part of Start-Up Chile.”
The program is open to all types of business ideas, and you don’t have to speak Spanish to qualify. You have to agree to stay at least six months, but you don’t have to keep your business in Chile once you’ve got it going.
“They hope that some of the businesses will stick around,” Wride said. “They realize that they might not. But what they’re going to get out of it anyway is that people will stay connected.”
Screenshot from Start-Up Chile