OUTLOOK: Latin American IT Startups to Watch in 2015

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M-banking, the Internet of Things and cloud services: these are the rising stars of the future. Below is a list of eight Latin American startups which aim to bring them up a notch.

MEXICO

Nubity started out as an integrated cloud service provider, but grew rapidly in partnership with IBM and tech startup program SoftLayer Catalyst. Finalist in the 2014 edition of IBM SmartCamp México, Nubity has grown 600% since it launched in 2012, and it is expected to grow 100% in 2015. Currently present in Mexico and Argentina, it plans to start operations in Colombia and US in the next months.

PayClip offers software that allows businesses and users to receive payments through a clip device attached to smartphones. According to local newspaper El Financiero, it was named Mexico's most promising startup by members of Wayra México and 500Startups, having received an initial investment of US$1.5mn.

CHILE

One of eight startups accepted into Telefónica's 2014 Wayra startup program, Smartbox TV manages over 30 apps that broadcast TV content, from sports to financial information.

BenchBanking is an online platform that was launched in 2013 to simplify the lending process. Customers sign up, provide their personal information and receive loan quotes suited to fit their specific needs. In its two years in operation, it has attracted 5,000 customers and performed 1,000 operations, mostly mortgages, worth US$80mn.

COLOMBIA

Startbull is the Facebook of stock markets. The app combines information from the main markets in the region (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Colombia), and offers a forum for users to exchange opinions, advice and strategy. Launched in 2011, it has obtained US$220,000 in investment from StartupChile, Wayra Colombia and BBVA Colombia, and it recently expanded to the US and Spain.

Ubidots, an Internet of Things startup, was created in 2001 as a cloud service to store and analyze sensor data in real-time. Among its first customers were three of Colombia's largest hospitals, and it currently has over 1,000 clients. It started with an initial investment of US$50,000, and obtained a US$90,000 grant from the government.

BRAZIL

Easy Taxi, a Rio de Janeiro-based app that helps users get cabs quickly and safely, was launched in 2011 and soon after purchased by internet tech incubator Rocky Internet. Injected with a US$4.2mn investment, the app is now available in São Paulo, Mexico City, Santiago and Buenos Aires, as well as other cities worldwide.

Founded in 2012, Glio is a self-described "non-conventional guide written by people like you." The company is betting on dominating Brazil's fractured local listings market. Glio was the first Latin American startup backed by Silicon Valley's Y Combinator.