Ingenio

Uruguayan entrepreneurial hub.

We are the leading technology-based business incubator in the country

We support startups with a high degree of potential and innovation, in stages of commercialization or scalability, in order to turn them into consolidated, profitable and scalable companies.

Foundation

Ingenio was founded on June 26, 2001, within the framework of the agreement signed by the Technological Laboratory del Uruguay (LATU) and IDB-MIF, which aims to create an icubator for technology-based companies. The project received the academic support of the ORT University (Uruguay). Since 2009, Ingenio has been an incubator sponsored by the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII.)

Thus, it is Uruguay’s first business incubator, where more than 170 projects have been incubated and more than 60 new companies have been created. These companies generate valuable solutions and stimulate the country’s economy in areas such as: information systems, electronics, tenecommunications, biotechnology, robotics, IOT, among others.

Being a part of LATU, Ingenio processes are certified by various international standards: ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems) and 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System.)

Contribution to the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

We are leaders regarding the development of Uruguay’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, working alongside the various actors that comprise it. Ever since our foundation, we foster the development of proposals, activities, instruments, methodologies, among other aspects; however, we mostly favor skills and bonds development between major national, regional and international ecosystem actors. Therefore, we contribute to the growth of different business sectors and the shaping of the country’s entrepreneurial network.

Together with local partners and through its connection with international entrepreneurials ecosystems, Ingenio has promoted the participation of renowed events that test the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and boost the country’s prioritized business sectors: 

  • Innovation Days
  • National Video Game Contest
  • Startup Weekend Uruguay
  • Gamelab Contest
  • Lean Startup Machine
  • Winter Jam
  • FuckUp Nights
  • 500 Ecosystem Development Program
  • Entrepreneur Passport (Pasaporte Emprendedor)
  • Growth Hell Week, 500 Startups
  • Uruguay Softlandings Program
  • SeedStars World Competition
  • Silicon Valley Experience  
  • Girs In Tech
  • IBM Games
  • Level UY Workshops: Indie Publishing 
  • Game Design – Art for Videogames (Arte para Videojuegos)
  • Mandarin for Entrepreneurs (Mandarín para emprendedores) and Business Opportunities in China for ICTs Startups (Oportunidades de negocios en China para startups TICs) 
  • E-commerce entrepreneuriship in LATAM (Emprendiendo en e-commerce en LATAM) 
  • Exchange of sucessful experiences with entrepreneurs in the 3IE Chile Incubator

Ingenio actively participates in various boards and groups that promote innovation and sector development:

  • Electronics board
  • Video games board
  • ICTs board
  • Agtech board
  • Plennary of the Intellectual Property Network
  • Advisory Group for the elaboration of Law 19,820 on the Promotion of Entrepreneurship in Uruguay
  • E-commerce promotion
  • Startups and Financing Commission of CUTI (Spanish acronym for Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technology)

Ingenio is part of various national and international networks that promote, articulate and stimulate the technological entrepreneurial ecosystems of Latin America:

  • Uruguay Entrepreneurs Net (Red Uruguay Emprendedor)
  • LATAM Incubators Networks
  • Acceletator Networks
  • INBIA

Ingenio maintains strong connections with international entrepreneurial ecosystems, which has alllowed us to incorporate high-value methodologies and knowledge into its practices:

The United States, Israel, England, Germany, France, Spain, Japan, Peru, Panama, Mexico, El Salvador, Brazil, Argentina, Denmark.

The projects incubated at Ingenio participate in various international financing programs that have allowed their companies to access funds and reach international markets:

  • Startup Chile
  • 500 Startups
  • Seedstars
  • Techstars
  • Rising Startup Spain

Prime Location

We are located in LATU Technology Park, the country’s largest business and technology ecosystem. A 14-hectare innovation hub, where private companies, public development institutions, universities, business chambers and brand-new technology startups connect and interact. This business ecosystem favors the meeting of entrepreneurs with market and industry leaders; as it encourages knowledge exchange, open collaboration and innovation.