Build-Operate-Transfer

Most LatAm Expansions Fail
Because Companies Go It Alone

We build, operate, and transfer your entire LatAm operation over 4 years — local team, compliance, pipeline, and customers included. You own 100% at the end. Your core team never gets distracted.

25+ Years LatAm Operator Experience

$300M+ Revenue Built in LatAm

5 Markets Brazil · Mexico · Colombia · Chile · Argentina

Schedule a Strategy Call → See How It Works

The Challenge

Why Most Tech Companies Struggle to Enter LatAm

Brazil alone requires 1,501 hours/year in tax compliance — the highest burden ever recorded globally, 10× the OECD average. That's before your first sale. (World Bank / PwC Paying Taxes; IMF, 2021)

💰

The Capital Trap

$500K legal setup, $300K infrastructure, $800K team building, $400K market research — all before seeing a single dollar in revenue. Most companies can't afford the entry ticket.

$2-5M upfront investment required

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The Time Drain

6 months of legal setup, 6 more months hiring without a local network, another year of slow customer acquisition. Can your board wait 5-6 years for ROI?

36-48 months to breakeven

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The Talent Roulette

No local network means no quality candidates, 6+ months average hiring time, cultural misalignment, and $250K+ cost per bad hire. Without local presence, you're hiring blind.

$250K+ cost per wrong hire

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The Compliance Maze

14 different tax types in Brazil, constantly changing regulations, local banking requirements, and government contract complexity. One mistake can mean massive fines or shutdown.

14 tax types to navigate

The Origin

Why This Model Exists

Built from 25 years operating in LatAm for companies like Oracle, AT&T, and Informatica — not designed in a boardroom.

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The operations that generated the most results were the ones where the regional leader was treated as the owner — full empowerment, aligned goals, real P&L accountability. The ones that failed? They delegated their brand to a distributor who built leverage, raised fees, and held the relationship hostage — sometimes ending in years of litigation to reclaim their own name.

After launching and scaling multiple operations from scratch to $300M+ in cumulative revenue, a repeatable process emerged — not a framework on a slide, but a real playbook for building sustainable growth in the region.

🔑

You Own Everything

Entity, team, customers, and every relationship are legally yours from day one. No leverage shift. No hostage situation.

🛡

Your Brand Is Protected

We operate under your name and identity. When we transfer, there is nothing to “buy back.”

📈

Proven Process

Structured, phase-gated operation with clear KPIs, decision gates, and accountability at every stage.

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The Model

Your 4-Year Journey: Build → Operate → Transfer

A phased model that compresses time-to-revenue and ends in clean transfer to your team.

Year 1 — Build & Launch

Foundation Building · Maximum Involvement

Entity + payroll live 1-2 AEs hired First POCs & pilots Early pipeline $300K retainer + setup

Year 2 — Operate & Scale

Drive Expansion · Begin Knowledge Transfer

Team scales CAC improves First marquee logos Process optimization $240K retainer

Year 3 — Transition & Transfer

Gradual Handover · Leadership Transition

SOPs codified Leadership succession Knowledge transfer Margin expands $180K retainer

Year 4 — Full Ownership

You Own Everything · We Exit Cleanly

Team is yours Customers are yours Systems are yours Self-sustaining operation $120K retainer

Compare

Traditional Expansion vs. Build-Operate-Transfer

Same goal — enter LatAm. Very different outcomes in growth, scale, and risk.

Traditional Expansion

Go it alone — hire, learn, and build from scratch

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Growth

✗ 18–36 months before first meaningful revenue
✗ No local network — pipeline starts from zero
✗ Core team distracted from home market

Scalability

✗ 6+ months to hire each key role without local presence
✗ No repeatable playbook — learning by trial and error
✗ $250K+ cost per bad hire slows momentum

Safety

✗ Distributors can hold your brand and customers hostage
✗ No control over local IP, contracts, or relationships
✗ 100% capital at risk before proving the market

Build-Operate-Transfer

We operate it — you own it from day one

Growth

✓ Revenue within 12 months — pipeline from day one
✓ 25+ years of LatAm relationships activated immediately
✓ Your team stays focused on core business

Scalability

✓ Vetted local team hired and operating within weeks
✓ Proven playbook — structured phases, clear KPIs
✓ Process designed for clean handoff and self-sustaining ops

Safety

✓ Entity, customers, and IP are legally yours from day one
✓ Your brand is never delegated — nothing to “buy back”
✓ Shared risk with declining fees — aligned incentives

Want to see the exact numbers for your business?

Estimate Your LatAm ROI →

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How It Works

From First Call to Full Ownership

Four phases. Each one ends with a clear milestone — not a report, not a recommendation. A result.

Phase 01 — Weeks 1–6

Validate & Align

Market assessment, demand validation, and revenue quantification for your specific product and ICP. We define the GTM motion, agree on KPIs, formalize partnership terms, and set 3-year targets with full governance transparency.

You know exactly what LatAm is worth — and what it will take.

Phase 02 — Months 2–6

Build the Foundation

Legal entity registered, tax IDs secured, LGPD compliance in place. First hires onboarded from our vetted local network — country manager, enterprise AEs, technical staff. CRM, IT systems, and office operational. All of it running under our entity while yours is in progress.

You have a local team on the ground before Month 6.

Phase 03 — Months 6–36

Drive Revenue & Scale

Pipeline activation, first customer wins, and rapid iteration on what works. As revenue grows, we expand the team, improve unit economics, and begin systematic knowledge transfer — playbooks, SOPs, and leadership succession — so the operation becomes progressively less dependent on us.

First revenue within 12 months. Your board stops asking about LatAm.

Phase 04 — Year 4

Full Transfer & Exit

Clean handover of all assets, contracts, employees, and systems — agreed upfront, no surprises. Your team takes full ownership of a profitable, self-sustaining LatAm operation. We exit. You run it.

You own 100% of a running business. Zero transition disruption.

Leadership

Built by Operators, Not Consultants

Executives with proven track records building and scaling LatAm operations.

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Carlos André

Co-Founder &
Managing Partner

25+ years building and scaling B2B tech operations across Latin America. Hired by Informatica's President of Worldwide Field Operations to open LatAm from scratch. Before that, took AT&T LatAm from $3M to $47M in 2 years as the unit's first dedicated hire.

$48M→$240M Oracle Brazil

$3M→$47M AT&T LatAm
in 2 years

$40M+ Informatica LatAm
new revenue

Endeavor

Miguel Velazquez

Head of Operations — Mexico & Central America

25+ years driving B2B tech expansion across LatAm. Specializes in go-to-market execution, sales leadership, and strategic partnerships across Mexico, Central America, and South America.

Informatica Aceco TI Mexico Central America

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What Clients Say

Trusted by Global Tech Leaders

I hired Carlos Andre to open up our Latin America Operation. He did a fantastic job developing a strategic plan, building a team, and rapidly growing a successful business. He truly understands the market and is adept at knowing his products and the value proposition they deliver. He and Miguel are a winning combination!

Paul HoffmanPresident, Worldwide Field Operations — Informatica Corporation

Alavanka gave us exactly what we asked for — a clear, unbiased picture of what entering Brazil would actually take for nCino. It was exactly what we needed at the time and serves as a foundation for the calibration of our investments in the region. Having that level of clarity before committing capital is invaluable. When the timing is right, Alavanka will be the first call we make.

Sean DesmondPresident & CEO — nCino (NASDAQ: NCNO)

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Build-Operate-Transfer is our unique 3-4 year collaboration model where we build, operate, and transfer a complete LatAm business operation to you. Unlike consultants who just give advice, or distributors who sell alongside other products, we become your dedicated local team — hiring staff, setting up operations, driving sales, and gradually handing over full control to you.

Key differences: (1) Dedication — our team works exclusively on your products, not juggling multiple brands. (2) Ownership — you retain full control of customer relationships and ultimately own the entire operation. (3) Alignment — we share financial risk through performance-based compensation. (4) Transfer — the end goal is always your full ownership of a thriving business.

You assume 100% ownership of a fully operational local business — complete with staff, customers, infrastructure, and established market presence. All transition terms are agreed upfront. There are no surprise costs or hostile negotiations. Our success is measured by how smoothly you can take the reins of a profitable operation.

We treat your business as our own. All intellectual property is safeguarded through strict NDAs and legal agreements. We implement IT systems and security controls that mirror your standards. Our team members adhere to your company's policies as if they were direct employees.

Total 4-year investment is approximately $890K in retainer fees (declining from $300K to $120K annually) plus a $50K one-time setup fee and a 10% revenue share that aligns our incentives. Compare this to $2-5M for traditional expansion with 100% of that at risk. Estimate your LatAm ROI → with your own numbers.

We have operational presence and deep networks in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina. Our team has executed market entries in 8+ countries across Latin America over 25 years. We tailor the approach to each specific market based on your product and target customer profile.

This is Alavanka's core business and Carlos André's life project — not a consulting engagement we can walk away from. We have no interest in managing a portfolio of loosely-held relationships. We take on a small number of partners at a time, precisely because each one gets our full commitment for the duration. That said, the model is deliberately designed so that our involvement becomes less necessary over time, not more. From Month 1, we build the local entity to operate independently: the team has direct contracts with your entity, institutional knowledge is documented and owned by you as it's created, and leadership succession is planned from the start. By Year 4, you shouldn't need us — and that's exactly how we measure success.

Free Resource

Get the BOT Playbook

A practical guide to how the Build, Operate & Transfer model works — phases, KPIs, investment structure, and what to expect in year one. No sales call needed.

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Most LatAm Expansions Fail
Because Companies Go It Alone