CREO MX Expands Support for Entrepreneurs Nationwide

Backed by the Mexican Business Council (CMN), the Center for Competitiveness of Mexico (CCMX) launched the seventh national edition of CREO MX, an initiative aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship and supporting the growth of Mexico’s SMEs in an innovation-driven environment.

SMEs account for 52% of Mexico’s GDP and over 68% of national employment.“In Mexico, small and medium-sized enterprises are not only the backbone of our economy, they also represent the creativity, daily effort, and resilience of millions of people,” writes Jaime Márquez, Partner and Executive Director of Business Development, STP, on MBN.

Expanding business formalization would broaden economic inclusion, says Ana María Aguilar, Executive Director, CMN. She says that formalization should operate as an entryway to opportunities by providing protection, stability, and long-term prospects for emerging businesses. According to Aguilar, programs such as CREO MX create conditions that help entrepreneurs access training, networks, and financing that can enable their integration into the formal economy.

“Addressing informality is critical, with 55% of jobs in the informal sector and 10 million workers earning below the minimum wage. This informality leaves them without access to vacations, profit sharing, bonuses, and reduced work hours,” says Octavio de la Torre, President, CONCANACO SERVYTUR, to MBN. 

Large CMN companies can play a role in mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs as they work to turn early ideas into sustainable business projects. CREO MX is a platform that offers tools, guidance, and channels that help emerging ventures link to formal value chains.

The event also introduced the second edition of Startup Hunter IPN and hosted the Mercadito Emprendedor, where 20 Mexican-made products were showcased as examples of local innovation and creative capacity.

Juan Carlos Ostolaza, Director General, CCMX, says that the program trained more than 3,300 entrepreneurs and distributed over MXN$1.3 million (US$71,000) in seed capital through a partnership with WORTEV. CCMX also supported 15 developing projects through specialized mentorship programs.

Since its creation, CREO MX has organized more than 20 regional editions across 14 states, building a community of over 22,000 entrepreneurs and MSMEs that have used the platform to connect with private-sector companies and advance business development.