AGP Executive Report

Sports Technology: Uruguay’s football association has trialled digital yellow and red cards, with a handheld device recording bookings and match incidents electronically. The test streamlined paperwork, but the screen was hard to see from the stands, prompting developers to consider brighter displays. Data Infrastructure: Spain’s Solaria has signed a $5.7 billion agreement to build up to 500 MW of data-center capacity across Canelones, San José and Florida, supported by a planned 350 MW solar project. The first phase is due in 2029; the full campus is expected to create 1,500 permanent jobs. Uruguayan Tech Business: Retail-data company Scanntech raised $180 million to accelerate international expansion, in a deal valuing the business at about 5.5 times annual revenue.

Data Center Investment: Uruguay has signed a $5.7 billion agreement with Spain’s Solaria for a data center campus of up to 500 MW, backed by 350 MW of solar power. Planned for Canelones, San José and Florida, the project’s first phase is due in 2029; the solar supply alone will not cover the centers’ full power needs. Retail Data: Uruguayan firm Scanntech raised $180 million to fuel international expansion. The company turns real-time supermarket and retail sales into commercial data. Football Technology: Uruguay is testing digital devices to replace referees’ cards. The system works without Wi-Fi, but glare and poor screen visibility have raised concerns during matches.

Uruguayan Tech Funding: Retail-data company Scanntech closed a US$180 million funding and share-sale deal led by L Catterton. The company plans to use the investment to accelerate its international expansion; Warburg Pincus remains a shareholder. Data Center Investment: Spain’s Solaria announced a planned US$5.7 billion technology park in Uruguay, with 500 MW of data-center capacity and 350 MW of solar generation. The project is expected to be built in phases across Canelones, San José and Florida, but the solar capacity won’t cover the centers’ full electricity needs.

Hemp Exports: New U.S. rules taking effect December 11 will cap THC in hemp-derived products, likely shifting demand toward THC-free goods. Uruguay’s exporters may feel the change: the country shipped 10 tonnes of CBD flower to the U.S. in 2023. Digital Ventures: Praxis, a venture-backed project billing itself as a “digital nation,” plans to build a community within the +Colonia development near Colonia del Sacramento. Its proposal includes homes and a resort, with an AI bot envisaged for citizenship applications. Data Infrastructure: Brazil’s data-center expansion is moving beyond São Paulo toward Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza and the south, as demand for cloud and AI capacity grows. Power supply, transmission upgrades and permitting remain key hurdles.

Hemp Exports: US rules taking effect December 11 will tighten limits on THC in hemp products, likely shifting demand toward THC-free goods. The change could reshape opportunities for Uruguayan growers and extractors, which have already exported CBD flower to the US. Marine Research: Uruguay’s aquatic resources directorate, DINARA, is set to host and coordinate an international database on Argentine squid. The project aims to compare population assessment models in 2027, but Argentina’s absence has stirred debate over scientific oversight and South Atlantic resource sovereignty. Tech Development: Venture-backed Praxis says it has selected a site within the planned +Colonia development for a proposed “city of the future.” The reported partnership is largely non-binding, and the project’s ambitions remain uncertain.

Digital-City Proposal: Praxis, a venture-backed group calling itself a “digital nation,” says it has picked a site in Uruguay for a planned city within the +Colonia development near Colonia del Sacramento. The reported partnership is largely non-binding; its proposed AI citizenship bot is part of the project’s pitch. Marine Research: Uruguay’s DINARA is expected to host and coordinate an international database on Argentine squid, bringing together researchers from several countries. Argentina’s absence has raised questions over who will set the scientific standards and guide future catch decisions. Sports Streaming: DAZN has acquired Basket.TV, which streams domestic basketball leagues in Uruguay and several other Latin American countries, expanding its regional digital sports offering.

Marine Research: Uruguay’s DINARA is set to host and coordinate an international database on Argentine squid, with population assessment models planned for 2027. The project has drawn controversy over Argentina’s absence and the role of Falkland Islands representatives in shaping research on a shared South Atlantic resource. Streaming Technology: DAZN has acquired Basket.TV, which serves hundreds of thousands of users in Uruguay and five other Latin American markets. The deal brings its basketball streaming platform and domestic league coverage into DAZN’s expanding digital sports business.

Fintech: TraderPal closed a $15 million investment commitment from Tek Innovation to link Latin American tokenized assets with Japanese investors. Sports Streaming: DAZN acquired Basket.TV, whose basketball streaming service operates in Uruguay and five other Latin American markets, carrying about 4,900 games a season. Marine Research: GPS tracking of Magellanic penguins found some travel as far north as Uruguay and the Río de la Plata, helping researchers map important feeding areas.

Streaming in Uruguay: DAZN has acquired Basket.TV, a basketball platform serving Uruguay and five other Latin American markets. It streams about 4,900 games a season, and the deal expands DAZN’s regional sports technology offering. Wildlife Tracking: GPS tags on Magellanic penguins revealed that some travel as far north as Uruguay and the Río de la Plata. The tracking study is helping researchers map important marine areas and understand the birds’ feeding routes. Digital Rights and AI: Uruguay joined Armenia, Estonia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sweden and Kazakhstan in sponsoring a UN resolution on women’s and girls’ rights in digital technologies. It calls for closing skills gaps, greater participation in technology and AI governance, and safeguards against discrimination and algorithmic bias.

Streaming: DAZN has acquired Basket.TV, a basketball platform serving Uruguay and five other Latin American markets. It streams about 4,900 matches a season across more than 300 teams; financial terms were not disclosed. Wildlife Research: GPS tracking of Magellanic penguins found some travel as far north as Uruguay’s coast and the Río de la Plata, covering up to 3,500 kilometres. The findings could help identify important marine habitats. Digital Rights: Uruguay joined a cross-regional group whose resolution on women’s and girls’ rights in digital technologies was unanimously adopted by the UN Human Rights Council. It calls for closing skills gaps, wider participation in AI governance and action on risks such as algorithmic bias.

Marine Research: GPS tracking found Magellanic penguins migrating as far as Uruguay’s coast and the Río de la Plata, helping researchers map important feeding areas. Clean Energy: A green hydrogen pilot plant has opened in Durazno through a partnership between UTEC and Udelar. Uruguayan Tech Founders: Startup Flai, co-founded by Uruguayans, raised US$27 million to expand its AI agents for car dealerships. Digital Rights: Uruguay joined six countries in backing a UN resolution on women’s and girls’ rights in digital technologies, including risks from AI bias.

AI Startup: Flai, founded by Uruguayan engineers, raised US$27 million to expand its AI agents for car dealerships. The tools handle customer calls, messages and appointment scheduling. Clean Energy: A green hydrogen pilot plant has opened in Durazno through a partnership between UTEC and Udelar. Digital Rights: Uruguay joined an interregional group behind a UN resolution on women’s rights in digital technology, including AI. It calls for closing digital skills gaps and addressing risks such as algorithmic bias.

Digital Rights: Uruguay joined five countries in co-sponsoring a UN Human Rights Council resolution on protecting women and girls in digital technology, including AI, and addressing algorithmic bias and unequal access. AI Startups: Uruguayans who founded San Francisco-based Flai raised US$27 million to expand AI agents that handle customer calls, appointments and follow-ups for car dealerships. Clean Energy: A green hydrogen pilot plant opened in Durazno through a partnership between UTEC and Udelar, advancing local research into low-carbon energy.

AI Startup: Uruguayan founders Ari and Alen Polakof and Juan Alzugaray raised US$27 million for Flai, their AI startup serving car dealerships. Its agents handle customer calls and messages, book appointments and follow up with leads. Clean Energy: A green hydrogen pilot plant has opened in Durazno through a partnership between UTEC and Udelar, bringing Uruguay’s research institutions together on the emerging energy technology. Digital Rights: Uruguay joined six countries in sponsoring a UN resolution on women’s and girls’ rights in digital technologies, including AI. The measure calls for closing digital skills gaps and addressing risks such as algorithmic bias.

Uruguayan AI Founders: Flai, a San Francisco startup founded by three Uruguayans, raised $27 million to expand its AI agents for car dealerships, which handle customer calls, messages and appointment scheduling. Digital Rights: Uruguay joined six countries in co-sponsoring a UN resolution on women’s rights in digital technology and AI, including access, participation in technology governance and protection from risks such as algorithmic bias. Green Hydrogen: A pilot plant opened in Durazno through a partnership between UTEC and Udelar, advancing Uruguay’s research into clean energy.

AI Startup: Uruguayan co-founders’ company Flai raised US$27 million to expand AI agents for car dealerships, bringing its total funding to more than US$33 million. Digital Rights: Uruguay joined six countries sponsoring a UN resolution on women’s rights in digital technologies, including AI, calling for better access, participation and safeguards against bias. Green Hydrogen: A pilot plant opened in Durazno through a partnership between UTEC and Udelar.