The fintech accelerator Pygma has opened applications for “PY9: The Future of Fintech,” its ninth acceleration program cohort. This edition is designed for pre-seed startups led by Latin American founders, maintaining a vertical focus on the fintech sector. A significant change for this cohort is that the program's closing event will be held for the first time in San Francisco, United States, aiming to bring founders closer to the ecosystem where the next generation of global fintech is being developed.
Program Focus and Startup Profile
• Industry Focus: The program targets fintech companies, with investors prioritizing models in financial infrastructure, artificial intelligence applied to financial services, and businesses with sustainable unit economics nearing profitability.
• Previous Cohort Verticals: The PY8 cohort included 17 startups from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the United States, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela, focusing on payments, compliance, fraud prevention, financial infrastructure, enterprise software, and AI for fintech.
• Ideal Company Profile: The program reflects a shift towards operational efficiency, sales, and financial sustainability. In the last cohort, nearly 40% of companies were already profitable, and over 70% operated under B2B or B2B2C models.
Program Structure and Key Features
• Program Format: PY9 will retain the intensive format of previous cohorts.
• Core Components: The program includes individual mentoring, one-on-one sessions, specialized workshops, and meetings with investors.
• Key Events: A central feature is the Demo Day, followed by post-acceleration support.
• Mentorship: Past mentors and visiting partners have included Salomón Zarruk, Miguel Burger, and Christian Knudsen.
• San Francisco Closing Event: The program culminates in a closing event in San Francisco, designed to connect entrepreneurs with operators, investors, and executives in the Silicon Valley ecosystem.
Outcomes and Success Metrics
• Fundraising Success: Over 80% of accelerated startups have successfully raised institutional capital after participating in the program.
• Average Capital Raised: Startups that complete the accelerator program raise an average of nearly US$400,000.
• Portfolio Highlight: A standout from the program is Callbook AI, a startup generating approximately US$100,000 in monthly revenue and planning a U.S. capital-raising round.
Application Details
• How to Apply: Interested founders can sign up for the PY9 waitlist via the provided form.
• Early Access Benefits: Those who join the waitlist will receive early access to content, sessions, and conversations with the community before the official application period opens.
Pygma operates as an accelerator and venture capital firm with headquarters in New York, an active presence in Latin America, and connections in Silicon Valley. Formed from the merger of Buildup Camp and Acanof, the firm aims to reduce the learning curve for pre-seed fintech founders and connect them with a community experienced in scaling businesses in both Latin America and the United States. To date, Pygma has accelerated 148 fintech startups across 17 countries, channeling nearly US$40 million into ventures, with a portfolio concentration of 35% in Colombia and 20% in Mexico.