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dc.titleAssessment of the Innovative Entrepreneurship and Early-Stage Investment Ecosystem in Bolivia
dc.contributor.authorSalazar, Juan Carlos
dc.contributor.authorCorzo, Oscar
dc.contributor.authorVilla, Rafael
dc.contributor.authorNaranjo, Melissa
dc.contributor.authorMarion, Corina
dc.contributor.authorRomán, Francisco Javier
dc.contributor.orgunitIDB Lab
dc.contributor.orgunitCompetitiveness, Technology and Innovation Division
dc.coverageBolivia
dc.date.available2026-02-10T00:02:00
dc.date.issue2026-02-10T00:02:00
dc.description.abstractThis study provides a comprehensive, evidence-based, and action-oriented analysis of Bolivias innovative entrepreneurship and early-stage investment ecosystem and its recent evolution. In a context of economic transition, macroeconomic constraints, and institutional reconfiguration, the report examines how Bolivian startups have developed capacities for adaptation, professionalization, and the pursuit of new growth models, even in a challenging environment. The objective of the report is to assess the ecosystems level of maturity, identify structural gaps in human capital, financing, support services, science and technology, and propose strategic intervention pathways to build a more dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable environment. The study is based on a mixed-methods approach that combines more than 230 surveys, 62 semi-structured interviews, social network analysis, and international benchmarking against peer countries such as Jamaica, Peru, and Uruguay. The findings show that Bolivia remains classified as an emerging ecosystem, with significant gaps in regulation, early-stage financing, public-private coordination, and linkages with science and research. However, clear signs of maturation have emerged between 2022 and 2025, including greater professionalization among active startups, the emergence of local venture capital funds, growth in angel investment activity, and stronger support from accelerators and universities. Based on these findings, the study proposes four strategic pillars aimed at strengthening public-sector governance, entrepreneurial capabilities, scale-up financing, and the connection between entrepreneurship and science, with the goal of advancing toward a more developed and dynamic ecosystem.
dc.format.extent74
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0013942
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Assessment-of-the-Innovative-Entrepreneurship-and-Early-Stage-Investment-Ecosystem-in-Bolivia.pdf
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/spanish/document/Diagnostico-del-ecosistema-de-emprendimiento-innovador-e-inversion-en-etapas-tempranas-en-Bolivia-.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectEntrepreneurship
dc.subjectStartup
dc.subjectInvestment
dc.subjectFinance
dc.subjectInnovation
dc.subjectInnovation Ecosystem
dc.subjectScience and Technology
dc.subjectHuman Capital
dc.subjectVenture Capital
dc.subjectEducational Institution
dc.subjectDebtor Finance
dc.subjectInnovation Policy
dc.subject.jelcodeO30 - Innovation • Research and Development • Technological Change • Intellectual Property Rights: General
dc.subject.jelcodeM13 - New Firms • Startups
dc.subject.keywordsinnovative entrepreneurship;startup ecosystem;early-stage investment;Venture capital;seed capital;scaling
dc.typeTechnical Notes
idb.identifier.pubnumberIDB-TN-03298
idb.operationBK-C2176
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