In addition to physical incubators, the delegation was welcomed at a reception at the Midtown offices of Frazier & Deeter in partnership with the International Business Society of the Technology Association of Georgia.

A group of some 15 Argentine software companies visited Atlanta in mid-April, gaining a deep look at a rising tech market while showcasing their capabilities to potential partners.

Organized by the South American country’s commerce ministry, the delegation represented expertise in emerging sectors such as financial technology, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and more.

It’s part of an effort to build Argentina’s brand in software in the same way that consumers in the U.S. associate its wine and beef with excellence, said Marina Ripari, a coordinator from Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Worship, who helped escort the group to the Atlanta Tech Village, ATDC, Tech Alpharetta and other local incubators.

“I think the authorities realize that we need to diversify,” said Ms. Ripari.

Members of the Argentine diaspora can often be found at high levels of Atlanta tech companies and Fortune 500s — including some that met with the group — but that doesn’t always translate to respect for the education system that minted them back home.

“This sector is really powerful. We have a lot of talent in Argentina,” Ms. Ripari, noting that the problem here is more with awareness. “I think the United States has to know that we are powerful and that they can trust in our people.”

The message isn’t new in Atlanta, where Argentina’s national software association has brought multiple delegations. In 2022, former Ambassador Jorge Arguello led a group here to unveil the Argentina Delivers platform, a database of some 1,600 companies ready to work for offshore clients..

Argentina, as many have said, offers a highly skilled tech sector that is affordably priced, culturally savvy and on basically the same time as the U.S.

Silvina Zublena, an environmental engineer and account executive at Leaf, a software-as-as-service platform that helps companies track their carbon emissions, moved to Alpharetta with her husband and found it to be a convenient place from which to expand into the U.S.

Fully developed in Argentina, Leaf is present throughout Latin America and is looking for deeper impact here as climate regulations grow more stringent.

“We’re in a moment where things are shifting in terms of climate change and climate action from a voluntary situation … toward force,” Ms. Zublena said.

Gustavo Sanabria, another Argentine transplant in the metro area, said that while the “front door” to the U.S. for Argentine firms still seems to be Miami, where this group would soon visit the eMerge Americas conference, setting up shop in Alpharetta has been a boon for Captivatar, which offers augmented reality solutions that help companies gamify soft skills training for new hires.

“We are a local company with Argentine roots,” Mr. Sanabria said, noting that it has been easy to network with similar companies after settling here.

Darwoft, based in the Argentine city of Córdoba, is looking less to Atlanta less as an investment destination and more as a source of sales help in the U.S. market.

CEO Cecilia Mariani said the company focuses on digital transformation and helping both startups and established firms create minimum viable products to prove their business cases. Darwoft has found success working with hospitals in the U.S. that want to streamline and interconnect their tech stacks, and it has representatives in Oregon, Virginia and elsewhere. Atlanta could be next, Ms. Mariani said.

Other companies in the delegation focused on blockchain, artificial intelligence or other software niches, all waiting to be discovered by potential partners. Some, like G&L Group, were looking for local startups to invest in.

For Ms. Zublena, Atlanta’s abundant trees and kind people are a bonus for Argentines who find themselves here.

“I tell them to come back more frequently,” she said.

But she also hopes the trip will send a message in the other direction, telling the story of Argentina’s charms more clearly to an Atlanta audience.

“We need to make everyone very aware that our software is top-notch,” she said.

The Consulate General of Argentina, headed by Consul General Alana Lomonaco Busto, organized the on-the-ground itinerary.

She and Deputy Consul General (and husband) Sebastian D’Alessio have now turned their attention to a delegation of sports technology companies planning to visit Atlanta June 20 when Argentina faces off against Canada in the CONMEBOL Copa America soccer tournament opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

See the full list of Argentine companies that visited for the software delegation below:

Contact the consulate here.

As managing editor of Global Atlanta, Trevor has spent 15+ years reporting on Atlanta’s ties with the world. An avid traveler, he has undertaken trips to 30+ countries to uncover stories on the perils...

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