A delegation of 17 Argentine software companies will visit Atlanta in April 15-16, the latest group to position the South American country as a preferred near-shoring destination for local firms with growing tech needs.
Alana Lomonaco Busto, the new consul general of Argentina in Atlanta, will welcome the group as the consulate seeks to advance the momentum from a 2022 delegation led by the country’s former ambassador to the United States.
During a “Malbec and Networking” reception on that trip, Argentine diplomats unveiled the “Argentina Delivers” initiative, which boasts a directory of more than 1,600 companies vetted and ready to serve clients in the U.S.
The initiative is still active and the directory still in use, the consul general told Global Atlanta. All that remains is to make it known in Atlanta, a burgeoning tech hub where entrepreneurs may be unaware that Argentina remains the top software exporter in Latin America.
The consulate aims to accomplish this through a program featuring an invitation-only “Tech and Wine” reception April 15 and matchmaking meetings with potential partners across the city during the two days the companies are in town before heading to Miami for the eMerge Americas conference April 18-19.
According to the consulate, the mid-April roadshow will feature companies in fintech, health tech, ed-tech, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, gaming and other key sectors that dovetail well with Atlanta’s strenghts.
Boasting a culture similar to the U.S., a similar time zone and relatively low prices, Argentina’s unique mix of advantages has made it attractive for U.S. firms looking to outsource some coding tasks. Unicorns like Globant and the e-commerce giant MercadoLibre have shown Argentina can compete globally, and the country continues to boast a thriving startup scene sometimes in spite of dysfunction plaguing its own economy.
Some prior trade-mission participants have ended up becoming frequent visitors to Atlanta, like software firm Quadion Technologies, which has participated in multiple trade missions as well as the Georgia Tech Soft Landings Program to learn more about entering the U.S. market via Atlanta.
Quadion will be represented on the trip, along with other companies including:
- G&L
- Globalis
- Khem Labs
- Leaf
- Tisa Software
- CTEL
- ZAFIRUS Technologies
- Borderless Software
- Lakaut
- Cumbresoft
- Zula
Argentina is facing another tenuous moment geopolitically after the election of self-described “anarcho-capitalist” Javier Milei, who is introducing drastic market-oriented reforms like the devaluation of the peso and cuts to food and fuel subsidies in an effort to balance the country’s budget and spur export activity. Inflation, a perennial worry in Argentina, soared in the month after he took office in December and remains elevated while moderating slightly.
For more information or to connect with the delegation, contact comercial_catla@mrecic.gov.ar or see the one-pager below:
Argentine-Software-Roadshow-One-Pager-Atlanta-2024-2
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