Colombia climbs to 35th in global startup ecosystem ranking

August 16, 2026 2 min read

Colombian startups raised USD 224 million in venture capital across 62 rounds in 2025, while the broader ecosystem mobilized USD 857 million.

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Colombia is emerging as one of Latin America’s fastest-growing startup ecosystems, rising to 35th in the global ranking.

The growth is extending beyond Bogotá, with cities such as Cali, Medellín and Barranquilla recording some of the country’s strongest gains and broadening the regional innovation landscape.

Colombia climbed 12 places in the global startup ecosystem ranking since 2021, reaching 35th place in 2026 with annual growth of 29.3%, the highest among South America’s leading ecosystems, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026.

The result keeps Colombia in second place in Latin America and the Caribbean, behind only Brazil.

Bogotá remains the country’s leading innovation hub, ranking 64th globally, but the performance of other cities is reshaping the geographic distribution of the ecosystem.

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Growth spreads to other cities

Cali recorded the strongest growth among Colombian cities, rising 104.3% and climbing 65 positions. Medellín grew 31.1% and entered the global top 130, while Barranquilla advanced 53.3%.

”Colombia is entering a new stage of maturity as a business ecosystem. We are now seeing a market with greater capacity to attract talent, investment and companies looking to scale from the country into other markets across the region. The most relevant development is that this growth is no longer happening only in Bogotá; more cities are building the capabilities needed to become innovation hubs,” said Vivian Acuña, Country Manager at Kapital Colombia.

USD 857 million mobilized in 2025

The growth is also reflected in investment activity. In 2025, Colombian startups raised USD 224 million across 62 venture capital rounds, making the country the fourth-largest venture capital market in Latin America.

Across the broader ecosystem, USD 857 million was mobilized through 131 transactions, although Bogotá accounted for 82% of the capital raised.

The challenge now is to help more companies move beyond their early stages and turn this growth into sustainable consolidation and expansion.

Achieving this will require timely access to financing, liquidity to invest in talent and technology, and financial tools tailored to different stages of business development.

These factors are complemented by the need for greater coordination among entrepreneurs, investors, companies and financial institutions, particularly for startups that need funding to capitalize on growth opportunities without relying exclusively on new investment rounds.

”The challenge today is no longer simply to create more startups, but to help those companies consolidate and grow. In many cases, the main obstacle is not a lack of ideas or talent, but access to financial tools that can support that process. Democratizing access will be key for Colombia to maintain the pace of growth that currently positions it as one of the region’s most dynamic ecosystems,” Acuña added.

For emerging companies, the challenge will be to capitalize on the ecosystem’s strong indicators and turn that growth into businesses capable of consolidating their operations and competing in other markets. In that process, access to capital and financing mechanisms that support different stages of business development will play a decisive role.