Tech oligarchs plan AI-centric city in Uruguay’s new +Colonia district

Praxis, a startup created in 2019, aims to turn its online community of technology professionals into a tangible nation-like entity by constructing a city in Uruguay’s +Colonia region. The project, described by founder Drenen Brown as the first “internet-born nation,” seeks to operate outside traditional democratic regulations, allowing experiments in AI, space exploration and biotech. Funding comes from cryptocurrency sources and leading Silicon Valley figures including Sam Altman, Peter Thiel and Mark Andreessen.

Uruguay was selected for its modest scale, stable politics and flexible institutions that facilitate citizenship, tax breaks and residency. Construction is planned along an eight-kilometre stretch of the Río de la Plata, with land development led by Eduardo Bastiata, a businessman linked to Argentine President Javier Milei. The initiative reflects a broader movement among tech elites to create private, network-state communities that bypass conventional governance.