Startup Snapshot
Startup name: Scouter
Industry: Proptech & Entertainment
Business Model: B2B & B2C Marketplace
Founder: Mauricio Almeida & Eduardo Corona
Operations: Mexico
HQ Location: Guadalajara
Team Size: 16
Founded: 2021
Stage: Pre-seed
Investors: Friends & Family, 500 Startups
Accelerators: 500 Startups Batch 16
Website: www.scouter.com.mx
What does Scouter do?
Scouter is a platform that bridges the gap between content creators of all types and owners of spaces that fit their filming needs. Content creators often require rooms with specific characteristics to create content, and Scouter helps connect them with locations that meet their criteria.
Their platform caters to anyone who produces audiovisual content, including individuals and businesses. It has both B2C and B2B aspects, serving production houses, advertising agencies, and corporations with internal marketing teams who require content creation. For instance, Envato and Genoma Labs frequently use Scouter to rent spaces for their content creators and in-house marketing teams. Scouter has collaborated with major networks such as Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Telemundo, and TV Azteca.
Scouter grew over 400% in 2022 and is on track for 200% in 2023. The platform currently holds over 1,500 locations and nearly 6,000 users and arranges around 2,000 yearly rentals.
What's your backstory?
Mauricio pursued a career in the film industry. However, he soon realized that his hometown of Puerto Vallarta had limited prospects for him in this field. Determined to pursue his passion, he enrolled at ITESO in Guadalajara, where he studied audiovisual arts.
During his time in Guadalajara, Mauricio actively searched for opportunities and his dedication eventually landed him a production assistant role in the movie "Treintona Soltera y Fantastica," featuring Barbara Mori. During this project, he formed a close bond with José Antonio Casillas, the director's assistant, which led to a lasting friendship.
José Antonio convinced Mauricio to move to Mexico City, the heart of the film industry in Mexico so Mauricio dropped out of ITESO and accepted José Antonio's invitation to work as an assistant director on "La Bandida" at Sony in Mexico City. With a small crew, they worked tirelessly for nearly six months.
During his work on 'La Bandida', Mauricio stumbled upon the role of a "Scouter" who was responsible for finding filming locations. However, he quickly realized that some Scouters engaged in unethical practices such as overcharging for locations and keeping the extra money. This led Mauricio to believe that there must be a better way.
After finishing the series, Mauricio returned to Guadalajara to complete his degree. He re-enrolled in university and established Filmingo, a successful production company, with a close friend. Their company attracted numerous clients and built a solid business. However, after five years, in 2021, Mauricio realized through his experiences at Filmingo that the location issue remained unresolved and plagued every creator.
Every location has the potential for creative use, and the goal of Scouter is to connect creators with those spaces.
Mauricio envisioned a marketplace where individuals could list their properties, earn income, and simplify the lives of content creators. However, with a lack of enthusiasm from his partners, Mauricio decided to leave Filmingo and dedicate full time to solving this problem.
So Mauricio decided to share his idea with his father, a passionate entrepreneur, and secured an investment of MXN 100,000 pesos. Mauricio got a designer to create the Scouter branding, built a Wix website, listed properties owned by friends and family, and launched Scouters’ MVP.
How did you acquire your first customers?
Mauricio created an Instagram account and began sharing photos of the locations he had listed on Scouter. He began allocating a small amount towards advertising them, which helped him generate leads and close the first rental projects.
With each successful deal, more leads kept coming in, and Mauricio's acquaintances, who had already rented out their properties, began referring him to other property owners who soon began to list their properties on Scouter. It was then that Mauricio realized that Scouter was creating value for property owners and creators.
As Scouter continued to grow, Mauricio ran into his childhood friend Eduardo at a baptism. Eduardo told Mauricio that he had heard about Scouter from many acquaintances and other childhood friends. Impressed with Scouter's potential, Mauricio decided to invest 600,000 MXN and joined as a co-founder alongside Eduardo. This brought in a seasoned entrepreneur with significant experience in digital products to the team.
When did you realize you had achieved PMF?
Mauricio and Matthew Pazenski, one of the co-founders of Wizeline, first met at an art exhibition. After having a conversation over some beers, Matthew expressed his admiration for Scouter and his interest in being a part of it. With Matthew's valuable guidance, Mauricio realized that his idea was already validated, and it was time to seek funding.
In 2022, Scouter received a USD 60,000 investment from 500 Startups and MXN 3.2 million from a Guadalajara entrepreneur. Scouter is focusing on its team, platform, and business expansion. They achieved an impressive growth rate of 400% in 2022 and are on track to listing over 1,500 locations, reaching 6,000 users, and facilitating approximately 2,000 rentals by the end of the year.
What's your motivation?
Scouter's mission is to simplify the process of discovering and booking creative spaces. They aim to connect content creators with unique locations that can inspire their creativity.
Scouter believes every location has creative potential, and its goal is to match creators with those spaces. For example, a previously unused hospital can be rented for photo shoots and soap operas, an abandoned house can be transformed into a venue for Halloween parties or yoga classes, and even a humble taco stand can be a location for a fashion shoot.
Scouter's team of experts helps content creators find the perfect location for their needs, no matter how unconventional, to bring their vision to life.
What's next for your startup?
Over the next five years, Scouter plans to add 50,000 new locations and expand to two more countries in LATAM, focusing Brazil due to its market size similarities to Mexico.
Tips for other founders:
In a startup, a lot can happen in a very short time. You may have money one day and then find yourself without any the next day. Some days may be great, while others may be tough. You may also have challenging conversations with investors. However, it's all part of entrepreneurship, and it's essential to keep moving forward. Eventually, things will either get better, or you will have gained valuable experience for your next venture.
Build teams that believe in what you're doing. Don't hire people without sharing your vision, what they will do in the company, and why you chose them. Ensure everyone understands the current stage the startup is in and where it’s heading. Create strong alignment between the team and the startup.
Be candidly transparent with the team about where the startup is now and where it’s headed. For example, if we raise funds, this happens; if we grow more or less, this other thing happens; and if we don't raise a funding round, this is the outcome. In other words, the team always knows how the business is doing, where it's headed, and what happens if it achieves its goals or doesn't.
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