MONTERREY, MEXICO. NOVEMBER 2, 2022 – CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. (“CEMEX”) and CEMEX Ventures, CEMEX’s corporate venture capital and open innovation unit, announced the launch of CEMEX Ventures Leaplab, an intensive acceleration program for innovative startups that address the critical challenges of the construction industry.
Leaplab leverages CEMEX’s facilities, expertise, and resources to help promising startups in the construction technology (Contech) entrepreneurial ecosystem validate and accelerate their value propositions. In its inaugural edition, Leaplab will connect a cohort of startups with CEMEX business units in six countries for an intensive 14-week program supported by close to 100 experts providing mentorship and real-world experience.
“CEMEX Ventures Leaplab is the next step in the evolution of our open innovation strategy,” says Luis Hernández, CEMEX Executive Vice President of Digital and Organization Development. “The intensive acceleration program perfectly complements our open innovation strategy by giving us earlier access to high-potential Contech startups. By collaborating to test promising value propositions, emerging technologies, and new business models, we are better positioned to continue working with and investing in potential industry disruptors. Innovation is and will remain at the core of everything we do at CEMEX.”
CEMEX Ventures Leaplab will focus on startups that are addressing challenges related to four focus areas: Green Construction, Enhanced Productivity, Construction Supply Chain, and Future of Construction. Piloting, testing, and scaling in the construction industry can be costly and time consuming. Barriers to entry can stunt promising ideas before they have a chance to prove their value. Leaplab is looking to avoid these pitfalls by connecting young startups with CEMEX’s experts and facilities. The startups will have quick validation of their business models while CEMEX remains at the cutting edge of innovation in the Contech space.
CEMEX Ventures is a key part of CEMEX’s Digital Innovation in Motion ecosystem, which combines core and open innovation to propel the construction industry in commercial, manufacturing, and back-office practices. Through CEMEX Ventures, CEMEX has invested in some of the most promising companies and technologies in the industry, particularly those contributing to its Future in Action commitment to become a net-zero CO2 company by 2050.
