10 Argentine Startups To Watch

With a new right-of-center president at the helm, Argentina has become more business-oriented of late, its government actively encouraging startup culture in Buenos Aires. Young Argentines are pretty into entrepreneurship too – nearly 60% of 18 to 24-year-olds reportedly see it as a good career path. That said, many see the new administration’s lack of funding for cultural centers, education and other community-based initiatives as crippling innovation and long-term growth. It remains to be seen if the government can attract investment in a country with a shaky economic history and skyrocketing inflation, but these 10 competitive startups prove that it can be done.

Folks enjoying the Buenos Aires Cultural Concierge’ Tigre Experience

BA Cultural Concierge

The Buenos Aires Cultural Concierge offers customized itineraries and trip planning in the Argentine capital and beyond. Founded by a Maryland native together with Argentine partners, the young company operates throughout Argentina, as well as Uruguay and Chile. They offer tours, experiences and trip planning tailored to special groups, such as families, people with mobility challenges, couples – there’s even a “Baby Boomers” option. Check them out here.

Bluesmart

Ever lose your luggage on a flight and have to wait days for them to deliver it to your hotel? Sucks, right? Bluestart was born out of that frustration. The hugely successful Argentine startup – now in five cities in five continents – has created “smart” suitcases and other wired travel accessories. Part of the Internet of Things revolution, check out their future-forward products here.

Trideo

3D printing from Argentina. Damn straight – or not, depending on what you’re making! Check it out.

Acámica

Joining the ranks of Coursera and other high-level online learning initiatives comes Acámica from Argentina. Founded in 2012, they offer short professional enrichment courses online with an emphasis on tech and business. More here.

Gi Fly

In Argentina – particularly Buenos Aires – bikes are highly valued. The cycling subculture, while still relatively new, is swelling, with hundreds meeting monthly to take over the streets en masse. So perhaps it comes as no surprise that Argentine startup Gi Fly is taking cycling to a new level with their electronic folding bike. That’s right. It folds. In fact, it folds in one second. And it’s Bluetooth-enabled so you can track it in case anyone except you ever touches it. At a listed value of $4,000 USD (though currently 42% off), you’ll want it pretty well protected. More here.

Mural

If you’re onto Trello, the popular remote office sharing program, then you should be onto Mural, a similar initiative for creative people. Intrigued? Take the tour here.

Coderhouse

Coderhouse specializes in coding courses. Their approach is to offer support and education to coders, analyze their work, figure out their goals, and help them thrive. Argentina, in case you didn’t know, is world-renowned for their hacking and coding geniuses. More information on Coderhouse here.

3dar

Everyone knows Buenos Aires is ridiculously creative, which is where the studio 3dar comes in. Someone’s got to streamline all this talent! Only three years old, the award-winning studio offers 3D animation, content creation, live action and post-production to the film and advertising industry. Check them out here.

Restorando

Founded in 2011, Restorando aims to revolutionize the restaurant business by offering customers the opportunity to book their table in advance for free 24 hours a day. The idea is: lines are dumb, waiting in the cold to get a table is even more dumb, and everyone’s happier (OK, especially the restaurants) when things are arranged in advance. Check them out here.

Taringa!

Taringa! is a Spanish-language social media and content-sharing website now in 18 countries. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, the website’s worth a peek, because it’s mesmerizing.