CITIES FORUM took part in the Canadian Tecnology accelerator program launched by the Canadian embassy to Mexico and Spain during the last half of 2021. CITIES FORUM has been in charge of providing advice and mentoring services to 10 canadian smart city companies interested in approaching to these smart city markets.

During this program, the participating companies have had access to:

• in-depth briefings on doing business in Mexico and Spain to understand the local markets as well as regulatory and import considerations
• targeted business-to-business (B2B) meetings with experts in municipal and regional governments and with private sector players, business chambers and associations
• mentorship and tailored advice on engaging with and pitching to key contacts
• workshop events with like-minded entrepreneurial organizations
• introductions to potential buyers, investors and strategic partners

The program has had 4 phases:

During the first phase the companies had…

• individual introductory meetings with CITIES FORUM’s mentors
• preparation for business matchmaking sessions and pitches to Mexican and Spanish contacts
• presentations and briefings including live webinars on:
  • how to do business in Mexico and Spain
  • general opportunities in the smart cities and smart tourism sectors in both markets
  • local partners, distributors and technology integrators in Mexico and Spain

The second phase gave the companies the oportunity to refine their market strategy, besides they took part in virtual sessions organized to assist Canadian firms in orienting their selling pitch.

In the third phase, participants joined in B2B meetings in each market with carefully selected contacts, including potential partners, clients and distributors. During this phase, participants were showcased at the Smart City Expo Latam Congress (Mexico, October 2021) and the Smart City Expo World Congress (Spain, November 2021).

In the final phase, participants participated in several sessions in which they received information and warm introductions to local organizations and services to enhance the companies’ strategy, including: