Rutopía, ecotourism startup by EXATEC, grows with investment capital

Rutopía, a company created by Tec de Monterrey graduates and winner of the 2019 Hult Prize, has secured the support of investors in order to expand its operations through innovation.

The country’s indigenous and rural communities are expected to continue to benefit from sustainable tourism as a result of Rutopía’s use of technology such as artificial intelligence and environmental education, explained Emiliano Iturriaga, founder of Rutopía.

“We’re very excited because what’s coming is the consolidation of our impact model. The investors who participated in this round have the same vision as us,” he told CONECTA.

This round of seed capital investment looks to generate more than 400 million Mexican pesos in income for rural communities over the next three years.

100% high-speed Internet coverage for hosts and the use of a bot to improve the experience are part of what Rutopía now offers as part of its infrastructure growth plan.

Improved technology for greater impact

Thanks to the seed capital investment round, Rutopía will be able to expand its technology in order to improve service, and with this, the lives of people in rural communities.

“What we’re already starting to do with this investment is to innovate using technology; new tools are emerging and providing impressive disruptions through artificial intelligence in the way we can work with hosts.

“For the first time, 100% of Rutopía hosts have access to high-speed Internet. This means a much more efficient direct connection can be made between hosts and people who are service providers in rural areas,” he explained.

“The investors who participated in this round have the same vision as us.”

He added that they are looking to develop technological infrastructure so that people from all over the world can book activities in Mexico without causing negative impacts in the areas they visit.

“It’s difficult for small suppliers to reach the volume they need, which is why you need a value chain. What we’re building is that technological infrastructure.

“For example, we want a travel agent in France or England to be able to book high-impact activities in the Lacandon Jungle with a few clicks, just as easily as it is today to book an all-inclusive package in Cancun.”

Training for hosts

Iturriaga explained that they support hosts so that they can learn about tourism and environmental education through a digital platform.

“It’s an educational platform for hosts on topics such as tourism and environmental education, so that they can simply log in from their cellphone and receive training, without having to go to a tourism school,” he said.

He also said that they help hosts to organize tourist arrivals and the activities they will do via their cellphones.

“We launched a ‘Rutobot’ that allows them to quickly access all their reservations through WhatsApp, receive notifications, and have a list and table of all the people who are going to arrive.

“They also have a clear picture of their financial health: how much money will be transferred to them, and on what days.”

What is Rutopía?

Rutopía is a social enterprise that connects travelers with a network of hosts at ecotourism destinations in Mexico and allows them to discover their cultural and natural riches.

Founded in 2017, it offers community-based ecotourism opportunities through authentic experiences off the beaten track.

Rutopía won first place worldwide in the Hult Prize 2019 social entrepreneurship competition. The award was personally presented by former US President Bill Clinton.

They were awarded one million dollars to grow the company developed at Tec de Monterrey’s Eugenio Garza Lagüera Institute of Entrepreneurship.

It was the first tourism company in Mexico to receive B Corp certification.

Rutopía was recognized by Forbes Mexico in 2021, and was selected as the face of the future of tourism in August 2022 by CNET (Public information until September 2022).

It also received the Ibero-American Award for Social and Sustainable Tourism in 2023.

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