LA STARTUP BRASILEÑA DE AGROTECH DAIRY TECH, GANADORA DE LA QUINTA EDICIÓN DE SOUTH SUMMIT BRAZIL
In addition, the Spanish startup FLOMICS, based in Barcelona and developer of a liquid biopsy test for the early detection and clinical management of cancer and other complex diseases, was awarded the Best Team prize.
Dairy Tech has developed an innovative method that optimizes daily farm management through centralized herd data control, milk production monitoring, and improvements in operational processes.
This victory confirms the consolidation of the Brazilian entrepreneurial ecosystem as the most relevant in Latin America, currently accounting for 17 of the region’s 46 unicorns.
Four of the five winners in this edition were founded by women: Dairy Tech (Global Winner), Nucleo Vitro (Most Disruptive), Unibaio (Most Sustainable), and FLOMICS (Best Team).
During the closing day of South Summit Brazil 2026, the winning startups by vertical were also announced: FLOMICS and Nucleo Vitro in Health, Zarv and Primelis in Enterprise, Redraw and Wedy in Digital, UBI Meat and Dairy Tech in Industry, and Naturannova and Unibaio in Sustainability.
Under the theme ‘Human by Design’ and co-organized by IE University and the Government of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, #SouthSummitBrazil26 brought together more than 24,000 attendees from 70 countries, as well as more than 800 global leaders from the entrepreneurial ecosystem, 7,000 corporations, 3,000 startups, and more than 1,000 investors with an investment portfolio of 250 billion euros.
María Benjumea, Chair and Founder of South Summit, announced that the sixth edition of South Summit Brazil will take place from April 15 to 17, 2027, in Porto Alegre.
Madrid, April 30, 2026 - Brazilian startup Dairy Tech has been named the winner of the fifth edition of South Summit Brazil 2026, the leading event for the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem in Latin America, co-organized by IE University and the Government of the State of Rio Grande do Sul between March 25 and 27 in Porto Alegre. In addition, the Barcelona-based startup FLOMICS, which has developed a liquid biopsy test for the early detection and clinical management of cancer and other complex diseases, was selected as the winner of the Best Team award.
Dairy Tech, founded by Maria de Lourdes Borba Magalhães, is a technology startup specialized in the development of digital solutions for the dairy sector. Its platform enables livestock farms to optimize day-to-day management through centralized herd data control, milk production monitoring, and the improvement of operational processes. Thanks to these tools, producers can make more informed decisions, increase efficiency, and improve the profitability of their farms.
Specifically, this Brazilian startup has developed a rapid on-farm diagnostic method that makes it possible to identify A2 milk-producing cows in just 20 minutes and ensure the purity of the product in the tank. This type of milk, which contains only the A2 beta-casein protein — easier for some people to digest — requires precise verification processes to avoid the presence of A1, which is associated with digestive problems in some individuals.
This victory confirms the consolidation of the Brazilian entrepreneurial ecosystem as the most relevant in Latin America, currently accounting for 17 of the region’s 46 unicorns. This leadership is supported by a combination of factors such as its strong attraction of venture capital, the maturity of its startups, and its capacity for innovation. In 2025, Brazil remained the main destination for investment, attracting more than half of the region’s capital, further reinforcing its position as the main hub for companies valued at more than 1 billion dollars.
In addition, the country is moving toward a more sophisticated ecosystem, in which investment is directed toward companies with validated business models and scalability potential. This development is being driven by hubs such as Porto Alegre, while sectors such as fintech — where Brazil concentrates a large share of regional activity and investment — largely explain its leadership, fostering the creation of startups capable of growing and competing globally.
“In recent years, we have turned into reality what in the first year was only a promise. Porto Alegre has become a mature hub,” highlighted María Benjumea, Chair and Founder of South Summit. She added that “now we need to keep moving forward and, if we truly want to internationalize this ecosystem, it is essential to look up and think big. That is the next challenge: to connect Porto Alegre with the global ecosystem and make it international.” In this regard, Benjumea also announced that the sixth edition of South Summit Brazil will take place from April 15 to 17, 2027, in Porto Alegre.
During the closing ceremony of #SouthSummitBrazil26, the other winning startups by category were also announced, standing out this year especially for their female leadership. Of the five projects awarded this year, four were founded by women: Unibaio, recognized as the Most Sustainable; Barcelona-based FLOMICS, awarded as the startup with the Best Team; and Nucleo Vitro, distinguished as the Most Disruptive. In addition, Naturannova was awarded as the Most Scalable startup.
Likewise, the most outstanding startups by industry verticals were also announced:
• Sustainability & Climate Tech: Naturannova (Chile) and Unibaio (Argentina).
• Health: FLOMICS (Spain) and Nucleo Vitro (Brazil).
• Industry 5.0: UBI Meat (Canada) and Dairy Tech (Brazil).
• Enterprise: Zarv (Brazil) and Primelis (France).
• Digital: Redraw (United States) and Wedy (Brazil).
AI AS AN ALLY, NOT A SUBSTITUTE
Amid the rapid expansion of generative Artificial Intelligence, the goal of South Summit Brazil 2026, through its theme ‘Human by Design’, has been none other than to place human beings at the center of the innovation process. To this end, the event brought together some of the greatest experts from the entrepreneurial and technological ecosystem, such as Ed Soo Ho, CTO of Lenovo, and Jack Mardack, co-founder of Oyster HR, to discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by constant technological advances.
In this context, Jack Mardack emphasized the need to strengthen the role of human judgment in an increasingly automated environment: “the role of humans is more important than ever. People with initiative and decision-making capacity are seeing their impact multiplied, but this also makes it essential to strengthen human oversight to ensure that results are correct, safe, and responsible. If we stop bringing in junior talent, we run the risk of creating a crisis in the future: AI needs human judgment to remain sustainable over time.”
For his part, Ed Soo Ho stressed that the key lies not only in technology, but also in the human ability to interpret and leverage it: “in an increasingly unpredictable world, competitive advantage does not lie in knowing all the answers, but in asking the right questions, from empathy, curiosity, and creativity. Technology is advancing faster than our ability to adapt, and that is why the greatest challenge is not AI — it is us.”
Over the course of three days, South Summit Brazil 2026 brought together more than 24,000 attendees from 70 countries, as well as more than 800 global leaders from the entrepreneurial ecosystem, 7,000 corporations, 3,000 startups, and more than 1,000 investors with an investment portfolio of 250 billion euros.
ABOUT SOUTH SUMMIT
South Summit is the global platform that brings together all the players in the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem to foster the development of business opportunities among them all. Its main event is South Summit Madrid, co-organized by IE University, which throughout its previous thirteen editions has welcomed more than 42,500 startups, while its Startup Competition, from which 9 unicorns have emerged, has produced more than 1,000 finalist startups, with a 90% survival rate and 17 billion dollars in funding raised. The 14th edition of South Summit Madrid will take place from June 4 to 6, 2025, at La Nave.
For more information: https://www.southsummit.co/