In recent years, Latin America has produced a growing cohort of startups backed by the region’s tech investors and global investors alike. LAVCA established the Latin American Startup Directory in 2016 to identify and track these startups as they grow.
Using venture backing as an initial criteria (see methodology for detailed criteria), LAVCA identified 331 qualified Latin American startups in the 2019 directory, up from 256 in 2018; 155* in 2017; and 100* in the inaugural 2016 list.
The 2019 Latin American Startup Directory includes early stage companies that have received US$1m+ in verified venture funding (through year-end 2018), and are still in operation, as tracked by LAVCA. This list does not include startups that have been acquired or realized an IPO.
Click here for a list of highlighted companies that have raised US$1m+ and have been acquired/listed, including 99, Globant, Despegar, Netshoes and others.
Startup Directory by the Numbers
STARTUPS BY COUNTRY
Brazil-based startups compose a little over half the Latin American Startup Directory, followed by Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile.
*Other includes Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay.
**Startups headquartered in the US or outside Latin America were included if they were founded by a Latin American, have operations in the region, and serve a Latin American market.
STARTUPS BY SECTOR
Startups are operating in a wide range of sectors, according to the Latin American Startup Directory. Leading sectors by number of startups (Fintech, SaaS, Marketplaces, E-Commerce) roughly correspond to the sectors that have received the highest amount of venture capital dollars over the past few years.
*Other includes Advanced Materials, Blockchain/Crypto, Business Services, Customer Service, ERP, Financial Services, Govtech, Healthcare/Life Sciences, Legaltech, Machine Learning, Media & Entertainment, and Spacetech.
STARTUPS BY STAGE
Growth rounds may dominate the headlines, but Early Stage dominates the Latin American Startup Directory. According to LAVCA’s Industry Data, VC investment into Latin America broke records across all stages of funding in 2018.
Is your startup qualified to be on the list? Contact research@lavca.org to begin the startup verification process.
*The first two editions of the Latin American Startup Directory published in 2016 and 2017 included early stage companies that had received US$1m+ in funding via a minimum of two rounds of investment and were still in operation.