El Poblado expands Colombia strategy with BLAZE hotel project and Fund III raise

El Poblado Investment Group said June 23, 2026 that it is expanding its Colombia-focused strategy with the BLAZE hotel project in Guatapé and an active raise for its $35 million Fund III. The firm is pitching accredited investors on Latin America opportunities across hospitality, real estate, tech, and healthcare as it points to renewed confidence in Colombia after Abelardo de la Espriella’s presidential victory.

Why it matters: - El Poblado is trying to turn Colombia’s improving investment narrative into capital commitments across hospitality, real estate, technology, healthcare, and other private-market sectors. - The firm is also positioning itself to capture investor interest in Latin America diversification at a time when Colombia is drawing attention for tourism growth, shifting foreign investment, and a changing policy backdrop. - El Poblado said Colombia may be entering a new phase of investment confidence, security-focused policy, and broader global participation after Abelardo de la Espriella’s presidential victory.

What happened: - El Poblado Investment Group announced the continued expansion of its Colombia-focused investment strategy on June 23, 2026. - The announcement highlighted the BLAZE hotel project in Guatapé, the firm’s growing hospitality platform, select regional collaborations, and an active raise for El Poblado Fund III. - El Poblado Fund III is a $35 million vehicle targeting a Q4 close. - El Poblado invited accredited investors, family offices, and qualified partners to contact Investor Relations at ir@elpoblado.co for more information. - The firm also shared its Instagram account: El Poblado Investment Group.

The details: - El Poblado’s strategy is built on local relationships, disciplined underwriting, market-specific diligence, operational insight, and long-term alignment with communities where capital is deployed. - The firm is applying that approach across real estate, hospitality, technology, healthcare, and other high-growth sectors in Colombia and broader Latin America. - BBVA Research said Colombia’s GDP grew 2.6% in 2025 and final consumption rose 4.2%. - The OECD said foreign direct investment is helping move Colombia beyond extractives toward ICT, manufacturing, renewable energy, the digital economy, and green-transition sectors. - BLAZE is a real estate and hospitality investment in Guatapé, one of Colombia’s best-known tourism destinations. - The $25 million project targets rising visitor demand, destination hospitality trends, and experience-driven travel from domestic and international guests. - El Poblado’s current pipeline materials describe the Guatapé opportunity as connected to a venue receiving more than 3.5 million visitors per year. - Those materials target an estimated 21% IRR, an estimated 43% EBITDA margin, and projected cash-on-cash returns of up to approximately 19%. - El Poblado said it receives a preferred investment basis and diligence on the project. - Mehta said El Poblado is acting as anchor investor and believes hospitality in Colombia is moving beyond traditional urban assets and into experience-driven destinations where real estate, tourism, and wellness intersect. - Fund III follows prior activity in Fund I and Fund II, which El Poblado said generated strong performance and a return profile consistent with its goal of top-quartile emerging market ROI. - Prior investments and strategic exposure have included Rappi, Sambax, Solena AG, and Alto 5-Minute City. - The principals of El Poblado have been investing across Latin America for more than a decade. - The firm says its deal flow comes from relationships with business leaders, operators, developers, financial institutions, and public-sector stakeholders.

Between the lines: - El Poblado is linking a country-level political shift to a concrete fundraising pitch, which suggests the firm sees macro sentiment as a catalyst for deal execution. - The BLAZE project shows how the firm is packaging tourism, hard assets, and destination-led hospitality as part of a broader Colombia thesis. - The Fund III raise signals that El Poblado wants to scale the strategy after prior investments in both technology and real assets. - The tone of the announcement suggests El Poblado is marketing Colombia not just as a single-country bet, but as a platform for diversified exposure across sectors and asset classes.

What's next: - El Poblado is aiming to close Fund III in the fourth quarter. - Accredited investors and other qualified partners can request details on BLAZE and Fund III through Investor Relations at ir@elpoblado.co. - The firm’s next execution test is whether the Colombia strategy can convert political optimism, tourism momentum, and pipeline access into funded projects and realized returns.

The bottom line: - El Poblado is betting that Colombia’s next growth phase can attract more global capital, and it is using BLAZE and Fund III to sell that thesis now.