Startups in Latin America are going through a difficult time, the worst in recent years, which, according to Christian Struve, co-founder of Fracttal , a platform specialized in intelligent maintenance technology for the industry, could be explained by different factors.
In 2023 alone , investment in startups in Latin America decreased by at least 50% compared to the previous year, receiving only $3.9 billion, according to the State of the Venture Capital Industry in Latin America in 2023 study. , carried out by the consulting firm Cuantico .
“There are conditions specific to each country, such as the rise in interest rates in some economies, as well as external reasons, such as global tension and war conflicts, which reduce the acceptance of risk by LPs, who prefer to look for other alternatives.” safer options,” explained the entrepreneur.
Struve explained that there are also other reasons that depend on the region’s entrepreneurs, since high-value areas that can drive not only becoming the next ‘ unicorns ‘ (companies valued at more than a billion dollars) have been left aside. , but also generate impact.
Among the main future opportunities for startups in the region, the specialist highlighted industry 4.0 , where innovative projects are beginning to take shape as the number of manufacturing companies that adopt intelligent systems increases and the costs of assets (specialized machinery) decrease. , robots, etc.).
According to a study by Mordor Intelligence , industry 4.0 will go from representing an economy of 94,420 million dollars in 2023, to 241,058 million dollars at the end of 2028, so growth rates close to 20% annually are expected for this item.
“Artificial intelligence, the use of big data and analytics, additive manufacturing and the Internet of Things (IoT) are emerging technologies in many factories in Latin America, so it is important to start working on solutions that can facilitate technological integration ”explained Christian Struve.
In the last year, Fracttal has received investments of at least $10 million, becoming one of the B2B startups in the region that attracts the most attention from Venture Capital.
Cuantico estimates that the venture market in Mexico is around 690 million dollars, while Colombia would reach 257 million dollars and Chile 248 million.
This investment figure includes Fintech, Proptech, FoodTech and Retail projects , while proposals and innovations around scalable companies that serve the manufacturing sector must know how to make their way.
According to StartUs Insights, the use of new technologies helps reduce factory downtime by up to 45% and boost production by up to 25%.
Struve anticipates that the startups that will be best valued in the world of venture are those that can become efficient quickly, provide advanced solutions for the use of data in industries, facilitate decision making, bring alternative sources of energy to factories and optimize significantly the use of resources and the sustainability of plants.
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