Despacio

What Despacio does

Despacio (legal name Fundación Despacio) is a Colombian non-profit research and advocacy foundation founded in 2011 by Carlosfelipe Pardo and headquartered in Bogotá. It produces applied research, policy guides, training programs, and youth participation initiatives focused on sustainable urban mobility, road safety, electromobility, gender-inclusive city design, and adolescent engagement in public space. Core 'products' include the Vivo Mi Calle adolescent co-design and public-space revitalization program, the Laneshift electromobility workforce training guide developed for C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge, EnCargo Zero electric cargo vehicle training, the Biblioteca Digital knowledge library, and a portfolio of bilingual publications including the 500+ page 'Estacionamientos en América Latina' parking policy guide co-published with ITDP for the Inter-American Development Bank. Methodologically, the foundation relies on participatory co-design, primary surveys, expert interviews, qualitative thematic analysis, and academic collaborations rather than proprietary software platforms.

The foundation's business model is grant- and contract-funded rather than commercial. Revenue streams consist of research and advisory contracts from international development organizations (GIZ, C40 Cities, IDB, ITDP), multilateral bodies (UN-HABITAT), philanthropic funders (Fondation Botnar via Ecorys), and Colombian government ministries; and free or contact-gated publications. It serves three core customer segments — government agencies at city and national level (notably seven Colombian ministries and the Viceministerio de Transporte), international development organizations and NGOs, and secondarily urban-planning professionals and women- and youth-focused groups — through direct engagement plus co-publication and webinar channels with multilateral alliances.

Day-to-day operations are run by an 11–50 person multidisciplinary team and amplified through deep institutional partnerships, international forums (World Urban Forum, Ecomobility World Festival, Global Learning Forum on Healthy Cities for Adolescents), and a Spanish/English digital presence. Geographic reach has expanded from a Colombia-only base to six-country Latin American coverage via Laneshift and 12-city regional research via the parking policy work.

Name

Despacio

Legal name

Fundación Despacio

Website

https://despacio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Mobility Research and Advisory Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPAGABAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Sustainable urban mobility
• Gender-inclusive planning
• Electromobility research
• Urban policy advisory
• Road safety research

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and advisory contracts: Despacio receives funding from international development organizations, development banks, and government agencies for research projects, program execution, and policy advisory services. Projects include electromobility training programs (Laneshift by C40 Cities), gender training for government ministries (GIZ), and urban mobility research.
2. Publications and knowledge products: Despacio produces and distributes publications, guides, and reports (e.g., parking policy guide for IDB, gender and mobility guides) that serve as knowledge products supporting the organization's advocacy and consulting activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Despacio is a Colombian non-profit research center (Fundación Despacio) that produces evidence-based research, advisory services, and community engagement programs focused on sustainable urban mobility, gender-inclusive city planning, electromobility transition, and road safety across Colombian and Latin American cities. The organization delivers contracted research projects for international development agencies and governments, trains local workforces, publishes guides and reports, and facilitates participatory programs that engage adolescents and women in co-designing public spaces.

Product overview

Despacio is a Colombian foundation focused on sustainable mobility, urban planning, and quality of life in cities. Their work encompasses youth participation programs (Vivo Mi Calle), digital knowledge resources (Biblioteca Digital), specialized training programs (EnCargo Zero), research initiatives (Laneshift with C40 Cities), and various publications on parking, mobility, and urban planning. They operate as a research and advocacy organization rather than a software product company, with their 'products' being programs, publications, and community engagement initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vivo Mi Calle A youth participation program that engages adolescents in the co-design and transformation of public spaces in Colombian cities (Cali and Palmira), empowering young people with skills in negotiation, communication, and public space recognition to influence urban planning decisions.
• EnCargo Zero A free training program for drivers, businesses, and owners of light cargo vehicles (up to 10t gross weight) focused on developing skills and knowledge for the operation, safety, and maintenance of electric cargo vehicles.
• Laneshift Program A C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge research program led by Despacio that investigates electromobility transition in urban freight transport across six Latin American cities (Bogotá, Medellín, Curitiba, Río de Janeiro, Quito, and Ciudad de México), producing a comprehensive training guide structuring electromobility skills training around three pillars: technical/digital skills, financial skills, and soft skills.
• Estacionamientos en América Latina A 500+ page commissioned research publication for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), co-published with ITDP, analyzing parking policy and congestion reduction strategies across 12 Latin American cities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600 adolescents trained in urban participation skills; 6 public space revitalizations implemented in Cali and Palmira
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• C40 CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDespacio led electromobility workforce research under the Laneshift program, a C40 Cities initiative co-funded by The Climate Pledge. The research covered six Latin American cities and resulted in a comprehensive training guide.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDespacio executed gender and inclusion capacity-building programs across seven Colombian ministries, funded through multiple GIZ programs: PREVEC II, Probosques II, Sanitation for Millions, ProMOVIS, and Interfaz IKI II. Work included applying Design Thinking methodology to integrate gender perspectives in public policy.
• MobilizeYourCitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDespacio participated in a webinar series on sustainable urban mobility organized by MobilizeYourCity, covering gender inclusion, active mobility modes, and urban transport financing. MobilizeYourCity is a global alliance of 100+ partners supporting sustainable mobility in the Global South.
• ONU-HABITATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDespacio organized a smart cities webinar featuring Elkin Velásquez, Director Regional de ONU-HABITAT América Latina y el Caribe, as a panelist discussing the evolution of smart city concepts and the importance of connecting technology with community knowledge.
• ITDP (Institute for Transport and Development Policies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDespacio and ITDP co-published a comprehensive guide on parking policy and congestion reduction in 12 Latin American cities for the Inter-American Development Bank. Despacio also supported ITDP's annual staff meeting and Mobilize Learning Lab in Bogotá and Medellín.
• Universidad de los Andes – CIDERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDespacio collaborated with students from the Maestría de Género at Universidad de los Andes (through CIDER) on a contemplative walking research pilot with 73 women in Bogotá. The collaboration combined academic rigor with Despacio's urban mobility expertise.
• Viceministerio de Transporte – ColombiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDespacio supported the Colombian Vice Ministry of Transport in designing and executing an academic workshop to build the framework for the Ranking de movilidad activa para ciudades colombianas during Semana Nacional de la Movilidad Sostenible 2024.
• Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDespacio executed the 'Mejores Velocidades para Bogotá' road safety project, supported by Global Road Safety Partnership, advocating for speed limits in 30 zones and improved speed legislation.
• EcoryscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcorys, as the program implementer of the Healthy Cities for Adolescents (HCA) initiative funded by Fondation Botnar, partnered with Despacio on the Vivo Mi Calle project, reporting impacts including 24,000 adolescents connected and 3,000 youth with increased skills.
• The Local SouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with The Local South (led by Marcela Guerrero) in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ciclovía in Bogotá, with joint activities involving international guests and the Despacio team.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• CAF (Development Bank of Latin America): Multilateral development bank financing sustainable mobility and urban projects across Latin America; commissions urban research and advisory work directly comparable to Despacio's contract portfolio.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): Germany's international development agency funds and directly implements urban mobility, gender, and climate programs; Despacio has executed gender and inclusion capacity building across seven Colombian ministries on GIZ's behalf, making GIZ both a major funder and a structural peer.
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): Major LATAM development bank and frequent funder of urban mobility research; commissioned Despacio and ITDP's flagship parking policy guide and funds similar urban policy work across the region.
• ONU-HABITAT: United Nations agency for sustainable urban development; engages with Despacio through panels and convening on inclusive, smart cities work, addressing overlapping themes of urban equity, mobility, and public space.
• C40 Cities: Large global city network addressing climate and urban sustainability; commissions Despacio for research (Laneshift) and convenes similar city-level workstreams, making it both a partner and a broader peer in urban climate research.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of local and regional governments working on sustainability, including urban mobility, with programs and city-level engagement in Latin America that overlap Despacio's government advisory work.

Direct peers

• WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities: Operates a comparable urban mobility and access program in Latin American and global cities, producing influential research, tools, and city-level engagement similar to Despacio's portfolio.
• MobilizeYourCity: Global alliance supporting sustainable mobility in the Global South, with 70+ partner cities; partners with Despacio on webinars and shares the same audience of national and municipal transport stakeholders.
• ITDP (Institute for Transport and Development Policies): Global non-profit focused on sustainable urban transport; co-publishes with Despacio (e.g., the 500+ page LATAM parking guide for IDB) and shares the same target audience of city governments and multilateral lenders.

Emerging players

• Vital Cities: Newer non-profit initiative focused on inclusive and climate-aligned urban transformation, working with cities on mobility and equity in ways that overlap Despacio's gender-and-city and youth-participation themes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/despacio_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/fundaciondespacio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/despacio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Despacio