Argotechno
Argotechno is a privately held, Brazilian-founded payment systems services firm providing EMV certification, ISO 17025 QA testing, advisory, software engineering, and training to banks, card networks, terminal manufacturers, and payment processors across the Americas and Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersMiami, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Argotechno does
Argotechno is a privately held payment systems services firm founded in 2004 in São Paulo, Brazil, by electronic and software engineers Eduardo Márcio de Barros and Alex Gama dos Santos. The company provides advisory, software engineering, test engineering, certification, and quality assurance services focused on secure electronic transactions and EMV-standard payment systems, serving banks, card networks, payment schemes, acquirers, terminal manufacturers, and retailers. Its customer base spans most major Brazilian banks (Bradesco, Itaú, Caixa, Santander, Nubank, C6, Banco Original, PagSeguro, Rede, Dock) and extends to international financial institutions and payment processors (Fiserv, Global Payments, Square, Mercado Pago, Scotiabank, BBVA), with operating offices in São Paulo, Miami, and Lyon.
The company's technical capabilities cover the full payment transaction lifecycle, including ATM, POS, and ECR terminal implementations, smart cards, IoT, mobile payments, and back-office systems. Its core proprietary assets are an ISO 17025-certified Quality Assurance Laboratory and its status as an Official Mastercard Certification Laboratory—one of a small number of firms worldwide certified by Mastercard in all categories (technical and formal). Argotechno also holds accreditation from Discover/Diners and Elo for formal approval processes, VISA Technology Partner status, designation as an official ABECS certification laboratory for the Brazilian market, and memberships in the Secure Technology Alliance and US Payments Forum.
Argotechno operates a B2B professional services business model, monetizing through five integrated service lines: Development Services, QA and Test Services, Advisory Services, Training Services, and Certification Lab Services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is tailored per client. The firm relies on an enterprise field-sales motion delivered through strategic technology partnerships with leading secure-transaction tooling vendors including Keolabs, ICC Solutions, Netcetera, APPLUS Laboratories, CARDSPOT, ELITT, ACCEZZMINDS, Galitt, and Deltec Consulting. The company has not disclosed any external institutional funding, M&A activity, or ownership changes since founding, and remains founder-led with a global employee base in the 11–50 range.
Argotechno firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Argotechno
- Legal name
- Argotechno
- Website
- https://argotechno.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Argotechno is a privately held, Brazilian-founded payment systems services firm providing EMV certification, ISO 17025 QA testing, advisory, software engineering, and training to banks, card networks, terminal manufacturers, and payment processors across the Americas and Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Argotechno industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Systems Certification and Quality Assurance Services
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure (FSAGABAO)
Keywords
Where Argotechno is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Miami
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Argotechno business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Software Development Services: Development team specialized in providing solutions for payment systems, helping issuers and acquirers sustain their businesses.
- QA and Test Services: Quality assurance and testing services to assist customers in developing, deploying, and improving payment systems.
- Advisory Services: Guidance and technical support for issuers and acquirers, supporting clients in making correct technical choices and following best practices for chip migration.
- Training Programs: Training programs tailored to clients' real needs using established technologies like EMV and recent ones like Contactless, NFC, and mobile technologies.
- Certification Lab Services: Card and terminal certification services for customers worldwide with access to official card scheme documentation and direct contact with scheme teams.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Argotechno product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Argotechno provides advisory, software engineering, test engineering, certification, and quality assurance services for electronic payment systems, specializing in EMV standards, smart cards, IoT, mobile payments, and the full payment transaction flow including ATM, POS, and ECR terminals. The firm operates an ISO 17025 certified QA laboratory and serves as an Official Mastercard Certification Laboratory, guiding issuers and acquirers through the complete lifecycle of cards and terminals from product design to implementation and certification.
Product overview
Argotechno provides a suite of services for electronic payment systems, covering the entire lifecycle of cards and terminals from product design to implementation. The core offering consists of five integrated service lines: Development Services (specialized payment system software engineering), QA and Test Services (ISO 17025-compliant quality assurance laboratory), Advisory Services (technical guidance for issuers and acquirers), Training Services (EMV, Contactless, NFC, and mobile technology programs), and Certification Lab Services (card and terminal certification support). These services guide issuers and acquirers through the complete Smart Card and EMV chip cycle.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Development Services Software engineering services specialized in providing solutions for payment systems, helping issuers and acquirers sustain and build their payment business applications, terminal implementations (ATM, POS, ECR), smart cards, IoT, mobile, and back-office systems for electronic payments.
- QA and Test Services Quality assurance and testing services for developing, deploying, and improving payment systems, delivered through a Quality Assurance laboratory that follows ISO 17025 definitions and tests applications, terminals, and payment system servers.
- Advisory Services Advisory and technical support services for issuers and acquirers, guiding correct technical choices and following best practices for chip migration, EMV, contactless, NFC, and mobile payment technologies.
- Training Services Training programs tailored to clients' real needs, covering established technologies like EMV and recent ones such as Contactless, NFC, and mobile payment technologies.
- Certification Lab Services Official Certification Laboratory services providing card and terminal certification (CPV/MTIP) for customers worldwide, with direct access to official card scheme documentation and direct contact with scheme teams, operating as an Official Mastercard Certification Laboratory and an ABECS official certification laboratory.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced operational risks through expert technical guidance and certification services
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Argotechno
Customer profileNamed customers42 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Argotechno technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Argotechno partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- KeolabscoreStrategic partnership with Keolabs, a world-leading secure transaction technology company, providing testing tools for applications, terminals, and payment system servers.
- ICC SolutionscoreStrategic partnership with ICC Solutions, a world-leading secure transaction technology company, providing testing tools for applications, terminals, and payment system servers.
- NetceteracoreStrategic partnership with Netcetera, a world-leading secure transaction technology company, providing testing tools for applications, terminals, and payment system servers.
- APPLUS LaboratoriescoreStrategic partnership with APPLUS Laboratories, a world-leading secure transaction technology company, providing testing tools for applications, terminals, and payment system servers.
- CARDSPOTcoreStrategic partnership with CARDSPOT, a world-leading secure transaction technology company, providing testing tools for applications, terminals, and payment system servers.
- ELITTcoreStrategic partnership with ELITT, a world-leading secure transaction technology company, providing testing tools for applications, terminals, and payment system servers.
- ACCEZZMINDScoreStrategic partnership with ACCEZZMINDS, a world-leading secure transaction technology company, providing testing tools for applications, terminals, and payment system servers.
- GalittcoreStrategic partnership with Galitt, a world-leading secure transaction technology company, providing testing tools for applications, terminals, and payment system servers.
- Deltec ConsultingcoreStrategic partnership with Deltec Consulting, a world-leading secure transaction technology company, providing testing tools for applications, terminals, and payment system servers.
- MastercardflagshipOfficial Certification Laboratory operator certified by Mastercard in all categories (technical and formal). Provides card and terminal certification (CPV/MTIP) with direct access to Mastercard documentation and teams.
- VISAflagshipVISA Technology Partner with access to official documents, technologies, and knowledge bases, and direct contact with VISA teams.
- Discover/DinersflagshipAccredited by Discover/Diners to provide formal approval processes for cards and terminals.
- EloflagshipCertified by Elo to provide formal approval processes for cards and terminals.
- ABECSflagshipOne of the official certification laboratories of the ABECS library, used by all terminal manufacturers and all payment solutions in Brazil.
- Secure Technology AlliancecoreMember of Secure Technology Alliance, the leading association in the digital security industry and neutral forum that brings together leading providers and users of end-to-end security solutions.
- US Payments ForumcoreMember of US Payments Forum, an interprofessional organ focused on issues requiring broad cooperation and coordination among many constituents of the payments sector.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Argotechno competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) incumbent with financial services and payment-related testing offerings. Much larger and more diversified than Argotechno, but addresses overlapping certification needs at large banks and schemes.
- Applus+ IDIADA: Applus+ is a global testing, inspection, and certification group with payment-related testing capabilities within a much broader industrial portfolio. A named Argotechno partner, it competes on payment certification while also offering adjacent industrial testing at scale.
- TÜV SÜD: TÜV SÜD is a global TIC incumbent with payment and card testing capabilities within its broader industrial and electronics portfolio. Comparable to Argotechno in payment certification scope but vastly larger in scale and geographic coverage.
Direct peers
- Fime: Fime is a global payment testing, certification, and consulting firm accredited by major card schemes (Mastercard, VISA, Amex, Discover) and serving issuers, acquirers, and terminal manufacturers. Directly comparable to Argotechno in service mix (advisory, testing, certification) and scheme-authorized lab positioning, with broader geographic reach.
- ELITT: ELITT is a payment testing and certification specialist serving card schemes, issuers, and terminal manufacturers. Listed as an Argotechno strategic partner and operates as a direct competitor in EMV/contactless certification services.
- Keolabs: Keolabs provides testing tools and certification services for smart cards, terminals, and secure transaction systems, and is itself scheme-accredited. Listed by Argotechno as a strategic partner, but operates as a direct competitor in payment testing and certification delivery.
- Galitt: Galitt is a French payment systems specialist offering consulting, testing, certification, and training services across cards, terminals, and mobile payments. Direct competitor in European and francophone African markets with overlapping service lines to Argotechno.
- Netcetera: Netcetera delivers 3-D Secure, EMV, digital wallet, and payment security software plus testing and certification services to financial institutions. A named partner of Argotechno with significant overlap in payment security and certification delivery.
- ICC Solutions: ICC Solutions provides EMV test tools and certification services to issuers, acquirers, and terminal manufacturers globally. A named strategic partner of Argotechno, it also competes directly in payment testing tool supply and certification support.
Emerging players
- Comarch: Comarch is a European software and services provider with a financial services practice covering card issuing, payment processing, and consulting. Less specialized in scheme-level certification than Argotechno, but increasingly competing in payment systems integration and development work.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Argotechno social profiles
Digital presenceArgotechno compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Argotechno financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Argotechno leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Argotechno funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Argotechno M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Argotechno
What does Argotechno do?
Argotechno provides advisory, software engineering, test engineering, certification, and quality assurance services for electronic payment systems, specializing in EMV standards, smart cards, IoT, mobile payments, and the full payment transaction flow including ATM, POS, and ECR terminals. The firm operates an ISO 17025 certified QA laboratory and serves as an Official Mastercard Certification Laboratory, guiding issuers and acquirers through the complete lifecycle of cards and terminals from product design to implementation and certification.
Is Argotechno a public or private company?
Argotechno is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Argotechno founded?
Argotechno was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Argotechno based?
Argotechno is headquartered in Miami, United States, in the North America region.
How does Argotechno make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Software Development Services are the primary driver. The others are QA and Test Services, advisory Services, training Programs and certification Lab Services.
Who are Argotechno's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bureau Veritas, Applus+ IDIADA and TÜV SÜD. Direct peers are Fime, ELITT, Keolabs, Galitt, Netcetera and ICC Solutions. Comarch is listed as an emerging player.
Does Argotechno have an API?
No public API is recorded for Argotechno.
What industry is Argotechno in?
Argotechno's product category is Payment Systems Certification and Quality Assurance Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGABAO, POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure. Its NAICS code is 541380 and its SIC code is 8734.