Start-Up Chile is OK. Nothing more.

I didn't know that there were mentors who were not experienced entrepreneurs. I have several (very successful and experienced entrepreneurs) friends, who are mentors for Startup Chile participants. They've advised these companies, hooked them up with important contacts for their businesses and even provided office space. I guess I generalized that to the whole mentorship system.

I was under the impression that Startup Chile gives some preference/reservations to local teams.

In any selection process, any group that gets a boost due to irrelevant factors needs to meet a lower standard. Typically, a group of people meeting a lower standard will be inferior to a group of people meeting a higher standard.

Of course, if I'm wrong about Startup Chile boosting local teams, this reasoning wouldn't apply. Anyone know what their policies are?

I have to say that I don't really agree with the overall assessment made over here. It appears that a lot of people come to Startup Chile expecting the wrong things.

Why would you come to Chile and expect:

- There will be no bureaucracy (this is a government run program..)

- You won't have to give anything (RVAs) at all back - (equity free capital in return for what ? in that case..)

- Connections to US accelerators and investors (WTF ?)

To be honest, it's unrealistic to expect all of the above. I do agree that Startup Chile can do MANY good things (connections to latin american investors, more guidance/mentorship, etc.) but why not take into account the fact that this is a young program being run by a government in a country with very less startup experience.

Here are some positive points I've heard from people:

- Use government connections. Folks who have their startups in fields where government help can work eg. education, social service, etc. are able to uniquely utilize startup chile's clout in the government sector.

- Learn some Spanish.

- Do something relevant. You're hardly going to get support if you're designing a product that solves a problem in the US or elsewhere (with no possible extension into Latin America). Besides, why would a local investor be interested in that case ?

As for the part where filing statements, getting reimbursed, etc. - there's no need to whine about that. The processes have been streamlined a lot over the past few months and these guys seem to be working on it more, there is definitely good faith involved and it's not all "Oh yeah we're going to make them WORK for their money". They just need to be sure that your expenses are justified. I know of people who are trying to squeeze out an iPhone or two in their reimbursements. They naturally have to be very careful due to the fact that this is taxpayers money.

Furthermore, all the pains of startup chile are pretty well known. It is definitely not an accelerator, you will probably not have a lot of events and guidance. But, if $40k equity free capital and a reasonable amount of freedom (in how you use it..) are important to you - then sure, I think it's a program worthy of mention.

/ Just sick of all the whining that goes on about how Startup Chile doesn't connect you to the US blah blah blah.. -- why should it ? Also the sense of entitlement a lot of people carry is sickening. A lot of folks seem to treat startup chile as a 'gap year' and then whine about how they didn't manage to make the next $1B company (not saying that the author is doing this...). That's just messed up.

To clarify the theft issue (I'm Round 2, almost finished here now). At the start the co-working CMI office was safe, we guess that no 'regular folk' knew about it.

Now it is better known and there's no access control (there are security guys on the doors, but they're not really checking us). Several times in the last few months different strangers have walked in, spotted a lone laptop and walked off with it. The same thing has happened in restaurants.

This is petty theft, a pity in a co-work environment but given that it is large and open this is somewhat unavoidable. I wouldn't leave my laptop unattended (without asking a neighbour etc) in a London co-work space either.

In general I feel very safe here (really, no problems walking home for an hour at night, using the metro etc).

I had my laptop stolen at the Startup Chile office and the Startup Chile team helped me get it back because of surveillance cameras. I am the only person this has happened to (at least from what I know). I think you can get things stolen in any co-work environment and there is no way Startup Chile can control this (other than doing what they already do).

If you are uncomfortable with the security aspect you can get an office for around $600/month (I am currently sharing an office with an Argentinean company and we split things $300/month). Our office is rather large (it's 3 offices, one bathroom and one kitchen).