What Criteria does

Criteria Latam is a financial advisory firm headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that provides personalized investment strategies to high-net-worth individuals, SMEs, corporations, and independent financial advisors across Latin America. The firm operates through owned offices in Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, with commercial presence in Colombia and Peru, and maintains strategic custodian agreements with financial institutions in New York, London, Geneva, Zurich, Bahamas, and Santander bank to provide clients access to global financial markets. Its core offering is an open architecture investment management platform that adapts to multiple custodians and trading platforms, structured around a disciplined 7-step investment process (Objectives, Investment Policy, Strategy Analysis, Asset Allocation, Portfolio Construction, Implementation/Rebalancing, Risk Control) backed by an Investment Committee.

The firm offers four portfolio models—Renta, Crecimiento, Capitalización, and Capitalización Plus—aligned to investor risk profiles ranging from Conservative to Aggressive, with defined time horizons from 2-3 years to 5-6 years. It operates three service models: Brokerage (transaction-based fees for traditional portfolio management), Advisory (annual asset-based fees for customized advisory contracts), and Execution (self-directed online trading for stocks, ETFs, and options). Additional services include portfolio consolidation across custodians, a quotations and transactions desk, market reports and quarterly Global Investment Committee analysis, and tax structuring and optimization for individuals plus corporate services including retirement plans, financing solutions, and governance advisory for businesses.

Criteria generates revenue primarily through advisory fees on assets under management and transaction-based brokerage fees, with additional execution-only service revenue. Its go-to-market combines direct advisory through owned offices with a channel model recruiting independent financial advisors who use Criteria's platform to serve their own client portfolios. The firm employs 101-250 people and was founded in 2004, positioning it as an established regional player in the Latin American wealth management sector.

Name

Criteria

Legal name

Criteria

Website

https://criterialatam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Criteria Latam is a financial advisory firm providing personalized global investment strategies to high-net-worth individuals, SMEs, corporations, and independent financial advisors across Latin America through owned offices and strategic custodian partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management & Investment Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Managed Platforms & Wrap Programs for Private Clients (Model Portfolios, UMA/SMAs) (FSAAABAM)

Keywords

• Wealth management
• Investment advisory
• Portfolio management
• Global investing
• Financial advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Montevideo

HQ country

Uruguay

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advisory Fees: Advisory contracts tailored with annual fees based on advised assets under management. Suitable for wealth management with or without custodian and across various entities.
2. Brokerage/Transaction Fees: Traditional portfolio management through various platforms with segregated accounts under a proprietary system. Transaction fees charged per order execution following advisor instructions.
3. Execution Services: Online management tool for operating stocks/ETF/options with execution-only services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Criteria is an open-architecture wealth management and investment advisory firm serving high-net-worth individuals, SMEs, and corporations across Latin America. Through three engagement models (Brokerage, Advisory, Execution) and four risk-tiered portfolio products, it provides personalized international investment management, tax structuring, corporate financing, retirement plans, and governance advisory via a Global Open Architecture Platform connected to strategic custodians worldwide.

Product overview

Criteria is a financial advisory platform offering personalized global investment solutions across Latin America. The company provides a comprehensive suite of services including international investment management, tax optimization, corporate finance solutions, and retirement planning. The core offering centers on a Global Open Architecture Platform with multiple portfolio types (Renta, Crecimiento, Capitalización, Capitalización Plus) catering to different risk profiles. The company operates through three service models: Brokerage (transaction-based), Advisory (asset-based fees), and Execution (self-directed trading). Additional services include portfolio consolidation, market research reports, investment team support, and a quotations desk. The platform connects financial advisors and clients to global markets through strategic custodian relationships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Investment Management (Gestión de Inversiones Internacionales) Wealth Management service that provides personalized advice on global investment alternatives and enables Latin American clients to access international financial instruments and markets via Criteria's global custodian network.
• Tax Structuring and Optimization (Estructuración y Optimización Impositiva) Tax advisory and structuring service that analyzes clients' situations and recommends strategies to maximize net investment returns through tax efficiency across jurisdictions.
• Financial Flow Optimization (Optimización de Flujos Financieros) Corporate treasury service that maximizes the yield on working capital for SMEs and corporations across Latin America, integrated with Criteria's investment platform.
• Corporate Retirement Plans (Planes de Retiro Corporativos) Design and management of corporate retirement benefit structures aimed at strengthening the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) for talent attraction, retention, and motivation at Latin American companies.
• Financing Solutions (Soluciones de Financiamiento) Capital markets financing advisory for corporate clients, structuring alternatives to traditional bank lending using access to global markets and instruments.
• Corporate Governance Advisory (Gobernanza Corporativa) Advisory on corporate policies, processes, and governance structures that help corporations advance toward their strategic objectives while avoiding undesired conflicts.
• Brokerage Service Model Traditional portfolio management engagement in which Criteria executes transactions in segregated client accounts across various platforms, charging per-order transaction fees following advisor instructions.
• Advisory Service Model Patrimonial/wealth management engagement with customized advisory contracts, charging an annual fee based on advised assets under management, with or without a custodian across various entities.
• Execution Service Model Execution-only online management tool that lets clients self-direct trading of stocks, ETFs, and options with direct market access through Criteria's platform.
• Renta Portfolio (Portafolio Renta) Conservative portfolio for investors with low risk tolerance, prioritizing capital stability and preservation through predominantly fixed income instruments over a 2–3 year horizon.
• Growth Portfolio (Portafolio Crecimiento) Moderate portfolio tolerating capital variations, targeting stability and growth over a 3–4 year horizon to sustain real purchasing power.
• Capitalization Portfolio (Portafolio Capitalización) Portfolio for investors seeking wealth capitalization with tolerance for market volatility, targeting real-term capital appreciation over a 4–5 year horizon.
• Capitalization Plus Portfolio (Portafolio Capitalización Plus) Aggressive portfolio for investors willing to assume higher risk and volatility in pursuit of superior risk-adjusted returns, targeting accelerated long-term wealth capitalization over a 5–6 year horizon.
• Global Open Architecture Platform (Plataforma Global de Arquitectura Abierta) Multi-platform, multi-custodian open architecture platform connecting Latin American clients and independent advisors to global financial markets via strategic custodian agreements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Asset allocation explains approximately 91.5% of variation in returns between portfolios (Brinson, Singer, Beebower research)

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Strategic Custodians (New York)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic agreement with custodian in New York providing access to US financial markets and instruments for Latin American investors
• Strategic Custodians (London)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic agreement with custodian in London providing access to European financial markets and instruments
• Strategic Custodians (Geneva)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic agreement with custodian in Geneva providing access to Swiss financial markets and wealth management services
• Strategic Custodians (Zurich)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic agreement with custodian in Zurich providing access to Swiss financial markets
• Strategic Custodians (Bahamas)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic agreement with custodian in Bahamas providing offshore financial services access
• SantandercoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic agreement with Santander bank for custody and banking services, part of global financial network
• Strategic Partners (Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Peru, Miami)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic agreements with partners in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Peru, and Miami providing regional market coverage and access

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Balanz Capital: Argentina-based wealth manager and broker offering portfolio management, advisory and execution across local and global markets to individuals and corporates. Direct competitor with overlapping service models (brokerage, advisory, execution) and similar HNW/SME client base in the Southern Cone.
• Cohen Aliados Financieros: Argentine independent financial advisor and asset manager providing portfolio management, research and execution services to individuals and institutions. Closest direct peer by business model (research-led, multi-service wealth platform) and core market overlap with Criteria's Buenos Aires base.
• Mariva Bursátil: Argentine broker and wealth manager serving individuals and corporations with portfolio management and capital markets services. Comparable in scale, customer segments (HNW individuals, SMEs) and multi-model offering (advisory + transactional) within Argentina.
• Adcap Securities: Independent broker-dealer offering trading and investment advisory services across Argentina and Latin America with global market access. Comparable open-architecture, multi-service approach serving HNW individuals and corporate clients in the region.

Regional players

• LarrainVial: Chile-headquartered financial group with asset management, brokerage, corporate advisory and wealth management for HNW individuals and institutions. Comparable in that it pairs Chilean-LatAm wealth services with global market access, serving a similar HNW/corporate client base though based in Chile rather than the Southern Cone.

Broad incumbents

• BTG Pactual Wealth Management: Latin America's largest independent investment bank with a sizeable wealth management franchise serving HNW and ultra-HNW clients across Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Mexico and Argentina. Comparable target market and multi-country reach, but with materially larger scale and broader product set than Criteria.
• Credicorp Capital: Wealth management and asset management arm of Peru's largest financial group, operating across Peru, Colombia, Chile, Panama and the US. Comparable as a multi-country LatAm wealth platform serving HNW individuals and corporates, though at a larger institutional scale.
• SURA Asset Management: Pan-Latin American asset manager and wealth platform operating across Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Overlaps with Criteria's LatAm footprint and pension/retirement plan focus, though operates at much larger scale as part of the SURA financial group.
• UBS Global Wealth Management (LatAm): Global private bank with a dedicated Latin American wealth management franchise serving HNW and UHNW clients across the region, including via Swiss, Miami and New York booking centres. Comparable in providing cross-border wealth structuring from Switzerland/Bahamas to LatAm HNW clients — but at vastly larger scale.
• Julius Baer (LatAm): Swiss private bank actively serving Latin American HNW clients from Geneva/Zurich and regional offices. Comparable in cross-border wealth management value proposition and LatAm client focus; competes with Criteria for the same offshore HNW mandate flows.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CriteriaWM
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@criteriawm
• Facebookfacebook.com/criteriafinanzas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/criteria-investors
• Instagraminstagram.com/criteria_wm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Criteria