Each of the three winning teams will receive US$15,000 in funding -for a total of US$45,000- to pilot their projects in partnership with Copec, which developed the contest as part of its 90th anniversary, with the aim of promoting young talent with ideas capable of transforming life on the move.

After receiving 15 applications and selecting eight finalists who were supported by the accelerator Imagine and teams of experts from different departments within the company, the winning projects were chosen in a Pitch Day format. The winners were Café a la Carta, by Universidad de La Frontera; SmartFlow, by Universidad de Los Andes; and Migratio, by Instituto Profesional DUOC UC.

Arturo Natho, Copec’s CEO, said: “We exist to empower the development and mobility of people, businesses, and the country. That is why we are proud to open our doors to a new generation of young innovators who, with their passion and optimism, help us look beyond the present. We face enormous global challenges, such as climate change and energy transition, and we are convinced that only by working together, with conviction and purpose, can we build a better future for Chile. That has been our mission for 90 years and it will continue to guide us in the coming decades.”