According to the World Bank, 2021 will be a year of low growth for Costa Rica, ranking it amongst the lowest performers in Latin America. This information is somewhat ironic when one considers the fact that during 2020, Costa Rica was among the countries whose production declined the least.
Last year gave rise to a number of innovative initiatives, among them the ramped use of Zoom in the corporate world, an increased use of the internet for the procurement of goods and services, and a sharp incline in the amount of start-ups.
Some refer to such endeavors as side-hustles, and often that’s what they initially are, but once such initiatives gain steam, they become startups, and once such startups succeed, they become fully-fledged businesses. Costa Rica is primed for the kind of startups that have an eco-friendly angle, aim or outcome, and it’s no surprise – the country’s dense, rugged rainforest sports the type of vegetation which accounts for 6% of the world’s biodiversity.
In recent years some impressive eco-friendly startups have emerged, each one sporting a great success story, and it’s enough to inspire you too if you’re looking to get your very own start-up off the ground.
Green Cloud
Eco-efficiency and carbon neutrality is the name of the game for Green Cloud, a start-up that provides its users with the necessary tools to measure, monitor and thus lower their carbon footprint. So far Green Cloud has done an amazing job – having signed up more than 150 organizations in 16 countries already. Through consultation and organizational leadership, Green Cloud provides automated reports and solutions for companies to achieve and work towards carbon neutrality.
Magenta Biolabs
This is one for all you ladies looking to switch to cosmetic products that don’t harm the environment. Magenta Biolabs does something truly innovative; in a nutshell the company collects organic by-products, recycles the nutrients and then transforms those nutrients into valuable and applicable molecules. One key such example is their production of hyaluronic acid, a substance used in anti-aging cosmetic products. Magenta also subscribes to the circular economy, which is a system completely dedicated to the tenets of recycling.
Bromé
Bromé and Megenta Bioloabs are clearly cut from the same cloth as both companies subscribe to the principles of reusing and recycling. In the case of Bromé, where most would see waste, they see an environmental solution or solutions, and they’ve applied their findings to various industries including cosmetics, textiles, baking and even brewing. One of their major claims to fame is their transformation of pineapple by-products into components for use in the aforementioned industries.
Workride
Wouldn’t we all like better transport solutions? Wouldn’t we all like to lower our carbon footprint? A common problem associated with transport solutions is the fact that many countries only have the kind of infrastructure best suited to cars.
Enter Workride, a service incorporated into an app that lets you share a ride while affording you all other kinds of great and social amenities. Workride works off the proven theory that commuting through dense traffic and all that it entails is stressful. Their solution? Share a ride with other commuters and save on gas and tolls while reducing your stress and meeting new people. Their belief is that corporate carpooling can lead to happier employers.
Financing your startup
These days accruing the required capital for a startup can be done through numerous means. In some cases the startup capital amount can range from none to some, and with the abundant availability of no-code apps and websites, many people can now literally use such software to create their own websites or apps. And who’s to say you can’t finance your startup through trading?
Trading as it turns out, requires little start-up capital, can yield incredible returns, and those returns can be used to fund your startup. It’s but one of many ways in which to finance your startup, and who knows where things might go from there?
