What eCom-LAC does

eCOM-LAC, legally Federación de Latinoamérica y el Caribe de Internet y Tecnologías Digitales, is a private membership-based federation headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay, founded in March 1999 in Rio de Janeiro as the Federación de Latinoamérica y el Caribe para Internet y el Comercio Electrónico. Following a 2022 rebrand and the divestiture of its .lat top-level domain to XYZ, the organization pivoted its mission toward evangelizing, promoting, and facilitating the deployment of digital technology solutions — spanning IoT, Industry 4.0, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twins, Drones, and cybersecurity — across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The federation operates four product lines: a tiered Membership Program (companies at U$S 1,800/year, associations at U$S 1,200/year, and Technological Partners at U$S 5,000/year); the eCOM-LAC/CANTO exclusive digital marketplace, a co-branded restricted-access platform developed under a January 2025 MOU with CANTO that connects members across 26 Caribbean islands with mainland LAC associations; the eCOM-LAC Test Center, a certification initiative aligned with ISO/IEC 17024:2012; and Digital Transformation advisory projects covering smart cities, energy, and public services. Technology stack is light and platform-oriented rather than proprietary software: a WordPress-based website at ecomlac.lat, a separate marketplace platform at ecocanto.ecomlac.lat, and social channels on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Revenue is generated through annual subscription membership fees, event sponsorship (including Internet Day organized with CABASE), and limited grant-funded projects; the federation was historically a co-founder of LACNIC in 2003 and an ICANN-accredited registry operator for .lat from 2014 to 2022. eCOM-LAC is governed by a board drawn from member associations and runs on a very small staff of 1-10 people, with leadership including President Oscar A. Messano (CABASE) and Executive Director Anthony Harris. It does not appear to be venture-backed or PE-owned, and its growth model is anchored on incremental member acquisition and partnership-driven geographic expansion rather than enterprise sales or external capital.

Name

eCom-LAC

Legal name

Federación de Latinoamérica y el Caribe de Internet y Tecnologías Digitales

Website

https://ecomlac.lat

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

eCOM-LAC is a Montevideo-based membership federation founded in 1999 that promotes digital technology deployment across Latin America and the Caribbean, serving technology associations, chambers, and enterprises through tiered membership, an exclusive CANTO marketplace, ISO-aligned certifications, and digital transformation advisory projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montevideo

HQ country

Uruguay

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees - Companies: Annual membership fees for corporate entities at U$S 1800 per year, providing access to eCOM-LAC initiatives, projects, and the network of technology innovators.
2. Membership Fees - Associations and Chambers: Annual membership fees for associations and chambers at U$S 1200 per year, enabling participation in regional projects and access to the technology network.
3. Technological Partner Fees: Premium annual partnership at U$S 5000, offering brand presence, promotional opportunities, event participation, and direct access to CANTO's 26 member islands and hundreds of members from major Brazilian and Argentine technology associations.
4. Event Sponsorship: Revenue from event organization including Internet Day and other regional technology events, with 20% discount for Technological Partners sponsoring events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

eCom-LAC is a regional federation that promotes ICT development in Latin America and the Caribbean through a tiered membership program (companies, associations, and Technological Partners), a members-only digital marketplace (eCOM-LAC/CANTO) for business matching, a certification program (Test Center) aligned with ISO/IEC 17024:2012, and advisory projects covering digital transformation technologies such as IoT, Industry 4.0, AI, Digital Twins, and Drones.

Product overview

eCOM-LAC is a federation (not a product company) that provides a platform-based membership ecosystem. Its core offerings include the eCOM-LAC/CANTO exclusive business matching platform, the Test Center certification service following ISO/IEC 17024:2012, Digital Transformation advisory projects, and tiered membership programs. These services work together to connect technology stakeholders across Latin America and the Caribbean and facilitate digital technology deployment in the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• eCOM-LAC/CANTO: A joint exclusive area developed under the MOU between CANTO and eCOM-LAC, enabling members to share offers and demands for products and services to generate business opportunities.
• eCOM-LAC Test Center

Products and services

• eCom-LAC Membership Program Tiered membership program offering technology associations, companies, and Technological Partners access to network events, projects, and business development opportunities across Latin America and the Caribbean. Annual fees: U$S 1,800 for companies, U$S 1,200 for associations and chambers, U$S 5,000 for Technological Partners.
• eCOM-LAC/CANTO Exclusive Area An exclusive online platform developed within the framework of the MOU between eCOM-LAC and CANTO, enabling members to share offers and demands for products and services to generate business opportunities. Includes category filtering for customized viewing.
• eCom-LAC Test Center A certification initiative that provides professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean access to internationally recognized technology certifications, developed according to ISO/IEC 17024:2012 standards. Includes access to a community of certified experts.
• Digital Transformation Projects Comprehensive digital transformation advisory services encompassing IoT, Industry 4.0, AI, Digital Twins, Drones, and AI-powered solutions for sectors including smart cities, energy distribution, and public services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Network reaches 26 Caribbean islands through CANTO partnership
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CANTO (Caribbean Telecommunications Union)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025MOU signed between eCOM-LAC and CANTO to work together and create opportunities and synergies for all members. Jointly developed an exclusive digital marketplace area for members to share offers and demands for products and services. Both organizations actively work toward a sustainable digital economy and collaborate on IoT, Industry 4.0, devices, solutions, products, Digital Twins, drones, and telecommunications.
• LACNICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnereCOM-LAC was a founding member of LACNIC (Internet Addresses Registry for Latin America and the Caribbean), established end of 2003 after four years of negotiation with ICANN. This was a genuine multi-stakeholder partnership including private sector, academic sector, NGOs, and civil society from the region. LACNIC administers IP address blocks for Latin America and the Caribbean from its headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay.
• ICANNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnereCOM-LAC represents the private sector of the Latin American and Caribbean region in international forums including ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). eCOM-LAC became an ICANN-accredited Registry in October 2014.
• Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2006, eCOM-LAC became a member of GKP, a global network of NGOs, international organizations, and companies united to fulfill WSIS goals for multi-sectoral partnerships. In 2008, eCOM-LAC was elected Regional Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2009, eCOM-LAC became a member of the GKP Executive Committee. In 2014, eCOM-LAC was elected President of the GKP Foundation Board, with new headquarters in Brussels.
• CABASE - Cámara Argentina de InternetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCABASE is a member association of eCOM-LAC. Oscar Messano from CABASE serves as President of eCOM-LAC. CABASE organizes the major Internet Day event where eCOM-LAC participates.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• WSIS (UN World Summit on the Information Society): Multi-stakeholder UN framework for ICT development where eCOM-LAC is an active participant. Not a commercial peer, but a structurally comparable multi-stakeholder convener in the same ecosystem.

Direct peers

• CABASE (Cámara Argentina de Internet): Argentine internet industry chamber that is both a member of eCOM-LAC and the institutional home of eCOM-LAC's President. CABASE organizes Internet Day and operates as a national-level federation with overlapping membership and events.
• LACNIC: Regional internet registry for Latin America and the Caribbean, headquartered in Montevideo. eCOM-LAC was a founding member of LACNIC and continues to be closely aligned through governance forums, making LACNIC the most directly comparable peer in scope and regional remit.
• CANTO (Caribbean Telecommunications Union): Caribbean industry body serving 26 member operators/islands, bound to eCOM-LAC by a strategic MOU and a joint marketplace. Operates as a regional federation for telecom/tech stakeholders, structurally similar to eCOM-LAC at a sub-regional level.
• ABRANET (Associação Brasileira de Internet): Brazilian internet industry association and a member of eCOM-LAC. Comparable as a national federation representing internet and digital economy stakeholders in the largest LAC market.

Regional players

• AHCIET / ASIET: Ibero-American association of telecom operators (formerly AHCIET). A peer federation covering Spanish/Portuguese-speaking markets in the Americas with overlapping digital transformation and policy advocacy themes.

Broad incumbents

• CEPAL/ECLAC: UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. A regional institution that works on digital economy and ICT policy across the same geography as eCOM-LAC, frequently interacting in regional forums (e.g., WSIS, IGF).
• Internet Society (ISOC): Global nonprofit advocating for an open, secure internet. eCOM-LAC plays a comparable advocacy and capacity-building role at a regional scale, and both participate in WSIS, IGF, and ICANN processes, making ISOC the global incumbent peer.
• GSMA: Global mobile industry organization with regional presence in Latin America. Comparable as an industry federation with a multi-stakeholder model, though GSMA operates at much larger scale and is mobile-operator centric.
• ICANN: Global coordinator of the internet's naming and addressing systems. eCOM-LAC was an ICANN-accredited registry and remains a recognized private-sector representative for LAC, putting the federation in direct structural relationship with ICANN as an institutional peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ecom-lac-105156136209334
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecom-lac
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecomlac/?hl=en
• Xx.com/ecomlac

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 eCom-LAC