El Salvador: Innovation & VC Take Center Stage at SNBX Summit
The third edition of the SNBX Innovation Summit brought together over 450 leaders across sectors, solidifying its role as a leading platform.
San Salvador, March 28, 2025 — Yesterday, the third edition of the SNBX Innovation Summit brought together over 450 leaders across sectors, solidifying its role as a leading platform for innovation and entrepreneurship in El Salvador and the Central American region. Corporate executives, investors, startup founders, universities, and government representatives came together to explore global trends and forge strategic connections that are shaping the future of business in the region.
A Strategic Agenda for Growth
This year’s summit was built around three core pillars:
- Impact Trends: Discussions focused on the Silver Economy, offering solutions for people over 50; the Data Economy, powering data-driven business models; and the Future of Work, highlighting the skills needed in rapidly evolving labor markets. (dinero.com.sv)
- Sustainability and Social/Corporate Innovation: Experts shared strategies and technologies to drive long-term business sustainability and social impact.
- Startups and Venture Capital (VC): The summit served as a regional bridge between founders and investors, with sessions featuring real-world success cases and investment opportunities.
Global and Regional Thought Leaders
More than 40 national and international speakers took the stage, including:
- Money Albarrán, founder of Muuk (Mexico), who emphasized that "technology should adapt to individual preferences in order to achieve a higher purpose in entrepreneurship development." (elsalvador.com)
- Lourdes Wong, Bridge for Billions
- Sebastian Ibañez, ANA Capital
- Claudia Cifuentes, ESINTEC
- José Kont, Cuantico and Impacta VC
- Heloisa Ferreira, CAFI and SilverLac
- Mara Balestrini, Co-founder of DO, who highlighted that innovation and technology must now be core to a company’s DNA to succeed in today’s markets.
A Hub for Strategic Collaboration
At the opening, Ricardo Augspurg, founder of Sandbox, remarked: “Through joint effort and commitment across the ecosystem, we’re turning innovative ideas into tangible outcomes.”
Minister of Economy María Luisa Hayem added that El Salvador’s innovation ecosystem is currently valued at over $337 million, supported by public-private partnerships with 26 universities and tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta. These collaborations have trained thousands of young Salvadorans in high-demand tech skills.
A Regional Platform with Lasting Impact
Since its launch in 2023, the SNBX Summit has evolved into a cornerstone for El Salvador’s innovation ecosystem:
- 2023: Debut edition in San Salvador, focused on edutech, social innovation, sustainability, and VC, with 20+ speakers.
- 2024: Regional expansion across Central America, featuring over 40 curated meetings and a multi-track agenda.
- 2025: A renewed commitment to driving innovation as a strategic engine for inclusive economic development across the region.