The AgTech Radar project in Brazil has expanded and, for the first time, mapped agricultural startups in Latin America and the Caribbean. A total of 2,656 agtech companies were identified across 23 countries, with the highest concentration in the Southern Cone. The survey was led by Embrapa, in partnership with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Homo Ludens, and SP Venture. It also had the support of the Cooperative Program for Agri-food and Agro-industrial Technological Development of the Southern Cone (Procisur) and the Monterrey Institute of Technology (Mexico). The mapping showed that Brazil concentrates 78% of the mapped startups, with a total of 2,075. Argentina, with 158; Mexico, with 110; Chile, with 91; Colombia, with 79; and Uruguay, with 74, follow closely behind in the list of countries with the most agtech companies. “Data from the LAC 2026 Agtech Radar demonstrates that Latin America and the Caribbean are undergoing a consistent 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,” observes one of the authors of the survey, Embrapa analyst Aurélio Favarin. For the coordinator of Agri-food Digitalization at IICA, Federico Bert, the combination of Embrapa's experience in developing the Agtech Radar with IICA's territorial reach in the region was fundamental to characterizing the current state of the regional ecosystem and conceiving actions to strengthen it. “Understanding how the ecosystem integrates and evolves is the starting point for fostering its growth and development, both in the public and private sectors,” says Bert, who highlighted as a positive point the large number of agtechs compared to other regions of the world. According to the survey, no agtechs were found in ten of the 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The small territorial size of some countries, the low population, and the incipient agricultural sector explain this absence. Even so, the authors consider that the numbers may be underestimated, since the lack of a local reference institution participating in the survey hindered access to information. In some cases, the mapping was done using secondary databases. "It's a first effort, and we now have an initial benchmark, a parameter for a broader and more reliable survey next year," says Favarin. The difference between the countries is also a reflection of the level of technology adoption in the agricultural sector in each of them. “At IICA, we observe significant heterogeneity in the development of agritech ecosystems among countries; much still needs to be done to consolidate the regional ecosystem. The Radar serves as a reference and inspiration tool, especially for countries promoting the development of their ecosystems. More importantly, it acts as a means for stakeholders from different countries to connect and create networks, in order to facilitate the construction of a framework that drives innovation in the region,” analyzes Federico Bert.
Area of expertise – methodological innovation
The Latin America and Caribbean Agtech Radar introduced a methodological innovation compared to previous editions of the Brazil Agtech Radar. In addition to classifying agtech companies based on their operations before, on, or outside the farm gate, and identifying the type of technological solution, this edition mapped startups according to the production chains in which they operate. The questionnaire allowed participants to indicate up to three chains. The majority of agtech companies, 1,480, operate in multiple production chains. Agricultural crops are the target of 751 companies, and beef cattle farming, of 136. Horticulture and fruit growing are the production chains of 88 agtech companies, while forestry accounts for 84. "The diversity of the chains present reinforces the heterogeneous nature of regional agriculture and livestock farming and highlights the ability of startups to develop solutions adapted to local production specificities," analyzes Aurélio Favarin. The LAC Agtech Radar showed that digital solutions predominate among agtech startups in Latin America and the Caribbean, with 1,404 startups. According to the study's authors, this highlights the advancement of data-driven agriculture in the region, including sensors, management software, drones, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms. Physicochemical (403) and biological (374) technologies follow as solutions offered by agtech startups. Regarding their area of operation, most startups work "within the farm gate," offering solutions focused on operational efficiency, production management, monitoring, and decision support.
Launch
The Agtech LAC Radar will be launched by Embrapa and IICA this Tuesday, June 23rd, during the World Agritech South America Summit, which will be held in São Paulo (SP). The launch will be followed by a panel discussion on what the data reveals about innovation and entrepreneurship in the agricultural ecosystem of Latin America and the Caribbean. Panelists will include Vanessa Bello, from SP Ventures; Vitor Mondo, from Embrapa; and Federico Bert, from IICA. Moderation will be provided by Aurélio Favarin, also from the public company. The publication will be available free of charge, in Portuguese, English, and Spanish versions, on the website https://radaragtech.com.br/.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.