The Deep Tech Radar Latam 2025 report identifies Uruguay as an emerging hub for biotechnology and agro-innovation

Uruguay continues to strengthen its position on the Latin American map of science-based technology. The Deep Tech Radar Latam 2025, prepared by Brazilian consulting firm Emerge in partnership with Cubo Itaú, identifies the country as an emerging hub with a strong orientation toward biosciences, health, and agribusiness. At the regional level, the report maps 1,316 deep tech startups, 21 of which are based in Uruguay. Among them, 67% specialize in biotechnology and 14% in artificial intelligence—an expression of the country’s longstanding combination of an agricultural base and highly trained scientific talent.

The study notes that 90% of Uruguayan deep tech startups operate in two areas: health and wellness (62%), and agriculture and food (29%). The remaining 10% are distributed across mobility, logistics, and manufacturing. This profile reinforces Uruguay’s role as a regional center for life sciences and agro-industrial innovation, supported by universities, research institutes, and export-oriented companies.

A small ecosystem with high impact

Within Latin America, Brazil leads with 952 deep tech companies, followed by Argentina (145), Chile (72), and Uruguay (21). Together, these countries make up 97.8% of the regional ecosystem. According to the report, Uruguay’s strength lies not in scale but in the quality and specialization of its startups—particularly in areas where science and technology converge to generate exportable value.

With more than 50 pharmaceutical plants, a cluster of 20 companies that centralize regional trade, and a network of research centers of excellence—such as the Pasteur Institute of Montevideo, the University of the Republic, the IIBCE, and CUDIM—Uruguay has built a mature environment for deep tech development in biotechnology, health, and agriculture. The synergy between academia, industry, and the public sector has enabled a model of applied innovation that translates scientific advances into high-value products, services, and processes.

Although investment volume remains modest compared to the region’s larger hubs, the study highlights that Uruguay has the structural conditions needed to scale its scientific innovation ecosystem.

A reliable country for innovation

The findings of Deep Tech Radar Latam 2025 confirm Uruguay’s emergence as a regional hub with a strong scientific vocation, a stable environment, and an export-driven perspective that position it as a reliable partner for biotechnology and agro-innovation.

Supported by decades of investment in education, science, and technology, and by an institutional framework that promotes collaboration, Uruguay is projecting its leadership in life sciences, health, and agriculture—consolidating its position as a strategic location for advanced innovation in Latin America.