Empowering human talent: a key to promoting nearshoring in Costa Rica

In recent years, Costa Rica has become an important provider of medical supplies for the United States. This process, which continues to grow despite the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, is due to nearshoring, which consists of the transfer of companies to countries located closer to their country of origin, and strategies of training such as bootcamps, intensive and short, specialized courses.

Companies looking to raise funds from traditional financial institutions typically look at either debt or equity alternatives, and naturally end up choosing one at either end of the spectrum.  However, there is the “in-between” option of mezzanine financing, which continues to evolve and may be a more useful alternative to fundraising.

In the not-so-distant past, mainstream investors believed sustainability investing was a fringe topic, and firmly proclaimed that, in the context of a global crisis, economies would always revert to the fundamentals. How quickly things change.

Blue bonds are emerging as an innovative way to fund ocean and water-related solutions, create sustainable business opportunities, and signal responsible ocean stewardship to the market. Ten years ago, a set of anchor issuances laid the foundation for the green bond market and, since then, the market has seen tremendous growth with more than $1 trillion in total issuances. Today, blue bonds are where green bonds were ten years ago, and the market is poised to see similarly fast growth.  But what are they exactly?

In 2011, famed venture capitalist Marc Andreesen coined the expression “software is eating the World.” However, until recently, grocery was one of a few areas in retail still resisting digitalization. And there were good reasons. After all, who doesn’t value the serendipity of roaming the alleys of a supermarket? Or grabbing and smelling fruit and vegetables to make sure they are perfectly ripe?