CityTroops helps organisations all over the world implement technology to manage their field operations better, whether they are related to personnel management, assets or information collected outside the office.

The company's founders, Mauro Trigo (CTO) and Daniel Ponce (CEO), have known each other for over 20 years. They began working together 14 years ago, in which time they have had various ventures in the world of technology and the internet.

In setting up a business in Madrid recently, CityTroops had support from ICEX-Invest in Spain's Rising UP in Spain programme, which specifically focuses on attracting foreign entrepreneurs who want to set up and grow in Spain. The selected start-ups receive resources to develop their business in Spain.

What differences have you found between the USA, Latin America and Spain?
There are notable differences between all three regions, particularly with regard to culture. With respect to the market and entrepreneurship, the USA is a country that is truly accustomed to a pace that few places can imitate or imagine.

In Latin America there is a lot of potential and great talent. It may not have the credentials of Stanford or Berkeley, but it does offer empirical results, with great vision and huge resilience.

Spain is a region where I am still learning the business culture. Having arrived during Covid makes it more difficult to gauge the temperature of the market. It is evident that the pandemic has awakened many companies to the need to implement technology, to be more dynamic in decision-making and to encourage them to close deals remotely.

I feel that Spain has great market and innovation potential.

Why can Spain be a strategic market for you?
For many reasons, Spain is a strategic place for us. First, it is the gateway to the European market. It doesn't present a language barrier, which allows us to enter immediately with a product that is ready. Additionally, cultural differences at abusiness level, although present, are a mix between the North American and Latin American markets. The country as a whole has a great reputation for technology and innovation, so there’s no problem in doing business with Spanish companies. Finally, from a geographical standpoint, it will allow us to manage operations in America, Europe and eventually Asia.

How has your experience with Rising UP in Spain assisted you in setting up in Spain?
ICEX and Rising UP offered great support in setting up the company in the country. The help with management prior to arriving was crucial so that we could start the local soft landing process as soon as possible after coming to  Madrid.

Unfortunately, in our case, due to the restrictions brought about by the pandemic, we couldn't have much contact with other participants of our generation beyond the online workshops or the training that they gave us together with The Venture City and Cink Ventures.

Up until now we have relied heavily on the support and expertise of the people running Rising UP and ICEX. This has given us peace of mind in times of high uncertainty.

Why did you decide to ask for their help?
Based on our experience, we know the best way to penetrate new markets is by linking up with local partners or through institutions that support internationalisation, such as ICEX. In this respect, the decision to request their support made complete sense. We knew about the work they do, from opening networks, and training and knowledge support, to their experience in dealing with startups.

What goals do you have in the medium to long-term? What do you want to become? How will you continue to do things well as you grow more?
Our medium-term goals are to become the benchmark company in terms of field operations and information management. We want every medium and large-sized company with more than 50 employees in this field to benefit from our service and technology.

Likewise, we intend to fully conquer the Latin American markets, expand quickly in the Spanish market and gain a greater share of the American market. We know that we cannot do this alone, so part of the plan is to bring new partners and investors into the equation who share our vision and who will accompany us on the journey.

Source: El Referente
Read the full interview: CityTroops is a highly innovative company founded in the USA(elreferente.es)

^{Photo: CityTroops}