A new regional study has identified 2,656 agricultural technology (AgTech) startups operating across 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, providing a detailed overview of the region’s expanding agri-innovation ecosystem.
According to an Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) press release, the analysis marks the first time the AgTech Radar initiative—originally developed in Brazil—has been expanded to cover the wider Latin American and Caribbean region. The findings show that while innovation is spreading across multiple countries, it remains heavily concentrated in a few key markets, particularly in the Southern Cone.
The study was led by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) in collaboration with IICA, Homo Ludens and SP Ventures. Additional support came from the Cooperative Program for the Technological Development of the Agri-Food and Agro-Industrial Sector of the Southern Cone (PROCISUR) and the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, the IICA press release stated.
The report says that Brazil dominates the regional ecosystem with 2,075 AgTech companies, representing 78% of the total identified. Argentina follows with 158 startups, Mexico with 110, Chile with 91, Colombia with 79, and Uruguay with 74.
“The AgTech Radar LAC 2026 data show that Latin America and the Caribbean are undergoing a steady process of maturation of the agricultural innovation ecosystem. Although there is still a strong regional concentration, there is a growing capacity to generate technological solutions adapted to local production realities,” said Aurélio Favarin, Embrapa analyst and co-author of the study, as cited in the IICA press release.
Federico Bert, Manager of IICA’s Digitalization of Agrifood Systems Program, highlighted the importance of combining Embrapa’s technical expertise with IICA’s regional reach in understanding the sector’s evolution.
“Understanding how the ecosystem is integrated and evolves is the starting point for fostering its growth and development in both the public and private sectors,” Bert said in the press release.
The study also found that ten of the region’s 33 countries had no identified AgTech startups. Researchers attributed this to factors such as small populations, limited geographic size and emerging agricultural sectors. However, the IICA press release noted that the real number may be higher, as gaps in local data collection and the absence of partner institutions in some countries limited access to information.
“This is a first effort, and we now have an initial milestone, a benchmark for a broader and more reliable survey next year,” Favarin noted.
A key methodological update in this edition of the AgTech Radar involved mapping startups according to the agricultural production chains they serve. Of the total companies identified, 1,480 operate across multiple chains. Crop production accounts for 751 startups, cattle production for 136, horticulture and fruit production for 88, and forestry for 84.
“The diversity of production chains represented reinforces the heterogeneous nature of agriculture and livestock production in the region and highlights the ability of startups to develop solutions tailored to local production specificities,” Favarin said.
Digital solutions were found to dominate the ecosystem, with 1,404 startups offering technologies such as artificial intelligence, sensors, drones, management software and digital platforms. Physical-chemical technologies accounted for 403 companies, while biological solutions represented 374.
Most startups operate within the farm gate, focusing on operational efficiency, production management, monitoring and decision-support systems.
As per the IICA press release, the AgTech Radar LAC will be officially launched on June 23 during the World Agri-Tech South America Summit in São Paulo, Brazil. The launch event will include a panel discussion featuring Vanessa Bello of SP Ventures, Vitor Mondo of Embrapa, and Federico Bert of IICA, with Aurélio Favarin serving as moderator.
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