Without data systems, Entrepreneur Support Organizations become trapped in a cycle.
They deliver, support, and create meaningful change, but struggle to demonstrate their impact convincingly.
Entrepreneur Support Organizations: The Hidden Backbone of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Across the world, Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) have become a critical, yet often overlooked, pillar of entrepreneurial ecosystems in every country and region. These organizations are defined by their ability to consistently, systematically, and verifiably deliver activities specifically designed to support entrepreneurs.
They play a structural role within entrepreneurial ecosystems by strengthening, mentoring, advising, investing in, and otherwise supporting entrepreneurs as they begin their entrepreneurial journey. As such, they have a direct influence on the quality of a country’s economy and fulfill an important public mission.
Their greatest challenges revolve around strengthening financial sustainability, improving operational and methodological capacity, and increasing their visibility and influence within the ecosystem through better measurement, communication, and coordination of their impact.
The Funding Trap: Why Impact Isn’t Enough
Without the digital infrastructure needed to support long-term impact measurement and, consequently, without the information required for effective and informed decision-making, many ESOs become trapped in a cycle of unstable and stagnant funding that limits their ability to grow.
Their reality of fragmentation and fragility can be significantly addressed through access to stronger digital infrastructure.
Digitalization Is Still Out of Reach for Many ESOs
Across the regions assessed (Spain, Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean), at least six out of ten ESOs identify digitalization as a major challenge.
This figure is even higher among organizations operating in less densely populated areas and among younger organizations, whose impact and relevance as drivers of social transformation and territorial cohesion are diminished because they struggle to access these tools.
According to regional studies conducted by Bridge for Billions in collaboration with the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), younger ESOs (less than two years old) rate digitalization as a 3.6 out of 5 in terms of organizational difficulty.
The challenge lies not necessarily in adopting new systems, but in securing the financial resources needed to implement existing solutions, as well as the human and digital capacity required to maintain them efficiently over time.
Can Digitalization Preserve Human Relationships?
Introducing new digital resources represents a significant structural change. At the same time, another concern emerges: many organizations fear that digitalization will weaken the close relationships they have built with entrepreneurs. Across the regions analyzed, many ESOs perceive process digitalization and operational optimization as potentially diminishing the personalized support that distinguishes their programs.
The goal, therefore, is to strike the right balance: one that preserves trust, meaningful relationships, and effective communication with entrepreneurs while leveraging digital tools that make program implementation simpler, more manageable, and easier to measure.
Good Data Builds Better Decisions
Another essential aspect of digitalization is data collection and management. A significant part of the challenge stems from the lack of consistent long-term tracking of key indicators such as:
- Business survival
- Revenue
- Jobs created
- Investment raised
- Business growth 12, 24, or 36 months after program completion.
Internal documentation from Conecta (the global community of ESO leaders facilitated by Bridge for Billions) also highlights the need to move beyond activity-based reporting toward reporting focused on outcomes and learning. Once collected, the proper storage, management, sharing, and use of this information becomes essential, providing tremendous value when communicating results to partners, clients, and broader audiences.
Impact Can’t Be Communicated Without Evidence
Communicating impact while building trust is a fundamental part of establishing a strong organization or initiative and plays a critical role in strategic decision-making. Without a centralized repository from which reliable information can be extracted to answer key questions, organizations struggle to communicate effectively and respond to the evolving challenges within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
While digitalization is essential for advancing Entrepreneur Support Organizations and strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems, adopting these models requires funding, preparation, and the installation of the necessary infrastructure. It also requires collective efforts among partners to coordinate platforms, exchange tools and best practices, and jointly implement effective, scalable data measurement systems.
Organizations need to intentionally dedicate part of their annual planning to gradually integrating digital processes into their day-to-day operations. Donors, partners, and governments therefore have a critical role to play in supporting this transition by providing tangible resources and long-term investment.
To build truly scalable data systems, both ESOs and the institutions that support them must first identify what is currently being measured and what still needs to be measured. Only then can new systems and measurement practices be implemented with confidence and purpose.
No Ecosystem Grows Alone
Finally, events and collaborative spaces where ecosystem actors can connect remain essential for sharing challenges, celebrating achievements, and identifying collective opportunities for improvement.
Collaboration across the ecosystem is just as important as the work carried out within entrepreneurship support programs themselves. Governments, donors, and other stakeholders should actively participate in these spaces: not only to stay informed, but also to better understand the realities, milestones, and context in which ESOs operate.
That understanding is essential for making informed decisions that strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems and sustain long-term impact.
Agustin Morales de Lara y Adriana Vargas
