MEXpreneurs Podcast

This is a special episode in the MEXpreneurs Podcast for 3 main reasons: first 9 months of MEXpreneurs, finale of season 1 of the MEXpreneurs Podcast, and 3 previous podcast guests, Mayra Hurtado, Antonio Anguiano, and Walter Mata, who have played an active role in building MEXpreneurs, joined us once again.

First, on October 31st, 2024, we celebrated the first 9 months of MEXpreneurs since the launch on February 1st this year. It has been like a birth of a child. During these first 9 months, the MEXpreneurs community was born, attracting now over 50 Mexican tech startup founders worldwide who joined us as guests in the MEXpreneurs Podcast and/or who physically met us in the in-person MEXpreneurs Founder Meetups that we have hosted across 7 different cities around the world: Mexico City and Monterrey in Mexico, Seattle in the US, and Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, and Berlin in Europe. In addition, we have now identified over a 100 Mexican tech startups globally, which we have listed in the Mexican tech startups directory available through the MEXpreneurs website. Connections and partnerships have started to emerge as a result of this and we are very excited about those in the future.

Second, this episode 42 represents the finale of season 1 of the MEXpreneurs Podcast. Since February 1st this year, we’ve released, non-stop, one new episode every Thursday, featuring one Mexican tech startup founder. Actually, each founder has had two episodes on a row. In the first episode they’ve shared about their founder journey, how they got where they are today, their ups and downs and learnings in between. In the second episode, some also brought in their co-founders to talk about their startups, their traction, the people behind them, and their priorities for the next months. In total we have featured 20 Mexican tech startups from 14 different countries across 18 different industries. In case you haven’t listened to them, all episodes are available via Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.

Finally, in this episode we are joined again by 3 Mexican tech startup founders who participated as guests during the first season: Mayra Hurtado, Co-Founder & CEO of Prelude Health in based Singapore, Antonio Anguiano, Co-Founder & CEO of Greenny in based in Paris, France, and Walter Mata, Founder & CEO of WAS Company based in Monterrey. Mayra joined us in episodes 18 and 19, Antonio in episodes 20 and 21 and Walter in episodes 22 and 23. Check out their episodes in case you haven’t. Each of them has also played an active role in the development of the MEXpreneurs community since they joined us in the podcast. Therefore, in this episode they shared with us their experience at MEXpreneurs so far as well as the potential that they see for this community moving forward.

Learn more:

https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-season1finale

https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-preludehealth

https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-greenny

https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-wasco

https://www.mexpreneurs.com/impact

Marc Freudenberg from The Uncommon Lab, a Material Science startup based in Guadalajara, Mexico, joins us again to talk about his startup and team.

The Uncommon Lab develops innovative B2C products that apply scientific principles from tribology and material sciences. It is a spin-off of the Interlub Group, a leader in specialized industrial lubricants founded in 1984 by Marc’s dad, Peter Freudenberg. The Uncommon Lab brings Interlub’s expertise to consumer markets. Since its launch, it has seen strong traction in Mexico primarily via Baking Alchemy, a non-stick baking and cooking product. It has achieved nearly 100,000 followers on social media, partnered with over 100 distributors throughout the country, and won awards such as “Empresas Excepcionales”.

As CEO of The Uncommon Lab, Marc is responsible for the overall company vision, leadership, strategy, and go-to-market.

In addition to Marc, there is a small dedicated team primarily focused on marketing and sales, including building the brand, establishing partnerships, and selling Baking Alchemy’s products. The Uncommon Lab also leverages Interlub Group’s infrastructure, especially its research and development and product teams, through which they continue to improve and expand their product portfolio.

Content:

03:40 Tribology, the scientific discipline behind The Uncommon Lab products

05:00 The origin of The Uncommon Lab as a spin-off of the Interlub Group

07:30 The products lines launched by The Uncommon Lab and the logic behind them

11:50 Baking Alchemy and its traction

17:30 The team behind The Uncommon Lab

20:30 The priorities of The Uncommon Lab for the following months

24:00 Marc’s best advise for aspiring founders: building a brand in B2C

Learn more:

Marc in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcfreudenberg/

The Uncommon Lab in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theuncommonlab

The Uncommon Lab website: https://theuncommonlab.com.mx/

Interlub Group in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/interlubgroup/

Interlub Group website: https://interlubgroup.com/

Episode page: https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-theuncommonlab

Our supporters for this episode:

https://skyflare.com/mexpreneurs

https://partnershipleaders.com/

Marc Freudenberg is Founder and CEO of The Uncommon Lab, a Material Science startup based in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The Uncommon Lab develops innovative B2C products that apply scientific principles from tribology and material sciences. It is a spin-off of the Interlub Group, a leader in specialized industrial lubricants founded in 1984 by Marc’s dad, Peter Freudenberg. The Uncommon Lab brings Interlub’s expertise to consumer markets. Since its launch, it has seen strong traction in Mexico primarily via Baking Alchemy, a non-stick baking and cooking product. It has achieved nearly 100,000 followers on social media, partnered with over 100 distributors throughout the country, and won awards such as “Empresas Excepcionales”.

Marc is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico. Due to his German and Mexican family, he has spent significant time in both Germany and Mexico, studying economics and business in Hamburg and Berlin. After gaining valuable experience working at fast-growing German startups, Marc returned to Mexico to apply his knowledge in the family business. He later took over the role of General Manager of the Metal Forming division of Interlub and founded The Uncommon Lab. He is passionate about entrepreneurship and international business, which is reflected in the creation of new businesses and the global expansion that Interlub is experiencing.

Content:

03:10 Marc’s background and his different roles at The Uncommon Lab, at Interlub Group, and as university professor

05:20 His connection to Germany and his studies in Hamburg and Berlin

07:10 Marc’s experience working at fast-growing German startups like Rocket Internet

08:30 The rationale for moving back to Mexico

11:30 His trajectory inside the Interlub Group

14:40 Interlub’s expansion from B2B to B2C, including the different products under The Uncommon Lab

19:10 The origin of Baking Alchemy

20:50 Marc’s international exposure from Mexico

23:20 His best advise for aspiring founders: focus on the minimal viable market

Learn more:

Marc in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcfreudenberg/

The Uncommon Lab in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theuncommonlab

The Uncommon Lab website: https://theuncommonlab.com.mx/

Interlub Group in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/interlubgroup/

Interlub Group website: https://interlubgroup.com/

Episode page: https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-theuncommonlab

Our supporters for this episode:

https://skyflare.com/mexpreneurs

https://partnershipleaders.com/

Gabriel Garza from DocTour, a Telemedicine startup based in Cancun, Mexico, joins us again to talk about his startup and team.

Gabriel, together with Guillermo Loyo, are the founders of DocTour.

DocTour started with a mission to address the healthcare needs of international tourists visiting Mexico by offering affordable telemedicine consultations. The platform has since expanded to offer comprehensive corporate health services, white-label solutions for insurance companies, and a new focus on managing chronic diseases. DocTour is also working on a new social impact project that will provide free telemedicine consultations for children and families in rural areas of Mexico, bringing much-needed healthcare to underserved communities.

Gabriel is Managing Director and Guillermo is Operations Director. Both are originally from Mexico. Gabriel is based in Porto Alegre, Brazil, while Guillermo is based in Cancun.

Gabriel is responsible for the overall company vision, leadership, strategy, go-to-market, and partnerships. He leads DocTour remotely from his home base in Brazil. You can learn more about Gabriel and his professional journey through the previous podcast episode.

Guillermo is responsible for the operations of DocTour, working directly with customers and partners, and managing DocTour’s medical staff. Guillermo is a certified doctor, specialized in telemedicine. Before DocTour, he worked at multiple hotels and resorts in Cancun attending international travelers.

Content:

03:10 Overview and evolution of DocTour, a digital medical services company

05:10 The origins of DocTour and the challenges international tourists face when requiring medical attention

11:40 The traction from DocTour, including awards and recognitions and new lines of business

14:40 DocTour’s growth strategy

19:50 The team behind DocTour

23:30 Current priorities from DocTour

27:10 Gabriel’s best advise for aspiring founders: find the problem

Learn more:

Gabriel in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-alejandro-garza-caro/

DocTour in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/doctour/

DocTour website: https://www.doctour.app/home/

Episode page: https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-doctour

Our supporters for this episode:

https://skyflare.com/mexpreneurs

https://partnershipleaders.com/

Gabriel Garza is Co-Founder and Managing Director of DocTour, a Telemedicine startup based in Cancun, Mexico.

DocTour started with a mission to address the healthcare needs of international tourists visiting Mexico by offering affordable telemedicine consultations. The platform has since expanded to offer comprehensive corporate health services, white-label solutions for insurance companies, and a new focus on managing chronic diseases. DocTour is also working on a new social impact project that will provide free telemedicine consultations for children and families in rural areas of Mexico, bringing much-needed healthcare to underserved communities.

Gabriel is originally from Monterrey, Mexico, and is based in Porto Alegre, Brazil. With a background in international commerce and economics, he worked at global companies like Cemex and managed large-scale projects across multiple countries before transitioning to entrepreneurship. Gabriel also spent time in France, where he completed two master’s degrees and developed a passion for sustainable development and social impact. He later moved to Brazil for family reasons and has lived there for more than 8 years. His passion for leveraging technology to make healthcare more accessible, combined with his strong belief in social responsibility, drives the innovative solutions he continues to develop at DocTour.

Content:

04:30 The multiple cities inside and outside Mexico where Gabriel lived since an early age

07:30 The two Master’s degrees that Gabriel completed in France

10:10 Gabriel’s international experience at Cemex with a focus on business processes optimization

14:00 His transition to consulting after Cemex

15:00 Gabriel’s relocation to Brazil and his first business in language translation

17:00 The origins of DocTour

23:30 Gabriel’s connection to Mexico

25:20 His best advise for aspiring founders

Learn more:

Gabriel in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-alejandro-garza-caro/

DocTour in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/doctour/

DocTour website: https://www.doctour.app/home/

Episode page: https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-doctour

Our supporters for this episode:

https://skyflare.com/mexpreneurs

https://partnershipleaders.com/

Dario Casanova from SolarX, a FinTech startup based in Austin, USA, joins us again together with his co-founder, Eddy Hernandez, to talk about their startup and team.

SolarX is a crowdfunding platform that connects investors with opportunities in the solar energy sector, allowing anyone to invest in solar projects with as little as US$10. By providing industrial companies with solar energy at no upfront cost, SolarX helps them reduce their energy expenses while offering investors attractive returns. Since its inception, SolarX has gained traction by successfully delivering projects across Mexico and is now expanding into Colombia, attracting interest from international investors.

Dario and Eddy are both Co-CEOs. In addition, Dario is Chief Operations Officer while Eddy is Chief Technology Officer. They are both originally from Monterrey, Mexico.

Since SolarX is a two-sided platform, Dario is primarily responsible to win solar energy projects with industrial companies and to create strategic partnerships with key players in the renewable energy ecosystem, including technology providers, service companies, and more. You can learn more about Dario and his professional journey through the previous podcast episode.

On the other side, Eddy is responsible to bring investors onboard, both institutional and retail investors, who invest in the solar energy projects, and to develop the technology to scale and grow the platform. Prior to SolarX, Eddy worked at a B2C e-commerce startup after completing his undergraduate degree in computer science.

Content:

03:20 The two-sided crowdfunding platform that Dario and Eddy are building at SolarX

05:30 The alternatives that industrial companies have to adopt and finance renewable energy

08:30 SolarX vision of the future

11:00 The traction of SolarX so far, including new waste-to-energy technology

17:15 The team behind SolarX

21:50 SolarX priorities for the upcoming months

27:50 The best advise for aspiring founders from Dario and Eddy

Learn more:

Dario in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dario-casanova/

Eddy in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddyhdzg/

SolarX in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/solarx-app/

SolarX website: https://www.solarx.app/

Episode page: https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-solarx

Our supporters for this episode:

https://skyflare.com/mexpreneurs

https://partnershipleaders.com/

Dario Casanova is Co-Founder, Co-CEO and Chief Operations Officer of SolarX, a FinTech startup based in Austin, USA.

SolarX is a crowdfunding platform that connects investors with opportunities in the solar energy sector, allowing anyone to invest in solar projects with as little as US$10. By providing industrial companies with solar energy at no upfront cost, SolarX helps them reduce their energy expenses while offering investors attractive returns. Since its inception, SolarX has gained traction by successfully delivering projects across Mexico and is now expanding into Colombia, attracting interest from international investors.

Dario is originally from Monterrey, Mexico. He has a strong focus on entrepreneurship. This includes exploring several business ideas and starting a solar panel installation business together with his brother. He also gained valuable experience working at his family’s diverse businesses, ranging from construction to large-scale industrial projects. His passion for innovation, coupled with a deep commitment to sustainability and a strong desire to leave a lasting impact for future generations, drives his work at SolarX.

Content:

03:40 How Dario’s dad inspired him to leave something behind and be a change agent

06:20 Dario’s experience in his dad’s multiple projects and businesses

08:00 The different business ideas that Dario explored during his college studies

11:20 BRUDERGREEN, the solar panel installation business he started with his brother in Monterrey

14:40 How SolarX started when BRUDERGREEN expanded from the residential to the industrial sector

18:00 Why SolarX was incorporated in Austin

20:40 The work Dario continues doing in Mexico

22:30 Dario’s best advise for aspiring founders: co-founders, pivoting, and market problems

Learn more:

Dario in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dario-casanova/

SolarX in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/solarx-app/

SolarX website: https://www.solarx.app/

Episode page: https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-solarx

Our supporters for this episode:

https://skyflare.com/mexpreneurs

https://partnershipleaders.com/

Pedro Luraschi from Hal9, a Generative AI startup based in Seattle, USA, joins us again together with his co-founder, Javier Luraschi, to talk about their startup and team.

Hal9 is transforming the way businesses interact with artificial intelligence by enabling companies to create AI coworkers and virtual assistants that can automate tasks, analyze data, and provide insights in real-time, all without the need of advanced technical expertise. Since its inception, Hal9 has rapidly expanded its client base across multiple industries, including technology, healthcare, and finance, with a strong presence in both the USA and Latin America.

Javier is CEO and Pedro is Chief Operations Officer. In addition, they are siblings.

Javier is responsible for the overall strategic vision of Hal9. He leads the company’s direction in product, go-to-market, and fundraising. Javier is a seasoned software and data engineer. Before Hal9, he worked at SAP, Microsoft Research and RStudio, now Posit, where he developed expertise in data engineering, cloud computing, and building scalable AI solutions.

Pedro leads the operations at Hal9, overseeing product and business development, as well as the Hal9 consulting and professional services. You can learn more about Pedro and his professional journey through the previous podcast episode.

Content:

03:50 The opportunity and challenges companies face with AI chatbots to become more productive

08:20 The distinction between AI chatbots, AI agents, and AI co-workers

12:40 The benefits and use cases of AI chatbots for professionals with different backgrounds and companies of different sizes

15:50 Hal9’s traction and the positive impact they have generated

21:00 The team behind Hal9, their origin story, and their own use of AI chatbots

30:10 Hal9’s priorities in the following months with a special focus on customer acquisition and customer feedback

33:50 The best advise from Pedro and Javier for aspiring founders

Learn more:

Pedro in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poraschi/

Javier in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javierluraschi/

Hal9 in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hal9/

Hal9 website: https://hal9.com/

Episode page: https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-hal9

Our supporters for this episode:

https://skyflare.com/mexpreneurs

https://partnershipleaders.com/

Pedro Luraschi is Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer of Hal9, a Generative AI startup based in Seattle, USA.

Hal9 is transforming the way businesses interact with artificial intelligence by enabling companies to create AI coworkers and virtual assistants that can automate tasks, analyze data, and provide insights in real-time, all without the need of advanced technical expertise. Since its inception, Hal9 has rapidly expanded its client base across multiple industries, including technology, healthcare, and finance, with a strong presence in both the USA and Latin America.

Pedro is originally from Mexico City. With a diverse background in mechatronics, robotics, and philosophy, Pedro has been a maker, educator, and lifelong learner. Over the past decade, he has founded multiple companies focused on emerging technologies, including robotics and AI, and has been a mentor to young entrepreneurs across Mexico.

Content:

03:00 Pedro’s roles as a maker, lifelong learner, and educator and the difference between entrepreneurs and makers

09:00 His exposure to the maker movement

17:00 How Pedro got into robotics since a young age

23:00 The role that education, particularly STEM, has played in Pedro’s career

28:00 The multiple companies that Pedro has started

36:00 Pedro’s connection to Mexico

40:00 His best advise for aspiring founders and makers

Learn more:

Pedro in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poraschi/

Hal9 in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hal9/

Hal9 website: https://hal9.com/

Episode page: https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-hal9

Our supporters for this episode:

https://skyflare.com/mexpreneurs

https://partnershipleaders.com/

Mauricio Lezama from Vivere Stays, a Travel Tech startup based in Madrid, Spain, joins us again to talk about his startup and team.

Mauricio, together with Tobias Jörk and Berta Vilardell, are the founders of Vivere Stays.

Vivere Stays is dedicated to empowering small and independent hotels with advanced technology solutions, allowing them to compete on a level-playing field with larger chains. Its platform provides these hotels with tools for efficient revenue management, dynamic pricing, and improved guest experiences. Since its launch, Vivere Stays has expanded its portfolio to over 1,500 properties across Spain and Europe and has established partnerships with leading Property Management Software vendors like Misterplan, Avirato, and Apaleo.

Mauricio is CEO Spain and Chief Sales Officer, Tobias is CEO Germany and Chief Financial Officer, and Berta is General Manager. They all met at OYO, an Indian multinational hospitality chain, where Mauricio was Head of Sales, Tobias was Managing Director of Spain and Germany, and Berta was Head of Revenue for Europe.

Mauricio is originally from Mexico. He is responsible for Vivere Stays business end-to-end across Spain as well as all sales and commercial aspects of the company. You can learn more about Mauricio and his professional journey through the previous podcast episode.

Content:

03:50 The challenges that hoteliers of small, independent hotels face with revenue management to have the best rates at the right moment

08:20 Vivere Stays’ focus on supporting small, independent hoteliers and its partnerships with other players in the ecosystem across Europe

10:20 The traction from Vivere Stays so far, the co-creation process with hoteliers and Property Management Software vendors, and initial focus in Spain and Germany

14:10 The team behind Vivere Stays and their joint work with customers

18:10 The mix of expertise and profiles among Vivere Stays’ founders

19:50 Main priorities from Vivere Stays for the next months including product development and partnerships

21:30 Mauricio’s best advise for aspiring founders

Learn more:

Mauricio in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauricio-lezama-luna/

Vivere Stays in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viverestays/

Vivere Stays website: https://viverestays.com/

Episode page: https://www.mexpreneurs.com/podcast-viverestays

Our supporters for this episode:

https://skyflare.com/mexpreneurs

https://partnershipleaders.com/