Nicolás shares his inspiring journey with us—from his early days as a young entrepreneur to his participation in international accelerator programs—and offers his perspective on the future of technology and innovation in the business world.
How did the idea to start your company come about, and what specific problem were you trying to solve?
Horizon is the result of months of passion and hard work, during which we designed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool that redefines how companies view and improve their processes.
We all know that AI is the latest trend that companies are rushing to invest in to position themselves as the organizations of the future, but they often find themselves unsure of how their processes actually work or where to begin, leaving them without a solid foundation for strategic growth and innovation.
To elaborate on what I just said, studies show that 45% of business processes are repetitive and have the potential to be automated, leading to a 30% loss in revenue each year and demotivating employees. This problem has existed for years, but by combining our consulting expertise with recent technological advancements, we were able to create Horizon with an approach that wasn’t possible before. An AI consultant for employees, it identifies and addresses hidden business challenges 10 times faster and more cost-effectively than traditional methods.
Through conversational analysis, our AI can create an organizational chart that highlights broken processes, misaligned areas, and repetitive or automatable tasks. This gives management the ability to use data to understand where the business needs improvement, taking into account the impact and relationships between processes, KPIs, and people.
Horizon was founded with a mission to transform the modern workplace through an innovative AI-driven experience designed to improve efficiency at every level. The inspiration for creating it came from the need to uncover and eliminate hidden processes that hinder productivity, enabling companies to adopt a culture where technology and intelligence drive performance. Through an AI-powered consulting platform, Horizon empowers organizations to identify and resolve their inefficiencies, redefining how they operate in an ever-evolving work environment.
What challenges did you face when you started your business at such a young age, and how did you overcome them?
I was an entrepreneur without even realizing it. I started my first business at age 14, and for my final project as a Software Analyst, I developed software for notaries and lawyers. This led me to co-found a generative AI company, where we developed solutions to optimize processes for other companies, and now I’m at Horizon.
Starting a business means making tough decisions and giving up comforts for the sake of bigger goals. I took on responsibilities at a young age and had to handle them with maturity. The most important thing is to realize that no one is there to push you forward—progress depends solely and entirely on your effort, self-discipline, and vision.
One of the challenges I faced was when I encountered situations that clashed with my views on certain issues. In such cases, my solution is always to have a moral compass to guide my entrepreneurial journey.
What solutions does Horizon offer to other companies?
Horizon’s solution lies in its ability to automate business process consulting. It enables companies to identify and address inefficiencies, repetitive tasks, and misaligned areas more quickly and cost-effectively. Through conversational analysis and advanced artificial intelligence models, Horizon creates a neural map of the organization, visually identifying areas for improvement and calculating the critical impact of each process, key performance indicator (KPI), and person involved.
Essentially, Horizon is an AI consultant that, through conversations with a company’s employees, can identify and address hidden challenges within the organization 10 times faster and more cost-effectively than traditional methods.
Horizon collects information on the processes, tasks, and actions of each employee in a company and creates what could be called an “organizational map,” which identifies broken processes, friction points, opportunities for optimization, misaligned areas, and repetitive tasks or those that can be automated. This gives management the ability to use data to understand where the business needs improvement, taking into account the impact and the relationship between processes and people.
What advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs interested in technology and innovation?
There’s a saying I really like: “The best time to start was yesterday; the second-best time is today.” It’s essential to focus on making an impact. Don’t just think about the financial reward, but also about the impact your work can have. I think that sometimes, not having prior experience in something allows you to break free from conventional thinking and gives you the opportunity to create new ways of doing things. I’d also take advantage of the fact that when you’re young, you don’t have high expenses and you can take risks.
How do you see the future of your company, and what are your plans for its expansion?
Our target market is the United States, and we plan to build a large company. We look to Uruguayan companies that have become unicorns—such as PedidosYa and dLocal—as our inspiration. These companies were founded in Uruguay; for example, PedidosYa was founded at the ORT Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where we are also based. This clearly shows us that it’s not easy, but it’s not impossible either.
Currently, we meet with investors interested in joining our business almost every day, and we already have our first client in the United States. In the future, we plan to expand our presence in the international market and continue developing our platform to include additional features that enable even deeper automation and analysis. We also aim to strengthen our relationships with current clients and explore new industries that could benefit from our solution.
What do you feel your degree has given you in terms of starting a business and entering the world of artificial intelligence?
The program certainly gave me a very solid foundation of knowledge, and, as I mentioned earlier, the final project led to the launch of my first company, but above all, it provided me with a very valuable network of experts in the field.
What was it like to go to Miami, and what did you take away from that experience?
The journey we embarked on with Horizon took us to Miami, thanks to ManaTech and Microsoft, who recognized our potential to drive the expansion of AI in Latin America and the United States and invited us to join the Miami Immersion programme.
This program is designed for early-stage startups with innovative AI products, with the goal of preparing them and helping them secure customers or investments in the United States. It provides selected companies with access to Miami’s tech ecosystem, offering key connections, AI-driven strategies, and networking opportunities.
It was a four-week program consisting of 15 preparatory sessions via videoconference and a final “Immersion Week” in Miami at the offices of the ManaTech accelerator. We were fortunate to share the experience with other Uruguayan companies, which is always nice, and in terms of the country’s entrepreneurial potential, it’s a tremendous achievement.
I’ve taken away so much from my time there. First and foremost, the knowledge. It was an experience that allowed us to validate our product, gain visibility, and access invaluable resources and mentorship. Above all, it allowed us to connect with other startups and industry experts, investors, and leading figures in the field.
In addition, the program’s goal was to prepare you for Demo Day, which was the final day. Of the 20 startups, only six were selected to pitch at the Demo Day finale, and Horizon was one of them. Two awards were presented that day: one chosen by the judges and another by a vote among the startups. We received the "People's Choice Award," which was given—based on a vote by the other startups—to the company and team that had contributed the most and helped others the most. Being recognized as the startup with the greatest impact was an honor and a validation of our approach and our team’s hard work.
