Quito, Ecuador - September 9, 2025

 

In 2017, our founder Freddy made a bold decision: to leave behind his corporate job at a multinational and create a simple MVP that addressed a very common frustration. The business software available at the time was expensive, complicated, and instead of simplifying management, it made entrepreneurs’ daily operations even harder.

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Very soon, Juan Miguel and Javier joined, bringing their experience running a healthy snacks business; I immediately connected with the problem from my background in gastronomy; and Carlos, with his expertise in people management, led the Customer Experience area. From our very first clients, it became clear that SMEs needed a practical tool designed specifically for them. That’s how our purpose was born: to create prosperity for Latin American SMEs.

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It was never just about technology—it was about social impact: giving small businesses, the backbone of our economies and communities, better tools to grow, access opportunities, and become more sustainable.

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Today, tuGerente is a financial platform that streamlines the management of small and medium-sized enterprises, optimizing processes like inventory, income, expenses, and invoicing. It’s built by a team that understands firsthand the challenges SMEs face. We firmly believe that by empowering them with accessible technology, we are helping transform lives, generate jobs, and strengthen the entrepreneurial fabric of the region.

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The Challenges of Raising Capital as a Woman Entrepreneur

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Being a woman entrepreneur brings particular barriers, especially when it comes to accessing investment. One of the biggest is perception of risk: many times, we feel we have to prove twice as much to earn the same trust a male founder would receive.

In my experience, the challenges have centered on three fronts:

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1. Role within the founding team: While having a female co-founder helps, there is a gray area where women in C-level positions at startups with less than $3M in revenue don’t receive enough attention—neither from gender-lens funds nor from traditional ones.

2. Geographic origin: Starting out in Bolivia was a huge challenge. For many investors, revenue generated there “doesn’t count,” which limits credibility when scaling into other markets.

3. Elitism in investment circles: In Latin America, there is still a strong bias toward certain groups. This creates more flexible processes for some, and much stricter ones for others, adding yet another barrier for diverse teams like ours.

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Why Gender-Lens Investing Matters

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For me, gender-lens investing is not just a matter of fairness—it’s a smart strategy. Research backs it up: women-led companies tend to be more resilient, profitable, and impactful in their communities. Betting on diverse teams means opening new growth opportunities, serving underserved markets, and fostering more sustainable business models.

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The impact goes beyond the company. When a woman accesses capital, that growth multiplies outward: creating jobs, encouraging more women to step into leadership, and transforming business culture.

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At tuGerente, gender diversity in leadership is not just a value—it’s a competitive advantage. We believe real impact emerges when purpose, innovation, and diversity come together. Gender-lens investing is part of that equation: an investment not only in companies, but in a fairer, more prosperous, and sustainable future for the entire region.

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The Impact of IMPAQTO Capital’s Investment in tuGerente

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The arrival of IMPAQTO Capital was a turning point in our journey. Beyond the capital itself, the signaling of having an international impact fund on board opened crucial doors: we secured investment from Newlin and other U.S. investors, validating that tuGerente has global potential.

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Within the Latin American impact ecosystem, this investment gave us both credibility and visibility, positioning us as a relevant regional player. Strategically, it was fundamental for our commercial launch in Mexico, a key market in our growth plan. Without IMPAQTO Capital’s backing, our process would have been much slower and more complex.

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Today, we can confidently say that this support not only propelled us as a company, but also strengthened our commitment to keep transforming the reality of SMEs in Latin America.

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If you are reading this and still hesitant about raising capital, my message is clear: don’t hold yourself back. Seeking investment doesn’t mean losing your vision—it means amplifying it. Many times we think we have to wait until everything is “perfect,” but the truth is, perfection doesn’t exist. What matters is having clarity of purpose, confidence in your capabilities, and openness to grow with support.

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Capital doesn’t just accelerate your impact—it also paves the way for those who come after you. Every woman who dares to raise investment creates role models for others to follow.

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Author: Omaira Saucedo Bendek
Co-founder & CMO

tuGerente

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