Venture Café Monterrey is on its way to financial self-sustainability, attracting a diverse audience to its events. Alejandra Buendía, the general director, revealed that on average, about 200 people participate in each event, including entrepreneurs, students, service providers, academia, corporations, government entities, and investors. Some of the sponsors of the initiative include Heineken, Rivero González, and Berry Nuts, along with companies such as Cemex, Xignux, and Corning, located in Expedition Femsa in Monterrey.
In 2022, the organization began operations in Monterrey, following the model established in Boston, becoming the first Venture Café location in Latin America. They are currently planning to open their second location in Mexico City, with a strategy to raise funds before starting operations. Additionally, they are considering establishing satellite locations in less developed areas that could hold monthly events instead of biweekly or weekly.
The global network of Venture Café continues to expand, with a scheduled opening in London and expansion plans in Asia. This network provides opportunities for Mexican entrepreneurs seeking to enter other markets such as the United States, Europe, or Asia. Through global connections, Venture Café facilitates the creation of international contacts for entrepreneurs.
Venture Café was founded in 2009 by Tim Rowe at the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) in Boston and currently has 14 locations worldwide. In Monterrey, the location is at Expedition Femsa, within Tec de Monterrey, where biweekly events are held on Thursday evenings to bring together people interested in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. With 64 events organized to date, Venture Café's mission is to connect innovators, foster the generation of disruptive ideas, and address societal challenges through collaboration among entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, academia, government, and NGOs.
