8 Colombian businesses going global

Last week, ProColombia’s Macrorrueda 55 concluded in Bogotá, an event where nearly 4,500 entrepreneurs gathered to provide Colombian companies with the opportunity to close business deals in more than 52 countries. Pineapple, pitahaya, achiras, bamboo construction materials, swimwear, tilapia, açaí, stevia, single-dose rum cocktails, windows, cosmetics, flowers, and guava paste, among many others, were some of the products that opened new doors toward internationalization.

Here are some examples of Colombian companies seeking to expand into global markets.

1. Coffee Capsules for the World

Fincafé, a company from Manizales with over a decade of tradition, has been exporting coffee capsules to the United States and Canada for a year now. The product—developed in partnership with Colcup, also from Manizales, responsible for encapsulating the coffee and creating the specialized machines—has been so well received that they are already looking to expand into the European market.

2. Fruit-Based Cocktails

Jonrón aims to enter the international market with an innovative product: a fruit juice cocktail with rum. The variety of flavors and the innovation in its packaging—personalized and practical—earned it potential deals with the United States, Aruba, Curaçao, and Costa Rica. “A product like this doesn’t exist in Colombia. Not only because of its quality, but also because of its unique packaging,” explains Gonzalo Escobar, the company’s manager.

3. Innovative Material

For the past five years, Fora Exteriores has been manufacturing and selling polyethylene products for outdoor spaces: living room sets, dining furniture, loungers, lamps, facades, and displays, among others. The innovative material is not only designed to withstand outdoor conditions but is also low-maintenance, lightweight, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. Although already present in Colombia’s main cities, the company plans to soon launch its products internationally.

4. Exotic Fruit Jellies

“I want the world to know all the products our country has to offer, especially our fruits and natural goods found nowhere else,” says Edward Peñaranda, manager of FrutaVid de Colombia. Their range includes borojo and chontaduro pulp and jelly, as well as guarana-based products.

5. With a Social Purpose

Confecciones y Accesorios Vivies, a company from Cartagena, manufactures leather bags and accessories combined with various textures. They also produce a line of handbags made from recycled polypropylene that supports a foundation dedicated to preserving the Titi Monkey, an endangered species.

6. Technology-Enhanced Sportswear

Saeta Sport, founded in 1984, evolved from neighborhood stores to stadiums across the country. This company specializes in high-performance sportswear and has sponsored nearly all Colombian football teams, as well as the squash, karate, and bowling federations, and elite athletes such as Catherine Ibargüen. Their products impress international markets with their design and advanced fabrics that prevent moisture, protect against UV rays, and feature compression technology that reduces muscle strain and injury risk.

7. Traditional “Light” Sweets

Stevia de Rionegro, a company from Bucaramanga, produces traditional Colombian sweets and desserts sweetened with stevia, a low-calorie sweetener. Guava paste, milk caramel, and cocoa powder are some of their products exported to Brazil, and they plan to soon begin production in a plant in the United States.

8. To Your Health

Bogotá-based company Serranova creates products designed not only to care for consumers’ health but also for the environment: shampoos, tonics, and conditioners made with natural extracts such as aloe vera, nettle, and rosemary. Currently sold in health stores across more than five Colombian cities, the company expects to begin exporting soon thanks to the Macrorrueda.