About GEN in Argentina

Argentina has been part of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) since the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in 2008, when it joined 76 other countries in inaugurating what has become the world's largest celebration of entrepreneurship. From the outset, Argentina embraced the movement with activities ranging from creative industries forums in Buenos Aires to startup bootcamps, university incubation programs, and networking events organized across several provinces. In the years that followed, Endeavor Argentina emerged as the campaign's principal national partner, helping transform GEW into one of the country's largest annual celebrations of entrepreneurship.

One of the earliest and most distinctive outcomes of GEW Argentina was legislative. During the campaign's formative years, Argentina established the final day of Global Entrepreneurship Week as "El Día del Emprendedor" (Day of the Entrepreneur), creating a recurring national moment to celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation. During GEW 2010, then-Minister of Economic Development Francisco Cabrera highlighted entrepreneurship as one of the country's principal engines of employment and economic opportunity.

Over time, GEW evolved from an annual campaign into a platform for year-round engagement, connecting entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers, investors, and ecosystem builders across Argentina through GEN's global initiatives. GEN National Leader Jorge Lawson—former Minister of Industry, Trade, Mining and Scientific Development of Córdoba Province, Honorary President of Fundación E+E, and a long-time advocate for entrepreneurship—has worked alongside ecosystem leaders and partners throughout Argentina's provinces. Together, they have coordinated national campaigns, international partnerships, founder support initiatives, and regional collaboration across the Argentine ecosystem.

Shaping entrepreneurship policy

Argentina has also played a prominent role in GEN's international policy community.

During his tenure as National Secretary for Entrepreneurs and SMEs, Mariano Mayer became one of the leading voices within Startup Nations, GEN's global network of policymakers working to improve conditions for entrepreneurs. As a member of the Startup Nations Ministerial Steering Committee, Mayer helped shape international dialogue around entrepreneurship policy while sharing Argentina's experience implementing reforms such as the Entrepreneurs Law and the Simplified Joint Stock Company (SAS), initiatives that became international reference points for startup-friendly regulation. Under his leadership, Argentina became an internationally recognized model for entrepreneurship policy and received the Startup Nations Award for National Policy Leadership in 2017.

Argentina's engagement with Startup Nations has been complemented by participation from national, provincial, and municipal governments in GEN's global convenings. At the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in Moscow in 2014, Enrique Avogadro, then Minister of Culture for the City of Buenos Aires, participated as a speaker, highlighting Buenos Aires' experience in fostering creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship while exchanging ideas with policymakers and ecosystem leaders from around the world. 

The Province of Córdoba in turn has become one of GEN's strongest regional partners in Latin America. Successive Executive Directors of the Agencia Córdoba Innovar y Emprender, including José Rodríguez, Pablo Peralta and Gonzalo Valenci, have represented the province at multiple editions of the GEC and the Startup Nations Summit (SNS). The province's latest delegation to GEC Indianapolis 2025, led by the Agency President Manuel Ron, brought together more than 30 entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and public-sector leaders as part of a broader AgTech mission organized by the Agency and ProCórdoba. The delegation showcased Córdoba's model of collaboration among government, universities, investors, and industry while building new international partnerships for the province's innovation ecosystem.

These relationships have continued through GEN's collaboration with organizations such as the Agencia Córdoba Innovar y Emprender, the Ministry of Economy, and local ecosystem builders working to improve the environment for entrepreneurs across Argentina.

Advancing entrepreneurship research

Argentina has also become one of GEN's principal research partners in Latin America.

Since 2018, GEN has partnered with PRODEM at the National University of General Sarmiento, led by Professor Hugo Kantis, to publish the annual Index of Dynamic Entrepreneurship (IDE). The report evaluates the systemic conditions that enable high-growth entrepreneurship across dozens of countries and has become one of Latin America's leading research tools for understanding entrepreneurial ecosystems. More recently, the Index has expanded to include indicators related to sustainability and green entrepreneurship.

Connecting Argentine startups to the world

Since its launch in 2019, the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) has become GEN Argentina's flagship founder program, providing entrepreneurs with a pathway to compete internationally while accessing world-class mentors, investors, and training.

GEN Argentina organizes the national competition each year before selecting the country's representatives for the Global Finals. To date, twelve Argentine startups have advanced to the EWC Top 100, including Nilus, Sumato-ID, Asteroid Technologies, Drixit Technologies, FICHAP, Nippy, Entelai, Hydroplus, Selectivity, Apolo Biotech, WeCircular, and Giraffe Bio.

Among the most notable participants, Sumato-ID, led by Augusto Clement, represented Argentina during the inaugural Entrepreneurship World Cup and later became an important contributor to GEN's footprint in Argentina. 

More recently, startups such as WeCircular have continued Argentina's strong presence on the global stage, demonstrating the country's depth of entrepreneurial talent across sectors ranging from biotechnology and climate innovation to retail technology, digital health, and artificial intelligence.

Building entrepreneurial communities

Beyond competitions, GEN has supported entrepreneur-led communities throughout Argentina.

Buenos Aires hosted a Startup Huddle chapter organized by Sebastián Balestriere, providing founders with opportunities to present their businesses and receive structured feedback from experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors. Argentine founders have also participated in the GEN Starters Club, using GEN's international resources to refine business models, strengthen market strategies, and connect with peers around the world.

A nationwide ecosystem with global connections

Today, Argentina is one of GEN's most engaged ecosystems in Latin America. Through partnerships with government, universities, accelerators, investors, entrepreneur support organizations, and research institutions, GEN has helped connect Argentine entrepreneurs and ecosystem leaders to global markets, policy dialogue, and international networks. This collaboration has been reinforced by regular engagement from GEN's senior leadership—including Global Advisor Dane Stangler and Vice President for Research and Policy Cristina A. Fernandez—whose work with Argentine partners reflects the country's importance within GEN's global community.