Radiography of senior entrepreneurship in Chile

In March 2025, we launched an unprecedented call for applications for our Impulso Inicial program, under the name “Empowering experience”, aimed exclusively at people over 60 years of age in all regions of Chile.

This initiative allowed us to support more than 400 entrepreneurs with tools, semi-industrial machinery and practical training in areas such as administration, formalization, management, marketing and digitalization. But it also gave us the opportunity to learn more about the reality of senior entrepreneurship in the country because more than 2,000 entrepreneurs applied.

What are your motivations, challenges and potential?

Thanks to the information gathered during the application process, we have prepared a radiography of senior entrepreneurship in Chile, which offers a concrete view of this segment of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Some key data:

• 78% of those who applied are women, many of them running businesses related to food, handicraft production, local commerce and textiles.
• 83% are between 60 and 70 years old and continue to be active entrepreneurs after retirement or leaving formal employment. Most of the businesses are small-scale and operate from home or at local fairs.
• Eighty-two percent belong to the 40% most vulnerable in the country, which shows that entrepreneurship is often a tool for subsistence and economic autonomy.
• Seventy-two percent had not registered their activities with the SII, which reflects low formalization and limited access to support networks, financing or training.
• As for their motivations for entrepreneurship: 34% sought to cover basic needs, 26% want more independence and to have their own business, and 11% detected an opportunity in the market.

High potential to be strengthened

Cristián Schalper, director of the Entrepreneurship area of the Luksic Foundation, pointed out that: “Although there are important challenges such as the need to strengthen formalization, facilitate access to training and create support networks for this group, there is also great potential for growth if we continue to promote initiatives that recognize and value the experience, talent and perseverance of older entrepreneurs”.

At the Luksic Foundation, we reaffirm our commitment to entrepreneurship at all stages of life, convinced that experience also leads to entrepreneurship, and that behind every senior business there is a story of effort, creativity and perseverance.

For more details, we invite you to download the Radiography of senior entrepreneurship in Chile.