UACI Helps Mexico Startup Enter Global Market Through Incubator Program
The University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) is pleased to announce that Mexico-based startup company proAutomation graduated from its incubation program and international soft-landings program, Global Advantage. UACI and Visit Tucson worked with the organization’s leadership to assist in successfully taking their company global using Tucson, Arizona as their strategic market entry point. “UACI provided the ideal business support for our U.S. market entry phase,” stated proAutomation president and founder Daniel Beltrán. “They designed a customized program to fit our needs, provided access to high-quality facilities and made available state-of-the art technology to help us work toward our objectives. The business support provided over the past three (3) years has been wonderful and we are very grateful.”
proAutomation, currently headquartered in Mexico, serves national and international markets specializing in automation and integration of industrial processes creating comprehensive solutions and developing new technologies to continuously improve a company’s business processes.
“proAutomation’s success exemplifies what can be achieved when a startup receives comprehensive support to streamline business practices, scale operations and launch its innovation into a new marketplace,” explained Eric Smith, UACI Executive Director. When founding proAutomation in 2007, Beltrán said his dream was to start a global company with an inclusive workforce where everyone takes pride in their work and shares in building the company together. proAutomation expanded into the USA in 2016 to be near their customers to do business with one of the most powerful economies in the world. The first year (2016) in the U.S., they sold $194,000 and in 2019, sales increased to $2 million and had market reach extending into different locations like South Carolina, California, Alabama, Michigan, Chicago and Kentucky. After graduating from UACI, proAutomation moved to an accelerator in Phoenix to continue their startup journey and capitalize on new business opportunities. This foreign direct investment into Arizona is a win for the state’s economy and UACI is proud to have played a constructive role in their soft landing into the United States market. The ripple effect of the new infusion “Building an international company has been a goal from day one and is a central reason I joined the team,” shared proAutomation’s Director of Operations Mark Marchand, who originally came from South Africa and has extensive experience developing international business for large corporations. At UACI, startups go through a structured program that takes them through a continuum of education and activities provided by mentors, advisors and community collaborators. The University of Arizona Center for Innovation also provides access to service providers, industry cluster groups, interns and connections to potential customers and strategic partners.
About proAutomation
proAutomation is a company with extensive experience in the automotive sector, having developed multiple projects since 2008, ranging from the design and manufacturing of pedestals and tooling for the automotive industry, to PLC and robotics support in the installation of manufacturing lines in various industries. Their staff has skills in laser welding, projection, spot and MIG and in addition to this, specialists in design, control and robotics as well as extensive experience in process definition.
About the UA Center for Innovation
The University of Arizona Center for Innovation is a startup incubator network with locations across the Southern Arizona region. The center’s mission is to grow scalable startup ventures that fuel the Arizona economy. Since inception in 2003, the program has directly served over 120 companies and impacted thousands of entrepreneurs through providing access to people, programming and places that help entrepreneurs take their companies from idea to market. The University of Arizona Center for Innovation is part of Tech Parks Arizona which brings together university, industry and community, creating “interactive ground” to advance technology commercialization.
