Have an EdTech startup in LatAm? Here’s how IFE can accelerate your growth through its TecPrize and IFE Launch programs

The Institute for the Future of Education (IFE) at Tecnológico de Monterrey is opening its most important calls for applications for EdTech startups in Latin America. Through its programs TecPrize and IFE Launch, IFE aims to support technology solutions that are transforming how we learn, teach, and develop talent across the region.

Both programs have become strategic allies for founders looking to validate, scale, and connect with Latin America’s most robust education, corporate, and academic ecosystem.

What is IFE, and why is it revolutionizing educational innovation in LatAm?

The IFE is a strategic initiative of Tecnológico de Monterrey whose mission is to reach more than one million people through educational innovation. It brings together research, observatories, support for educators, and collaboration with entrepreneurs to transform education in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“We want to connect talent, technology, and purpose. We know the region shares educational challenges, and we believe EdTech startups have a key role to play in solving them,” explains Rodrigo Correa, TecPrize coordinator.

TecPrize connects the best EdTech startups with the region’s biggest challenges.

TecPrize is an open innovation initiative that harnesses collective intelligence to design and launch an annual challenge tied to the most urgent educational needs identified in Latin America and the Caribbean. This year’s challenge 2025: AI-powered solutions for talent development and the workforce in LatAm.

How is the challenge designed? Through workshops with key ecosystem stakeholders—including corporations, governments, startups, investors, and academia—in several countries across the region. Using this collective intelligence, IFE defines a specific challenge and selects the startups best equipped to solve it.

“This year, we want to see what startups are doing with AI to close the skills gap in the workplace. We’re looking for solutions that promote reskilling and upskilling in LatAm,” adds Rodrigo.

Among the program’s most notable success stories is 1Mentor, a TecPrize 2023 winner that achieved an exit in January 2024 when it was acquired by QS .

 Learn more and apply to TecPrize here

IFE Launch: the EdTech accelerator that brings you to Monterrey for 3 months

IFE Launch was created in response to the lack of specialized EdTech accelerators in Latin America. Today, it offers a three-month program in Monterrey (Mexico), where selected founders live, validate, and grow their startups at the heart of the education and business ecosystem.

What does the program offer?

• Solution validation with TEC researchers.
• Access to more than 20 campuses and +100.000 students for testing.
• Connections with corporations (Cemex, FEMSA, Vitro, and others).
• Participation in the IFE EdTech Summit, with more than 4.000 attendees from the education sector.
• A booth, a pitch opportunity, and access to university administrators and global experts.
• Support to grow sales and enter new markets.

“Our greatest value isn’t just the infrastructure—it’s the connections. We want founders to experience the ecosystem firsthand. That’s why we cover most of their expenses during their stay,” explains César Sánchez, IFE Launch coordinator.

Who can apply?

The program is for startups that:

• Have a functional product (a tested MVP or a solution already in use).
• Have a technology-based product focused on higher or professional education.
• Want to validate and scale their solution in a real educational setting.

Startups from any country in the world can apply. The key is that their proposal has the potential to make an impact in Latin America’s educational context.

Learn more and apply to IFE Launch here

Why apply?

• Fast validation: access to TEC educators, students, and experts.
• Visibility: exposure to key players in the education and corporate ecosystem.
• Strategic partnerships: connections with universities, investment funds, and large companies.
• Community: even if you aren’t selected, you can join IFE’s EdTech ecosystem and take part in future opportunities.

The two programs are connected: one application lets you be considered for both TecPrize and IFE Launch, depending on your startup’s profile and stage.

What’s next?

Applications for TecPrize are now open and close on 31 of August. IFE Launch will officially open on 1 of September, but if you apply to TecPrize today, you’ll already be in the selection process for both programs.

“We dream of seeing our startups reach accelerators like Y Combinator. We want to be a bridge to that,” concludes César.

Are you building an EdTech startup with the potential to make an impact in LatAm?

A real opportunity to validate your proposition, gain visibility, and scale with the backing of one of LatAm’s strongest education ecosystems.

Apply to IFE Launch today and start your journey with IFE Launch.