Buenos Aires Governor Kicillof unveils $3.5 bn CFI Innova fund for tech startups
On June 8, Governor Axel Kicillof of Buenos Aires province attended the launch of the CFI Innova Innovation Investment Fund, a financing instrument aimed at supporting high‑impact technology projects, startups and companies developing advanced products.
The fund, backed jointly by the provincial government and the Federal Investment Council (CFI), includes an allocation of roughly $3.5 billion (ARS) for its fifth call, with applications open until 26 June. It is designed to complement existing provincial schemes such as FITBA, FONICS and other scientific‑research tools.
Kicillof argued that the province must “accompany investments to expand production, innovation, qualified employment and defend our sovereignty,” criticizing the national government for reducing support for the scientific‑technological system. Minister Augusto Costa added that the fund will turn university research into concrete industrial solutions.
Participants also included CFI president Ignacio Lamothe, fiduciary society head Cecilia Fernández Bugna and CFI Innova manager Bruno Hernández Cravero, who highlighted the fund’s focus on productive, social and energy‑efficiency challenges.