Companies
who aren't satisfied
You need to know how you stack up against your industry to keep growing: here, you'll find out based on data, not intuition.
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Ruta N and the Medellín Mayor's Office are looking for the people who make it come alive.
Take the pulse of your organization and position yourself at the top. Pulso CTi Medellín lets you see how you stack up against your competition, access anonymized data from your industry, and join the ranks of innovation leaders recognized by the official Ruta N ranking and the Medellín Mayor’s Office.
Exclusive to Forbes
Participating Sectors
Every sector innovates in its own way. What’s yours?
If you’re part of the District’s quadruple helix, this ranking is for you:
Academy
those who bring science out of the lab
Your scientific research deserves to leave the lab and transform the industry.
Healthcare Sector
those who innovate to save lives
Every improvement you make can save a life. It's time to make sure it's recorded, too.
Public Sector
those who govern with an eye toward the future
Good governance starts with making decisions based on accurate data. Here's yours.
THE FIRST SNAPSHOT OF THE CTI DISTRICT
THE STRENGTHS THAT GIVE MEDELLÍN A COMPETITIVE EDGE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE
Being a CTI District is one of Medellín’s greatest assets
Ruta N’s CTI Pulse measures three key capabilities of Medellín’s ecosystem for the first time: investment, talent, and innovation. A look at how to turn knowledge into economic and social development.
WHAT DOES THIS STATUS ENABLE?
Public-private partnerships, the promotion of industries and technology ecosystems, digital transformation, and resources to fund the District’s CTI Policy. For decades, Medellín has been connecting the capabilities of academia, business, and the government to build a knowledge-based city.
It is a city-wide network designed to translate S&T&I into economic and social development for Medellín and opportunities for its people.
2021
Legislative Act 01
Congress granted Medellín the status of Special District of Science, Technology, and Innovation.
2023
Law 2286
It fosters this condition and provides skills, tools, and resources to promote holistic development.
Ecosystem Engine
Capabilities that the district has built
to energize its ecosystem
Ecosystem Data
Investment and Business
Capital is finding a robust ecosystem with high growth potential.
USD +20 million in venture capital raised; 2027 projection: USD 40 million.
+350 new investors trained; projection for 2027: 1,000.
7 investment vehicles with a local impact; projection for 2027: 15.
Bancóldex's USD 2.1 million investment unlocked a USD 16 million fund of funds, and it is expected to unlock USD 40 million through four new funds in the country—20 times the initial amount.
106 startups in Medellín generate more than 1 million USD in annual revenue.
Medellín climbed from 205th to 130th place in the StartupBlink ranking.
2. STI Ecosystem among cities with fewer than 10 million residents.
The second-most active ecosystem and the best city for doing business.
10.9 startups per 100,000 residents, surpassing capital cities such as Bogotá (7.3), Santiago (6.3), São Paulo (6.1), and Buenos Aires (2.5).
USD +20 million in venture capital raised; 2027 projection: USD 40 million.
+350 new investors trained; projection for 2027: 1,000.
7 investment vehicles with a local impact; projection for 2027: 15.
Bancóldex's USD 2.1 million investment unlocked a USD 16 million fund of funds, and it is expected to unlock USD 40 million through four new funds in the country—20 times the initial amount.
106 startups in Medellín generate more than 1 million USD in annual revenue.
Medellín climbed from 205th to 130th place in the StartupBlink ranking.
2. STI Ecosystem among cities with fewer than 10 million residents.
The second-most active ecosystem and the best city for doing business.
10.9 startups per 100,000 residents, surpassing capital cities such as Bogotá (7.3), Santiago (6.3), São Paulo (6.1), and Buenos Aires (2.5).
Data Intelligence
Impact Indicators
Real-time visualization of the growth and performance of the CTi ecosystem.
Innovation
The challenge of turning knowledge into value.
FUTUMED
Medellín as an Open-Air Laboratory
Winners of the 2026 Smart City Innovator Award, presented by CINTEL and ESRI, in the Smart Cities and Territories category—an award recognizing initiatives with a real impact on the community—presented at ANDICOM, the most important business and technology conference in Colombia and Latin America.
"A city that uses science, technology, and innovation to solve its own challenges and turn them into opportunities for its people."
Scientific and Technological Output
| Indicator | Medellín | Bogotá |
|---|---|---|
| Outputs per year per researcher | 0.70 | 0.72 |
| Science and Technology | 47.7% | 46.0% |
| Interdisciplinarity | 34.0% | 32.9% |
| Project Continuity | 5.47 | 5.39 |
| Level of collaboration | 40.7 | 48.7 |
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Science and Technology
Nearly 1 in 2 researchers in Medellín produces both a scientific output (publication) and a technological output (patent, software, or prototype).
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Interdisciplinarity
Local capacity to combine academic disciplines.
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Project Continuity
Research agendas in the city do not come to a halt halfway through.
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Level of Collaboration
The opportunity lies in institutions conducting research more frequently.
Ecosystem
Talent
That is cultivated throughout one's life.
children from public and private schools who have been trained in STEAM skills.
trained teachers.
elementary and secondary schools.
students in STEM/CTI college programs.
graduates who expand the pool of specialized talent.
new doctors.
active researchers who contribute to Medellín's scientific capacity.
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Track the pulse
of your organization.
We’re looking for those who keep Medellín’s heart beating through science, technology, and innovation. Do you meet the criteria to be included in the Official Ranking?
A ROUTE N PROGRAM · MEDELLÍN 2026