Why Dip Your Trip Joined Start-Up Chile — Twice

Backed by Chile's national startup accelerator — twice

Dip Your Trip has been selected for Start-Up Chile's Ignite program in two cohorts: 2025 and 2026. For a travel company, that's an unusual badge — and it says something about how we're built.

What Start-Up Chile Ignite actually is

Start-Up Chile is the public accelerator created by the Chilean government (through Corfo) in 2010, and it has since supported more than 2,000 startups from around the world. Its flagship program runs in three tracks — Build, Ignite and Growth — by company stage. Ignite is aimed at startups that already have a working product and are chasing product-market fit. It provides equity-free co-financing of up to CLP $30 million and an intensive four-month acceleration program — meaning the support is non-dilutive: the government doesn't take a slice of the company.

Being chosen once is competitive. Being chosen twice reflects sustained traction and technical progress between cohorts.

Why a travel agency is in a tech accelerator

Because we're an AI-native travel agency, not a traditional one. Every function of the agency is becoming an agent:

  • Alice — our conversational sales assistant that helps travelers shape a trip.
  • Ulmo — our itinerary-generation engine.
  • Dipcher — a WhatsApp companion that travels with you.

We pair that technology with something software can't replace: a network of 240+ local operators across Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia, and the relationships behind them. Start-Up Chile recognized that intersection — real local expertise, delivered through modern tools — twice over.

What it means for travelers

For you, it's a trust signal. It means the company planning your trip is held to the standards of a government-vetted technology program, reinvesting in tools that make your trip smoother — faster answers, better-matched itineraries, and real-time help while you're on the ground.

Frequently asked questions

What is Start-Up Chile?

Chile's government-backed startup accelerator (founded 2010), which has supported 2,000+ startups with equity-free funding.

What is the Ignite program?

A track for startups with a working product seeking product-market fit, offering up to CLP $30M in equity-free co-financing over about four months.

Why was Dip Your Trip selected twice?

As an AI-native adventure travel agency combining proprietary AI agents with a large local-operator network across five countries.