The Argentine capital has secured its place among the fastest-growing startup ecosystems in Latin America in recent years. According to Startup Genome, the estimated total value of Buenos Aires’ startup ecosystem between 2021 and 2023 was approximately $12.7 billion, marking a 35% growth compared to the previous three-year period.
However, access to funding remains a significant challenge for Argentine startups. Between 2019 and 2023, the total venture capital investment in the local ecosystem reached only $2.2 billion, less than half of the global average. In 2024, only one Argentine startup, Ualá, made it to the list of the 15 largest funding rounds in Latin America.
Introducing Connect in Buenos Aires
To provide visibility to promising startups, the Connect event will take place in Buenos Aires on March 20, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Workplace by IRSA, home to some of the city’s leading tech startups.
This will be Connect’s debut in Argentina after being successfully hosted in cities such as London, Barcelona, Santiago de Chile, Miami, Bogotá, Medellín, and Mexico City.
Connecting the Local Ecosystem
Connect will offer the local ecosystem a startup pitch competition designed to connect innovative startups with key members of the industry’s most influential media outlets.
“In many ways, media exposure for startups is like a black box that is hard to access,” said Bianca Damiano, manager at Publicize, the event’s organizer in collaboration with Workplace by IRSA. “With Connect, our goal is to bridge the gap between media and startups and foster relationships that can benefit both parties in the future.”
Structured similarly to a Shark Tank-style pitch competition, startups will present their businesses not to investors but to a panel of media professionals who will provide constructive feedback on their pitching skills.
The expert jury panel at Connect Buenos Aires includes Hernán Murúa, a journalist covering startups for Clarín; Florencia Radici, editor at Forbes Argentina; Laura Ponasso, business and economy reporter at La Nación; Lucio Ferrantelli, editor at iProUP; and Facundo Falduto, editor at Perfil and contributor to Argentina Reports.
The event will also feature keynote speakers and a networking session, fostering connections among members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
A Free Event for the Startup Community
Connect is a free event aimed at strengthening Buenos Aires’ startup ecosystem. Entrepreneurs interested in presenting their startups to the media panel can apply via an online application form. Additionally, those interested in attending Connect: Buenos Aires can register for free tickets through the event link. Although the event is free for both the public and startups, organizers have stated that only pre-registered guests will be admitted.