Q: What does the name change from Rokk3r Labs to Rokk3r México signify?

GN: Rokk3r is a company that puts what it says into practice. We believe in being close to our clients to transform ideas into business opportunities Through its business model, the organization has evolved and adapted to the needs of the market over the past few years. Subsequently, Rokk3r recognized the importance of having a branch in Mexico and taking the opportunity to expand into the booming Latin American market. Rokk3r was already active in Colombia and Ecuador, so Mexico was the most logical next step to position ourselves in the region. The goal for the past six months has been to analyze and prepare the company’s focus on Mexico to help turn it into another center for innovation, investment and entrepreneurship.

Q: How does Rokk3er México contribute to co-building new companies that are looking to innovate?

AA: Rokk3r’s specialty is changing the mindset that innovation goes beyond technology. Innovation really happens because people who create new ideas think differently and creatively. Rokk3r supports companies that see the need to join the change but do not have the tools to do so, even those companies that already have the sense of innovation embedded in their spirit. We offer a product called Think, which is a traditional consulting service in which Rokk3r performs an analysis of a company’s assets and a market study to uncover innovation opportunities. Co-Build is another of our solutions that supports the construction of new businesses within companies and to help entrepreneurs who already have an innovation proposal but need to grow or improve it. Through our different products, we help companies generate new businesses or build ideas that can be transformed into businesses.

Q: What are the main challenges that companies face when looking to innovate?

GN: The first challenge is to look beyond the inclusion of technologies as a source of innovation and focus on developing creative changes to business models. Technologies do not guarantee instantaneous innovation and improvement, it is necessary to have a model and project that support the need for technology to solve or improve a selected process. One of the obstacles for companies is to change a paradigm of wanting to do everything and cover everything, to providing a value-added solution that is innovative. The second factor is the lack of attention to segments not served by physical solutions. For example, previously healthcare was conditioned to the use of large-scale equipment. With telemedicine, the same thing can be done with smaller equipment.

Q: Which sectors offer the greatest potential for innovation in Mexico?

GN: For the past few years, fintechs have been leaders of innovation and funding attractiveness in Mexico. Only last year, more than 46 percent of Mexico's investment was concentrated in developing fintechs. Rokk3r is actively pursuing the development of insuretech, considering the growth opportunities for the banking and insurance sectors.

AA: There is an opportunity for innovative solutions to human issues. Fintech, for example, helps solve the low penetration of financial solutions in Mexico and other countries, while other fields like e-commerce and retail are more linked to consumer behavior. Mexico has become very attractive to business entrepreneurs in different areas where they do not have a strong presence today but in which there is a promising future, such as health, education and mobility.

Q: Which has been one of the most successful projects for Rokk3r México?

GN: We have several success cases that have a promising future, but these remain in the early stages of development. One ready example, however, is Uniko, which is a wedding platform that can be personalized to manage all the tasks required before a couple gets married. This platform helps couples design their wedding from the dress code to setting up a gift table that includes financing experiences like trips or providing monetary gifts for houses, cars and more. Today, more than 60 percent of couples live together for 1 or 2 years before getting married. Wedding processes are not what they were 10 years ago and the needs and desires of these couples have changed. Uniko saw the business opportunity to create a platform that adapts to this new landscape to solve these new needs. Through Uniko, couples have access to a platform that is tailor-made to their specific needs, from asking for funding for their honeymoon to house upgrades. Palco is another new Rokk3r company. It focuses on leveraging Industry 4.0 technologies to transform the logistics industry in Latin America and it works as an Airbnb of warehouses.

Q: What are Rokk3r México’s main goals for 2020-2021?

GN: As a company, Rokk3r aims to launch between 12 to 15 new businesses each year to join the 50 success cases the company has already helped to grow or create. Of the companies that will be created, it is estimated that at least five will come from Mexico, which represents about 33 percent of the new companies from Rokk3r. This will involve Mexico-based companies and businesses from other countries that have a target market in Mexico. Borders are no longer a limitation for innovation or for entrepreneurs. Innovation has no limits and Rokk3r is betting on taking solutions where people need them.

Rokk3r is a venture builder and the world’s first “co-building” platform for entrepreneurs, corporations and investors to create exponential startups. It focuses on leveraging exponential technologies and implementing new-age methods of raising capital.