TechStart

What TechStart does

TechStart is a privately held nearshore IT outsourcing firm that connects US-based companies with pre-vetted software developers, data analysts, and engineering talent based primarily in Lima, Peru. Founded in 2011 by Fran Moya, who created the company out of his own need to source developers for Dining Alliance, TechStart operates a US headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts and a delivery center in Lima, Peru, with 11-50 total employees. Its core value proposition rests on geographic proximity, US-friendly time zones, bilingual English-proficient staff, and a proprietary database of over 3,000 pre-vetted professionals screened through interviews, live coding tests, and 30-minute English proficiency assessments.

The company's product portfolio spans four core service lines: Staff Augmentation (placing dedicated developers into client teams), Talent Acquisition (full-cycle recruiting from the proprietary database), Software Development (dedicated teams for web and app development plus product modernization and maintenance), and Payroll & Benefit Solutions acting as Employer of Record (EOR) for clients employing LATAM talent. A secondary portfolio of sub-services (Web Designing, UI/UX Design, Web Application, Web Development, Security Systems) extends the surface area. The pricing model is a no-upfront-cost placement arrangement under multi-year contracts, with revenue generated upon successful hire or ongoing service delivery.

TechStart is bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors, and operates a sales-led, enterprise-direct GTM motion with consultation booking via Calendly and content marketing through its blog. Named customers include Buyers Edge Platform (enterprise), 2ULaundry, Tipzyy, Acutely, and FoodBAM, with a notable concentration in the restaurant-technology vertical stemming from the founder's industry background.

Name

TechStart

Legal name

TechStart

Website

https://tech-start.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TechStart is a nearshore IT outsourcing firm placing pre-vetted software developers from Lima, Peru into US-based companies, offering staff augmentation, talent acquisition, software development, and EOR payroll services. It serves primarily US startups and mid-market firms in technology and restaurant-tech verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nearshore IT Outsourcing & Staff Augmentation

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Help Supply Services (7363), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

IT & Software Engineering Staffing (BPACADAA)

Keywords

• Nearshore outsourcing
• IT staff augmentation
• Software development services
• Talent acquisition
• Employer of record

Headquarters

HQ city

Waltham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Staff Augmentation / Talent Placement: TechStart searches through candidates and handles all filtering, interviewing, and hiring. They hire recruits and provide office space, equipment, and support. Revenue appears to come from successful placements, with no upfront cost to clients until they hire a candidate.
2. Software Development Services: Dedicated development teams for web/app development, product modernization, and maintenance services.
3. Employer of Record (EOR) / Payroll Services: Payroll and benefit administration for companies that have found talent in Latin America, handling administrative functions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

TechStart provides nearshore IT staff augmentation, talent acquisition, custom software development, and Payroll & Benefit Solutions to US-based companies by sourcing and managing pre-vetted Peruvian technology professionals. The company embeds engineers and developers into client teams on a contract, direct-hire, or project basis, and also administers payroll and benefits for nearshore employees. Its delivery footprint combines a Waltham, MA headquarters with a Lima, Peru recruiting and operations center.

Product overview

TechStart is a nearshore outsourcing company offering a portfolio of IT services connecting US companies with talent in Latin America (primarily Lima, Peru). The core offering consists of four main services: Staff Augmentation for on-demand software developers and engineers, Talent Acquisition with a proprietary database of 3,000+ pre-vetted professionals, Software Development (including web/app development and product maintenance), and Payroll & Benefit Solutions as an Employer of Record. These services are supported by specialized sub-services including Web Designing, UI/UX Designing, Web Application development, Web Development, and Security System services. All services leverage nearshore proximity, US-friendly time zones, bilingual talent, and cultural compatibility to deliver cost-effective IT solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Staff Augmentation

Quantifiable outcome

• 59% of businesses see outsourcing as an effective cost cutting tool

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AcutelycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2019TechStart and Acutely partnered on data science and development projects. TechStart provides data science resources including Moises Diaz who visited Acutely's Chicago headquarters to collaborate on predictive models for client expansion location analysis. The partnership helped reduce computing time from 2-3 days to a few hours by migrating infrastructure to cloud.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BairesDev: Largest nearshore software outsourcing company originating from Argentina with operations across LATAM; directly comparable to TechStart in dedicated development teams, staff augmentation, and US-facing nearshore delivery, but at materially greater scale.
• Andela: Global talent marketplace that expanded from Africa into LATAM, offering vetted software engineers to US enterprises; directly comparable business model of pre-vetted developer matching plus staff augmentation, with significantly more capital.
• Toptal: Global network of pre-vetted freelance software engineers, designers, and finance talent; directly comparable on the 'vetted talent marketplace' model that TechStart's 3,000+ database emulates at smaller scale and tighter LATAM geographic focus.
• Revelo: LATAM-focused developer recruiting and EOR platform that connects US companies with pre-vetted engineers in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and beyond; near-perfect analog to TechStart's staff augmentation plus payroll/benefits offering with a wider geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Deel: Leading global Employer of Record and payroll platform that, like TechStart's EOR service, helps US companies employ talent internationally; broader in scope and geography but overlapping on the LATAM EOR use case TechStart serves.
• Upwork: Largest public marketplace for freelance technology talent; overlaps with TechStart's staff augmentation and software development offerings as a broad incumbent where buyers can also source developers directly.
• Remote: Global HR and EOR platform supporting international payroll, benefits, and compliance; comparable to TechStart's EOR/payroll leg as a scaled, venture-backed competitor in the same category.

Emerging players

• Arc.dev: Remote developer hiring platform with pre-vetted global engineers, including strong LATAM representation; comparable on the curated talent marketplace model with more product-led sourcing than TechStart's human-led model.
• Globy: LATAM-focused tech recruiting firm connecting US companies with senior engineers from Argentina, Brazil, and neighboring countries; close functional analog to TechStart's nearshore staff augmentation with a similar customer profile and slightly broader regional scope.
• Turing: AI-driven remote developer matching platform serving US companies with global talent; comparable on the vetting-and-matching model but with deeper technology tooling and broader geographic sourcing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/techstart-peru-s.a.c.

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 TechStart