ATEFI

What ATEFI does

ATEFI (Asociación Latinoamericana de Operadores de Servicios de Transferencia Electrónica de Fondos e Información) is a non-profit civil association (Sociedad Civil) founded in September 2000 in Montevideo, Uruguay, serving as the regional industry body for electronic funds transfer and payment network operators across Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. The association unites more than 25 active member networks spanning 18 countries, including Banelco and Red Link (Argentina), Tecban (Brazil), Redbanc (Chile), ATH Colombia and Servibanca (Colombia), Cecabank (Spain), and Banred (Ecuador/Uruguay), among others. Collectively, member networks issue over 218 million debit cards and operate more than 113,600 ATMs with 87% availability across the region.

The organization's core product is not a technology platform but an industry convening and benchmarking infrastructure. ATEFI tracks 161 monthly indicators measuring electronic money behavior across member networks, publishes regular research including the 'Informe sobre el Uso del Dinero Electrónico', and runs annual assemblies, regional summits, and specialized committees covering Innovation, Cybersecurity, and Security. Recent product extensions include ATEFI Consulting (strategic advisory for payment media), WeAccelerate LATAM (a structured innovation hub program), an AI training program for financial sector professionals, and the European Fintech Week immersion program delivered in partnership with Innücrope. The association maintains strategic alliances with Europol, Ameripol, EAST, ATMIA, AMBA, and RBR, plus sponsorship partnerships with major payments technology vendors (ACI Worldwide, Diebold Nixdorf, Euronet, GRGBanking, LUSIS Payments, Entrust, FEXCO, BPC, CLAI Payments).

ATEFI's revenue model is membership-driven (recurring subscription dues from 25+ member networks) supplemented by event sponsorships and fees from paid programs. The organization is governed by a General Assembly of Members, a Board of Directors (Comisión Directiva), and a Fiscal Commission, with no external equity ownership or parent company. Operating geographies span 17 Latin American countries plus Spain, and the organization maintains its headquarters at Ituzaingó 1382, Montevideo, Uruguay, while marking 30 years of operation in 2026.

Name

ATEFI

Legal name

ATEFI – Asociación Latinoamericana de Operadores de Servicios de Transferencia Electrónica de Fondos e Información

Website

https://atefi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ATEFI is a non-profit civil association founded in 2000 in Montevideo, Uruguay, uniting 25+ electronic payment network operators across 18 Latin American countries and Spain. It delivers industry benchmarking, training, consulting, and convening services to its member networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Network Industry Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAMAAAH

ATM / Cash Access Network Schemes

Financial & Insurance/Payments & Transaction Processing/Card Networks & Schemes

SECONDARYFSAGABAO

POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure

Financial & Insurance/Financial Technology (Fintech)/Payment Orchestration & Fintech Infrastructure (APIs, Issuing, Processing)

SECONDARYFSAGABAN

Payouts, Disbursements & Mass Payments Infrastructure

Financial & Insurance/Financial Technology (Fintech)/Payment Orchestration & Fintech Infrastructure (APIs, Issuing, Processing)

Keywords

• Payment network association
• Electronic funds transfer
• Fintech industry events
• Payment industry consulting
• ATM network benchmarking

Headquarters

HQ city

Buenos Aires

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ATEFI operates as a civil society association (Sociedad Civil) with membership fees from its 25+ active member networks across Latin America and Spain. The association provides value through industry events, working groups, research publications, and benchmarking data on electronic payment metrics.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ATEFI is a non-profit civil association that unites electronic payment network operators across Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula, providing industry coordination through annual assemblies, regional summits, working committees (Innovation, Cybersecurity, Security), advisory services (ATEFI Consulting), an innovation hub program (WeAccelerate LATAM), AI training for the financial sector, and a European Fintech Week immersion program. The association delivers monthly benchmarking research tracking 161 electronic money indicators across 18 countries, serving 25+ active member networks.

Product overview

ATEFI (Asociación Latinoamericana de Operadores de Servicios de Transferencia Electrónica de Fondos e Información) is a professional association, not a product company. Its offerings consist of advisory services (ATEFI Consulting), an innovation acceleration program (WeAccelerate LATAM), AI training for the financial sector in Latin America, and an annual European Fintech Week immersion program. The association also publishes electronic money usage reports with 161 monthly indicators across 18 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ATEFI Consulting: Consulting service providing strategic advice on competitive strategy for payment media market challenges and requirements
• WeAccelerate
• European Fintech Week / Programa de Inmersión Fintech

Products and services

• ATEFI Consulting Advisory service providing competitive strategy design for payment media industry challenges, covering business process understanding, strategy, structures and implications with knowledge transfer for management success. Targeted at payment network operators and financial institutions.
• WeAccelerate LATAM - Hub de Innovación Innovation hub program enabling organizations to build their own innovation hub without major investments, structured in three modules for rapid implementation. Aimed at payment network operators and financial institutions seeking innovation capabilities.
• Programa Formativo IA para el Sector Financiero LATAM AI training program for financial sector professionals in Latin America covering artificial intelligence applications in banking and payments. Targeted at payment network operators and banking professionals.
• European Fintech Week / Programa de Inmersión Fintech Annual immersive fintech program in partnership with Inneürope, providing access to European fintech ecosystems, innovation networks, and knowledge sharing on trends and opportunities. Targeted at fintech professionals from member networks across Latin America.
• Informe sobre el Uso del Dinero Electrónico Monthly analysis report with 161 indicators tracking electronic money behavior across 18 countries with ATEFI member network presence, covering digital payment adoption and trends. Available to member networks and the broader fintech community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 countries monitored with 161 monthly indicators on electronic money behavior
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic alliance.

• Inneüropestrategic allianceStrategic or Co-development PartnerInneürope is a Digital Innovation Hub approved by the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme. Based in Valencia, Spain, they specialize in European Programs, Open Innovation, and startup growth. They co-organize the European Fintech Week immersion program with ATEFI, connecting Latin American payment networks with the European fintech ecosystem. Their startup ecosystem represents more than 3,000 startups worldwide, focusing on Fintech, Health, and Climate sectors.
• AMBAstrategic allianceStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMBA (American Bankers Association affiliated entity) is listed as a strategic alliance partner, contributing to ATEFI's network of industry relationships.
• Europolstrategic allianceStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropol, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, is listed as a strategic alliance partner, providing cybersecurity expertise and cooperation for ATEFI's security committees.
• ATMIAstrategic allianceStrategic or Co-development PartnerATMIA (ATM Industry Association) is a strategic alliance partner supporting ATEFI's ATM-related research and benchmarking activities.
• RBRstrategic allianceStrategic or Co-development PartnerRBR (Retail Banking Research) is a strategic alliance partner providing industry research and market intelligence for the payment sector.
• Ameripolstrategic allianceStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmeripol is a strategic alliance partner, contributing to regional law enforcement cooperation on payment fraud and security matters.
• EASTstrategic allianceStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAST (European Association for Secure Transactions) is a strategic alliance partner focused on secure transaction standards and fraud prevention.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ATM Industry Association (ATMIA): Global non-profit trade association for the ATM industry. Directly comparable as a membership body representing ATM deployers and payments operators; ATMIA is a current strategic alliance partner of ATEFI.
• Mobey Forum: Global industry association for banks and financial institutions on digital financial services. Comparable as a non-profit industry body enabling knowledge exchange among financial institutions, similar in mission to ATEFI's member convening role.
• European Association for Secure Transactions (EAST): Non-profit focused on secure transactions, fraud prevention, and ATM/payment security standards in Europe. Comparable as a regional payments-security association and a current ATEFI alliance partner.

Emerging players

• Inneürope: European Digital Innovation Hub approved under the EU's Digital Europe Programme. Comparable as a strategic partner running the European Fintech Week immersion program with ATEFI, and as an adjacent innovation-ecosystem enabler.

Regional players

• Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet): Australian payments industry association managing payment standards and schemes. Comparable as a regional industry body for payments, but operating in a different geography.
• Payments Canada: Canadian payments association operating national payment rails and standards. Comparable as a national-level association governing electronic funds transfer infrastructure, but geographically distinct from ATEFI's LATAM/Iberian focus.

Broad incumbents

• PCI Security Standards Council: Global forum for the development of payment-card security standards. Comparable in function (security/governance body for payment networks) but operates globally rather than regionally.
• Nacha (The Electronic Payments Association): US-based payments association governing the ACH network. Comparable as a regional industry association coordinating electronic funds transfer standards, but in the US market rather than LATAM.
• EMVCo: Global technical body that manages EMV specifications for card-based payments. Comparable as a payments-standards coordination body, though it focuses on technical specifications rather than regional member convening.
• The Clearing House: US payments association operating core payments infrastructure for large banks. Comparable as an association-owned payments network operator but at a national rather than multi-country LATAM scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AtefiOrg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_AnsCD1HJWqFmsXaE_K-eA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atefi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 ATEFI