Praxis in Colonia: what +Colonia is, what was announced and what's missing
INGAR · · Analysis
Short answer
Praxis, a US startup co-founded by Dryden Brown, announced on September 22, 2026 that its first city-scale development will be in Uruguay, inside +Colonia, a 515-ha development next to Colonia del Sacramento. It plans to mobilize USD 1 billion over three years and welcome its first residents by mid-2027. The land has not been bought yet: it still has to be subdivided, and the first acquisition is expected in the first half of 2027.
Looking at a house or a plot near +Colonia? We help you check the padrón, the land-use category and the asking price against comparable listings before you put down a deposit. We stay with you through to the deed. Message us on WhatsApp with the listing link or the padrón (cadastral parcel number).
What Praxis is
Praxis describes itself as a global community building places to live "in the age of artificial intelligence." According to Forbes Uruguay, it has more than 150,000 members worldwide; Wikipedia notes that it calls itself an internet-native nation.
Its thesis, in the words of its co-founder and CEO in the announcement: "AGI could create wealth on a scale the world has never seen. We want to turn some of that wealth into places and institutions worthy of it."
What +Colonia is
+Colonia is a development on the Río de la Plata, right next to Colonia del Sacramento, led by Eduardo Bastitta since 2022. The figures reported by Forbes Uruguay:
- 515 ha in total, of which 120 ha already have infrastructure.
- 500 residential and functional units developed.
- The first three buildings of the Génesis District.
- More than 180 entities involved: builders, tech companies, banks, funds and schools.
The construction photos on the Praxis Uruguay page are of +Colonia, dated September 2026. What you see built belongs to the host development, not to Praxis.
What was announced and where it stands
| Announcement | What the source says | Status as of September 26, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| USD 1 billion | Praxis "plans to mobilize" that amount over the next three years (announcement) | Projected investment; no disbursement contracts published |
| Size of the first phase | More than 20% of +Colonia's planned development, about 350,000 m² of buildable area (Bastitta, in Forbes) | Agreement announced |
| Land purchase | "The purchase is not yet effective because the land still has to be subdivided"; first acquisition expected in the first half of 2027; Praxis would buy in phases over several years (Forbes) | Pending |
| First residents | By mid-2027, first in existing +Colonia buildings while the neighborhood is developed (Praxis Uruguay) | Stated timeline |
| Interested members | 2,700 members formally expressed interest and a commitment to move and invest (Bastitta, in Forbes) | Stated commitments, not purchases |
| What would be built | Private residences, a resort and spaces for art and music; the renderings are "concept studies" | Concept studies |
| Home sales | Part of the proceeds from residence sales would go to fellowships, artist residencies and cultural institutions (announcement) | Praxis will sell homes in the area |
| Legal framework | The community's institutions would operate "fully within Uruguay's constitutional, legal, and democratic framework" | Uruguayan law applies |
Why Uruguay, according to Praxis
The announcement gives four reasons: natural beauty, political and economic stability, strong democratic institutions and the chance to build alongside a local partner with work already underway. The Praxis Uruguay page adds geography: Buenos Aires across the river and Montevideo along the coast.
The practical detail: the direct ferry between Buenos Aires and Colonia takes 1 h 15 min according to Colonia Express, and the port of Colonia is 177 km from Montevideo.
Uruguay is the fourth location Praxis has announced
| Year | Location | What was proposed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original plan | Mediterranean | A city of 10,000 people | Wikipedia |
| 2024 | Greenland | Brown said he had pitched a "charter city", a city with its own rules, to Greenlandic politicians | The Block, November 2024 |
| June 2025 | Atlas, California | A "defense-oriented spaceport city" on 3,850 acres (about 1,560 ha) of Vandenberg base | Praxis on X |
| September 2026 | +Colonia, Uruguay | First phase inside an existing development | Praxis announcement |
The cited sources record no construction in any of the three earlier plans. The difference in Colonia is a developer partner with 120 ha of infrastructure already built; what still needs documenting is Praxis's own part: land purchase, subdivision, permits and its own construction.
What to check if you buy near +Colonia
What to ask for on any property
- Padrón, title and survey plan. Find it in the Colonia padrón search.
- Land-use category and zoning parameters. They are in the Local Plan zoning sheets published by the Intendencia (departmental government; Decreto 014/2024); the answer for your padrón comes from the Intendencia.
- Approval and budget for any future works, utility or rental income the seller uses to justify the price.
What the announcement changes
- Praxis will sell its own homes: if you buy to resell or rent, that supply competes with yours.
- There are no published Praxis sale prices and no closed sales in the area that reflect the announcement. Compare the asking price with dated listings, like those in the guide to buying a house in Colonia del Sacramento.
- If you are interested in rural land nearby, the rules on land use, water and Colonización are in the guide to buying a chacra in Colonia.
If you are thinking of moving, the guide on why foreigners choose Uruguay to live and invest covers costs, prices and the 2026 tax regime. Buying a house does not give you residency: see the guide on whether buying property gives you residency in Uruguay.
Frequently asked questions
What is Praxis and what will it do in Colonia?
Praxis is a US startup co-founded by Dryden Brown that presents itself as a global community for the age of artificial intelligence and says it has more than 150,000 members. In Colonia it plans a neighborhood with private residences, a resort, spaces for art and music and fellowships for artists and founders, inside the +Colonia development. It projects mobilizing USD 1 billion over three years.
Where is +Colonia?
+Colonia is a development on the Río de la Plata, right next to the city of Colonia del Sacramento, in the department of Colonia. It covers 515 ha, 120 of which already have infrastructure, and about 500 residential and functional units have been developed, according to Forbes Uruguay. The port of Colonia is 177 km from Montevideo and 1 h 15 min by ferry from Buenos Aires.
Has Praxis already bought the land in Colonia?
No. When the agreement was announced on September 22, 2026, Eduardo Bastitta said the purchase is not yet effective because the land still has to be subdivided, and he expected the first acquisition in the first half of 2027. Praxis would buy in phases over several years. The first phase equals more than 20% of the planned development, about 350,000 m² of buildable area.
When will the first Praxis residents arrive in Uruguay?
The timeline Praxis published expects the first residents by mid-2027. They will live in buildings that already exist in +Colonia while the neighborhood itself is developed. Bastitta told Forbes Uruguay that 2,700 members formally expressed their interest and commitment to move and invest; that does not mean purchases or residency permits granted.
Does Praxis have its own laws in Uruguay?
No. The Praxis announcement says its community's institutions would operate fully within Uruguay's constitutional, legal and democratic framework, as a complement to public institutions. A purchase in +Colonia or nearby is governed by Uruguayan law: escribano (notary), registry, taxes and the land-use rules of the Intendencia de Colonia.
Further reading:
- Why foreigners choose Uruguay to live and invest
- Buying a house in Colonia del Sacramento
- Carmelo or Nueva Helvecia: where to buy a house
- Invest in Uruguay
Sources
- Praxis, announcement of September 22, 2026 and Praxis Uruguay page
- Forbes Uruguay, September 22, 2026
- Wikipedia, Praxis (company)
- The Block, Praxis and Greenland (November 2024)
- Praxis on X, Atlas proposal (June 2025)
- Colonia Express, schedules and routes and ANP, port of Colonia
- Intendencia de Colonia, Local Plan zoning sheets
General information reviewed against sources available as of September 26, 2026. This is a news piece: Praxis's land purchase, permits, construction and timeline may change and will be updated when new documentation is available. Cover photo: RecursosGabriela, CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
