Start-Up Chile, the public accelerator run by Chile's development agency Corfo, will open applications for its BIG 13 cohort on Monday, November 3, at 1:00 p.m. Chile time, according to its application page. It offers CLP 15 million in Build, CLP 30 million in Ignite and CLP 75 million in Growth, with no equity taken. Corfo, in turn, has a new Crea y Valida window starting November 10 in its official calendar, and specialized blogs expect Semilla Inicia and Semilla Expande around mid-month.
Not every fund does the same job. Some are for a validated idea and others for companies already selling hundreds of millions of pesos a year. This guide sorts the programs by startup stage, separates confirmed dates from reference dates and sums up the requirements that rule out most applicants.
Start-Up Chile opens BIG 13 on November 3: what is confirmed
BIG is the joint call for Start-Up Chile's three programs. There are two a year. The previous one, BIG 12, received more than 1,296 applications and selected 59 startups from 10 countries, according to the official announcement of July 22, 2026. That is fewer than one in 20.
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| BIG 13 opens | November 3, 1:00 p.m. (Chile time) | startupchile.org |
| BIG 13 closes | Not published as of October 28 | — |
| Programs | Build, Ignite and Growth | startupchile.org |
| Funding | CLP 15M, 30M and 75M, equity-free | BIG 13 brochure |
| BIG 12 (July 2026) | 1,296 applicants and 59 selected from 10 countries | Start-Up Chile blog |
| Historical portfolio | More than 3,000 startups and 6,000 founders from over 85 countries | startupchile.org |
One correction: some calendars shared on social media put the opening on November 4 and Ignite at CLP 25 million. Start-Up Chile's official page says November 3, and the Ignite page and the BIG 13 brochure say CLP 30 million. As of October 28, neither the rules nor the closing date had been published, so check them as soon as the form opens.
Build, Ignite and Growth: Start-Up Chile amounts and requirements
All three programs look for tech-based, innovative and scalable startups from any industry and nationality. The difference is the stage: Build starts with a validated idea, Ignite with a working product and Growth with significant sales. This is what the official brochure says:
| Requirement | Build (pre-acceleration) | Ignite (acceleration) | Growth (scale-up) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corfo funding | CLP 15M (~US$16,000) | CLP 30M (~US$33,000) + possible CLP 20M extension | CLP 75M (~US$83,000) |
| Co-financing | 90% Corfo, 10% startup (CLP 1.6M) | 80% Corfo, 20% startup (CLP 7.5M) | 50% Corfo, 50% startup (CLP 75M) |
| Minimum stage | Validated idea | Working minimum viable product | Sales of 2,400 to 25,000 UF in the last 12 months |
| Age | Less than 1 year | Less than 3 years | 24 months or more since registering with the SII tax service |
| Length | 4 months | 4-month program, 6 months to spend the grant | 6-month program, 8 months to spend the grant |
| Mandatory stay in Chile | 4 months | 6 months | 8 months |
| Spots per cohort | Up to 50 | Up to 30 | 10 to 15 |
Sources: the Build, Ignite and Growth pages and the BIG 13 brochure. In Build and Ignite, age counts as commercial development for individuals and as time since registering with the SII for companies. Growth's sales range equals roughly CLP 95 million to CLP 990 million, according to the brochure itself; the unit is explained in what the UF is.
Under the Female Founder Factor track, when a woman leads the team the startup's own share drops: in Ignite Corfo covers 90% (the startup puts in CLP 3.3 million) and in Growth 60% (it puts in CLP 50 million). At least half of the startups selected for Build are led by women. The team leader must be over 18, own at least 10% of the company and work on it full time. Foreigners apply as individuals and get help with a two-year work visa.
Semilla Inicia, Semilla Expande and Corfo's scale-up funds
Beyond Start-Up Chile, Corfo funds startups through its own competitions. The most searched on Google in Chile are Semilla Inicia (about 3,900 monthly searches across its variants) and Semilla Expande. For companies doing research and development there are Crea y Valida and Consolida y Expande Innovación, with much larger amounts.
| Corfo program | Who it is for | Maximum amount | Co-financing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semilla Inicia | Ventures with no sales, a prototype or an idea that can be implemented quickly; individuals or companies | CLP 15M (CLP 17M if led by a woman) | Up to 75% (85% if led by a woman) |
| Semilla Expande (Expande) | Companies incorporated in Chile with a validated solution and early sales | CLP 25M in stage 1 + CLP 20M in stage 2 = CLP 45M | Up to 75% (+10% if led by a woman) |
| Crea y Valida | Companies doing R&D, from prototype to technical or commercial validation | Up to CLP 220M in the collaborative track | Set by each call's rules |
| Consolida y Expande Innovación | Companies that validated an R&D-based product and want to scale in Chile or abroad | Up to CLP 150M | Set by each call's rules |
Sources: ChileAtiende (Semilla Inicia); Corfo's page and La Tercera (Expande 2026, which closed on February 24); University of Santiago (Crea y Valida 2026, collaborative track) and Reporte Minero (Consolida y Expande 2026). The Crea y Valida and Consolida y Expande amounts come from the 2026 calls and may change in the next one. A Semilla Expande call for women reported by other outlets had different caps (CLP 28.3 million plus CLP 22.6 million), so figures depend on each call.
Which fund to choose for your startup's stage
The question that sorts things best is whether you already sell and how much. This table matches each stage with the programs you could apply to, based on the published requirements:
| Stage | Typical sign | Start-Up Chile | Corfo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idea | Problem validated with customers, no product | Build (CLP 15M) | Semilla Inicia, if you have a prototype or a quick-to-implement idea |
| MVP | Working product, first users, no sales | Build or Ignite (CLP 30M) | Semilla Inicia (CLP 15M) |
| First sales | Paying customers, under 3 years old | Ignite (CLP 30M + 20M) | Semilla Expande (up to CLP 45M in two stages) |
| Scale-up | Sales of 2,400 UF or more a year and 24 months in business | Growth (CLP 75M, with a 50% own share) | Consolida y Expande (up to CLP 150M) |
| Science or R&D based | Proprietary technology that needs research | Any, depending on the stage | Crea y Valida (up to CLP 220M in the collaborative track) |
Two warnings. First, do not assume you can stack two grants on the same project: each call's rules state which other subsidies it is compatible with, so read them before applying to two at once. Second, Growth requires you to fund half the project, CLP 75 million of your own in the general case, which few startups can do without an investment round. The capital markets reform being debated in Congress would allow Corfo to invest in venture capital (see what the reform changes).
November 2026 calendar: confirmed and reference dates
As of October 28, Corfo's 2026 Innovation Programs page showed all its calls as closed, but it publishes an official calendar ("subject to change") with the upcoming windows. We found no official Corfo calendar for Semilla Inicia and Semilla Expande; the dates going around come from the Coloro Emprendedor blog, which says it relies on calendars Corfo posted on LinkedIn.
| Call | Date | Status of the information |
|---|---|---|
| Start-Up Chile BIG 13 (Build, Ignite, Growth) | Opens November 3, 1:00 p.m. | Confirmed on startupchile.org; closing date not published |
| Crea y Valida (second 2026 window) | November 10, 2026, to January 28, 2027 | Corfo's official calendar, subject to change |
| Consolida y Expande Innovación (second window) | October 13 to November 26 | In the official calendar, but not listed as open on October 28 |
| Semilla Inicia | November 17 | Reference date; confirm on the official site |
| Semilla Expande | November 17 | Reference date; confirm on the official site |
In 2026 Corfo already ran one Crea y Valida window (May 19 to August 4) and one Consolida y Expande window (May 5 to June 18), according to its official pages. Semilla Inicia also has regional calls with their own dates in each region.
How to apply to Start-Up Chile and Corfo step by step
- Define your stage with numbers: months since registering with the SII and sales over the last 12 months. That is the first eligibility filter.
- Read the call's rules: Start-Up Chile warns that, if you are selected, the rules become your contract with Corfo.
- Prepare the form: at Start-Up Chile the process is application form, eligibility review, evaluation by expert judges and a final committee.
- Work out your own share: from CLP 1.6 million in Build to CLP 75 million in Growth. At Corfo it is usually at least 25%.
- Record the video if asked: Semilla Inicia asks for a 40-second video about the product and what sets it apart, according to ChileAtiende.
- Do not wait for the last day: Corfo's forms close at an exact time and accept no applications afterwards.
According to Start-Up Chile, its portfolio startups have raised US$2,049,797,227 and the portfolio is worth US$5,882,794,423, figures from the accelerator itself. The economic backdrop is not easy: the IMF cut Chile's 2026 growth forecast (see the IMF cut), which makes equity-free funding more valuable. For a sense of how much AI startups can be worth, see the Jev case.
Frequently asked questions
When does Start-Up Chile open in November 2026?
Applications for BIG 13 open on November 3 at 1:00 p.m. Chile time, according to startupchile.org. The closing date had not been published as of October 28.
How much does Start-Up Chile give?
CLP 15 million in Build, CLP 30 million in Ignite (with a possible CLP 20 million extension) and CLP 75 million in Growth, equity-free. The startup funds 10%, 20% and 50% of the project, respectively.
Can foreigners apply to Start-Up Chile?
Yes. Foreigners apply as individuals and must live in Chile during the program (4, 6 or 8 months). Start-Up Chile supports the process for a two-year work visa.
What is the difference between Semilla Inicia and Semilla Expande?
Semilla Inicia is for ventures with no sales and funds up to CLP 15 million. Semilla Expande is for companies that already sell and funds up to CLP 25 million in a first stage plus CLP 20 million in a second, according to the 2026 call.
When does Semilla Inicia 2026 open?
Unofficial calendars put it on November 17, but we found no confirmation from Corfo as of October 28. It is a reference date; check corfo.gob.cl.
