Top 25 Countries for Early-Stage Startups in South America in 2025
The South American startup ecosystem is evolving rapidly, with numerous countries fostering environments conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship. Here is a curated list of the Top 25 Countries in South America for Early-Stage Startups in 2025, complete with details on funding, tech talent, major hubs, and government support.
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1. Brazil
Startup Funding: Received nearly half of the total startup investment in Latin America in 2024. Source
Number of Startups: Reported 33,489 active startups in 2023. Source, over 9,000 startups overall. Source
Tech Talent: Has the largest number of developers in Latin America, with around 500,000. Source
Major Hubs: São Paulo is the #1 ecosystem in Latin America for funding, performance, talent, and knowledge. Source
GDP Growth Projection: Expected to grow by 2% in 2025. Source
2. Mexico
Startup Funding: Received roughly one-fifth of total Latin American startup investment in 2024. Source
Tech Talent: Has the second-largest pool of developers in Latin America, with around 700,000. Source
Government Support: Has government programs and tech infrastructure initiatives to support startups. Source
Economy: Is expected to become a 'Big Six' economy by 2025. Source
3. Argentina
Startup Funding: Is among the top recipients of startup funding in Latin America. Source
Talent: Has a skilled and cost-efficient workforce, with a high percentage of the population holding a tertiary education certificate. Source, Source
Economic Growth: Projected to grow by 4% in 2025 after two years of reform and investment. Sources, Source
Fintech Focus: Has strong startups in the fintech space. Source
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4. Colombia
Startup Funding: Is among the top recipients of startup funding in Latin America in 2024. Source
Growing Talent: Has a growing community of software developers. Source
Government Support: Has programs like Ruta N, which support startup growth. Source
5. Chile
Startup Funding: Is one of the top recipients of startup funding in Latin America. Source
Major Hub: Santiago is a major tech hub. Source
Government Support: Has government initiatives like Start-Up Chile. Source
Economic Growth Projection: Expected to grow by 2.4% in 2025. Source
Talent: Has a growing pool of developers in the region. Source
6. Peru
Major Hub: Lima is an emerging tech hub in the country. Source
Talent: Has a growing number of software developers. Source
Economic Growth Projection: Peru's growth is projected to be around 2.2% in 2024 and 2.9% in 2025. Sources, Source
Ease of Doing Business: However, Peru is ranked among the worst for business complexity. Source
7. Uruguay
Talent: Is attracting tech talent in the region. Source
Ease of Doing Business: Uruguay ranks among the best in Latin America for ease of doing business. Source
8. Dominican Republic
Ease of Doing Business: The Dominican Republic is noted for a dramatic improvement in ease of doing business, although it is still ranked in the lower half globally for business complexity. Source
Growing Hub: Santo Domingo is a growing tech hub. Source
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FAQ
Q: Which country has the largest number of startups in South America?
A: Brazil has the largest number of startups in South America, with 33,489 active startups reported in 2023. Learn more about Brazil's startup ecosystem.
Q: What country is seeing significant growth in its tech talent pool?
A: Colombia is experiencing significant growth in its tech talent pool, particularly in cities like Bogotá and Medellín. Discover Colombia's tech talent growth.
Q: Which South American country is renowned for its government support for startups?
A: Chile is known for its government initiatives, such as Start-Up Chile, to support startups. Read about Start-Up Chile.
Q: What is a key tech hub city in Argentina?
A: Buenos Aires is recognized as a key tech hub city in Argentina. Learn more about Buenos Aires' tech ecosystem.
Q: Which country is projected to see the highest economic growth in Latin America in 2025?
A: Argentina is projected to see the highest economic growth at 4% in 2025. Discover more about Argentina's economic projection.
Q: Which South American country has been improving its ease of doing business dramatically?
A: The Dominican Republic has shown significant improvement in its ease of doing business. Read about the Dominican Republic's business environment.
Q: Which country has a vibrant fintech sector in South America?
A: Brazil has a dominant fintech sector in South America. Explore Brazil's fintech scene.
Q: What city is a major tech hub in Mexico?
A: Mexico City is a major tech hub in Mexico, known for its growing startup activity. Learn more about Mexico City's tech scene.
Q: Which country is renowned for a high-quality talent pool at competitive costs?
A: Argentina is known for having a skilled and cost-efficient workforce. Discover Argentina's talent advantage.
Q: Which South American country ranks among the best for ease of doing business?
A: Uruguay ranks among the best in Latin America for ease of doing business. Read about Uruguay's business environment.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
