- Fundación Chile and Corfo launched this call focused on deep tech startups, offering, among other benefits, access to world-class laboratories and connections with corporations, investors, and experts.
- Selected startups will begin their residency in November 2025, when the Startuplab.01 facilities will open their doors in the Territoria Santa Lucía building (formerly Enel Tower).
Fundación Chile and Corfo, from the facilities where startuplab.01 (formerly known as Startup Campus) will operate and with the presence of the Minister of Economy, launched applications for the first deep tech residency in Chile. This program is focused on startups based on science or applied engineering that are developing technologies at the laboratory validation stage in sectors such as energy, manufacturing, agriculture, food systems, transport, mobility, and urbanization.
“The challenges facing the country and humanity, especially those imposed by climate change, now require powerful and innovative solutions; and the startuplab.01 residency precisely seeks to support companies that are developing these solutions so they can grow. We know that currently, science and technology-based companies (EBCTs) face greater difficulties in scaling and securing funding, as their development often takes longer. startuplab.01 aims to be a catalyst for their growth,” said Hernán Araneda, General Manager of Fundación Chile.
José Miguel Benavente, Executive Vice President of Corfo, added that “the public policy of startuplabs, and in particular, startuplab.01, seeks to foster an encounter between science, finance, business models, teams, and knowledge development. It is a space for these multidisciplinary teams to advance their proposals, emerge, and continue progressing. We are definitely building on what has been worked on before; this is a long-term policy that seeks well-being for all citizens,” he emphasized.
The Minister of Economy, Development, and Tourism, Nicolás Grau, indicated that “this is very good news for science and technology-based companies, who will have a space to collaborate and access not only physical infrastructure but also all the elements they need to conduct their research aimed at solving concrete problems, environmental and productive issues, which will allow us to increase productivity, generate more quality jobs, and address key aspects of our development strategy.”
The deep tech residency, which lasts 12 months, offers selected startups infrastructure, laboratories, workspaces, support and acceleration programs, connections with corporations, access to investors, and membership in a specialized, high-level science and technology community.
To be part of the residency, companies must apply by September 15 at www.startuplab01.com and go through the selection and evaluation process. The selected startups – 20 in this first call – will be announced in October and will be able to begin their residency in November, in the building where Startuplab.01 will be located.
“This residency is part of a complete roadmap for startuplab.01‘s progress, starting with this call for startups, while the building and laboratories are being prepared in parallel, so that, once evaluated and selected, we can enter the facilities with them in November, which span approximately 4,000m²,” indicated Francisca Contreras, Executive Director of startuplab.01.
It is worth noting that startuplab.01 will occupy four floors in Territoria Santa Lucía (formerly Enel Tower), an architectural project that will also feature corporate offices and ecosystem hubs, an urban market, cafes, co-working spaces, a cultural center, among others.
Contreras highlighted distinctive attributes of the announced residency: “It is the first time in Chile that a complete offering has been articulated to support EBCTs in one place, including laboratories, corporate connections, specialized support programs, and access to funding opportunities. Furthermore, another relevant element is that Startuplab.01 will not take equity in the companies that are part of the residency; and they will maintain their intellectual property fully and exclusively.”
Regarding the laboratories, startuplab.01 will feature almost 1,000m² of specialized Wet and Dry Labs, specifically designed for deep tech startups from TRL 4-5, addressing the critical bridge between technological validation and commercialization.
Both laboratories were designed based on an analysis of entrepreneur demand, through personalized interviews, surveys, and meetings, which allowed for gathering startups’ needs firsthand. Additionally, this work was complemented by a diagnosis and international benchmark, followed by a review of local infrastructure availability.
Along these lines, the 485m2 Wet Lab will be equipped with work areas dedicated to the comprehensive development of biotechnology-based solutions; it will allow for the execution of different tests and procedures in molecular biology, microbiology, and analytical chemistry.
Finally, the Dry Lab will feature 505m2 of spaces dedicated to engineering, electronics, and manufacturing work for modeling, simulation, and prototyping in hardware, as well as precision electronics, complex mechanical systems, and functional materials.