“But what brought us here was the data . . . We are obsessed with data.”

Not only does Uruguay create talent, it attracts it, too. As well as enticing major companies such as IBM, Oracle, Netflix and Tata Consultancy Services — where the co-founders of another Uruguayan company on the FT ranking, UruIT, cut their teeth — it also draws in skilled workers from the volatile economies of neighbouring countries, especially Argentina.