Uruguay Strengthens Its Global Profile as a Business and Innovation Hub Through Punta Tech Meetup

Punta Tech Meetup once again placed Uruguay at the center of the regional technology agenda, consolidating its role as a flagship event for startups, investors, and entrepreneurs from both Uruguay and abroad. On January 12, more than 2,000 leaders from Latin America’s innovation ecosystem gathered at the Atchugarry Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA) in Punta del Este for the event’s 18th edition—an initiative that continues to grow in scale and international appeal, positioning Uruguay as a strategic meeting point for technology-driven business in the region.

The main event, together with more than 40 satellite activities, highlighted the growing interest in Uruguay as a platform for entrepreneurship, investment, and the scaling of innovative projects. This momentum is underpinned by a combination of institutional stability, highly skilled talent, solid technological infrastructure, and quality of life.

Within this context, and in line with its mission to promote investment, exports, and Uruguay’s country brand, Uruguay XXI took part in Punta Tech Meetup and co-organized one of its key networking activities: Uruguay Networking Sessions, held at Casa Manantial. The event was designed to foster direct connections between local and international stakeholders, with a strong focus on investment opportunities and business partnerships.

The 2026 edition featured internationally recognized speakers, including Paula Bellizia, Vice President of Amazon Web Services (AWS) for Latin America. Bellizia highlighted the level of innovation emerging from Uruguay and emphasized the ability of local companies to strategically adopt generative artificial intelligence. She cited Uruguayan firms such as dLocal and Akua as examples of AI-driven business models that reflect the maturity of the country’s technology ecosystem and its global reach—further strengthening Uruguay’s appeal to international investors.

The Minister of Economy and Finance, Gabriel Oddone, offered a macroeconomic perspective aimed at investors, underscoring stability, predictability, and clear rules as hallmarks of Uruguay’s business environment. Referring to progress in negotiations between the European Union and Mercosur, he highlighted the agreement’s potential to expand exports, attract European investment, and generate positive impacts on employment and wages. He also noted that Uruguay combines legal certainty, investment-grade status, and high GDP per capita, creating favorable conditions for long-term projects in both traditional sectors and high value-added industries such as technology and professional services.

Beyond the main event, Uruguay XXI’s engagement extended to several key sector-focused initiatives aimed at attracting investment. For the second consecutive year, the agency supported PUNTABiotech, a biotechnology and life sciences event that reinforces Uruguay’s position as a regional platform for innovation in health, pharmaceuticals, and deep tech. At the event, the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Fernanda Cardona, highlighted Uruguay’s institutional strength, effective public-private coordination, and the role of applied science in driving new industries, skilled employment, and internationally competitive value chains.

The agenda also included Women Meetup, which brought a complementary perspective to the technology ecosystem by integrating diversity, gender, and the human dimension into innovation. Uruguay XXI’s Executive Director, Mariana Ferreira, took part in the event, which further reinforces Uruguay’s image as a country committed to inclusive and sustainable technological development, aligned with global trends and investor expectations.

Uruguay XXI also participated in UM Connects, an event that brought together more than 530 leaders from science, industry, investment, and academia with the goal of generating tangible innovation and attracting investment in technology-based startups. The event showcased Uruguayan scientific talent, facilitated connections with international investment funds, and positioned the country as a favorable environment for the creation and scaling of deep tech companies.

Through its sustained presence at Punta Tech Meetup and its broader ecosystem of events, Uruguay XXI supported and promoted an initiative that has emerged as a gateway to Uruguay for the regional and global technology community. In doing so, the agency reinforced Uruguay’s core value proposition to international startups, investors, and entrepreneurs: macroeconomic stability, skilled talent, strong institutions, and an innovation ecosystem capable of turning knowledge into concrete business opportunities in Latin America.