ContactChile - Servicios interculturales para extranjeros y chilenos

What ContactChile - Servicios interculturales para extranjeros y chilenos does

ContactChile is a privately held Chilean intercultural services agency founded in 2000 by German national Malte Sieber and Chilean national Rossana Vidal. Headquartered at Rafael Cañas 174 in Providencia, Santiago, the firm serves foreigners relocating to, visiting, or studying in Chile, and reports having served more than 20,000 clients from over 70 countries across a 26-year operating history. The business is founder-owned, with no disclosed outside funding or institutional investors.

The company operates a service-based platform without proprietary technology, delivering four primary product lines: housing placement (with a curated inventory of 800+ apartments and 250+ rooms across Santiago), travel booking services, Spanish language course referrals, and a high school exchange program for international students. Customer support is delivered in Spanish, English, and German. The business operates with a small core team of approximately ten named staff members and a single Santiago office.

The revenue model combines one-time agency placement fees for housing referrals (reported in the US$43-137 range), recurring commissions from apartment rentals, commissions on travel bookings (including through a partnership with cruise operator Australis and an outbound partnership with TrekkingChile), referral fees from Spanish language schools, and program fees for the high school exchange offering. Go-to-market is primarily digital via a trilingual website, supplemented by direct relationships with corporate relocation clients and educational institutions.

Name

ContactChile - Servicios interculturales para extranjeros y chilenos

Legal name

ContactChile Gestiones Interculturales Ltda.

Website

https://contactchile.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ContactChile is a Santiago-based intercultural services agency, founded in 2000, that helps foreigners relocate to, visit, or study in Chile through housing placement, travel booking, Spanish course referrals, and a high school exchange program, serving a long tail of individual expats and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intercultural Relocation & Housing Services

NAICS

Other Traveler Accommodation (72119), Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (56159)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Destination Services (Home Search, School Search, Area Orientation) (HSAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Placement Agencies & Local Letting/Relocation Services for Students (EDAIALAH), Relocation & Settling-In Concierge (Personal) (HSACAIAL), In-Country Placement, Homestay & On-Ground Coordination Services (EDAIAGAM), Temporary Arrival Housing (Hotels/Hostels/Serviced Apartments for Students) (EDAIALAG)

Keywords

• Intercultural relocation services
• Furnished apartment rentals
• Spanish language coordination
• High school exchange programs
• Chile travel booking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Housing Agency Fees: One-time agency fee charged at booking based on rental amount and length of stay. Fee tiers: 43-100 USD for single rooms, 63-137 USD for double rooms. Student discounts available. Rent is paid separately to landlords monthly.
2. Apartment Rental Services: Over 800 furnished apartments managed. Agency fee based on monthly rent and length of stay. Rent quoted in CLP with USD/EUR reference rates.
3. Travel Booking Services: Commissions from booking travel services including rental cars, Australis cruises (2,466-6,927 USD), hotels, boat trips, bus tickets, domestic flights. All-inclusive pricing with vehicle insurance and unlimited mileage.
4. Spanish Course Referrals: Referral and coordination services for Spanish language programs at partner schools in Santiago, Iquique, Puerto Varas, and Pichilemu.
5. High School Exchange Programs: Semester, trimester, or full-year exchange programs for students aged 15-17. Includes placement with host families and ongoing support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ContactChile is an intercultural management agency that helps foreigners visiting or relocating to Chile with furnished housing (apartments and rooms across Santiago and coastal cities), travel services (rental cars, cruises, tours, hotels, domestic transportation), Spanish language course coordination at partner schools, comprehensive relocation support (visa, orientation, housing search, school placement), and high school exchange programs for students aged 15-17. It charges one-time agency fees on housing placements and earns commissions on travel bookings, acting as a single multilingual point of contact across Spanish, English, and German.

Product overview

ContactChile operates as an intercultural management agency offering a comprehensive suite of services for foreigners visiting, studying, or relocating to Chile. The core offerings include: (1) Furnished Apartments and Rooms for short-term and long-term housing in Santiago and coastal cities; (2) Spanish Courses through partner language schools in Santiago, Iquique, Puerto Varas, and Pichilemu; (3) Travel Services encompassing rental cars, campers, boat trips (Australis/Skorpios), special tours, hotels, and domestic transportation; (4) Relocation Services providing visa support, orientation, and housing assistance; and (5) High School Exchange Programs for teenage students. The company acts as an intermediary connecting international visitors with Chilean service providers, supporting multilingual communication in Spanish, English, German, and other languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chileando: Blog operated by ContactChile providing information about Chile, tips, recommendations, and cultural content for foreigners. The blog is part of ContactChile's marketing and information services.

Products and services

• Furnished Apartments Fully furnished apartments available for short-term and long-term rental in Santiago and other Chilean cities, ranging from studios to multi-bedroom units in districts including Santiago Centro, Providencia, Las Condes, and Vitacura. Targets foreigners and expats needing turnkey housing with utilities included.
• Furnished Rooms Furnished rooms available in apartments, with Chilean families, in student dormitories, or as sublets, with options across Santiago, Valparaíso, and Viña del Mar. Targets individual foreigners, students, and long-term visitors needing affordable single or double rooms.
• Relocation Services Comprehensive support for foreigners relocating to Chile, including visa assistance, orientation, housing search, school and kindergarten placement, and intercultural coaching. Targets individuals and families moving to Chile for work, study, or long-term relocation.
• Spanish Courses Spanish language programs coordinated through partner schools in Santiago, Iquique, Puerto Varas, and Pichilemu, including group courses, private lessons, and cultural immersion programs. Targets international students and foreigners planning stays in Chile.
• High School Exchange Program Student exchange programs for teenagers aged 15-17 (minimum Spanish level A2), offering semester, trimester, or full-year stays with Chilean host families in Santiago and surrounding areas. Targets international students and parents seeking cultural immersion and language learning.
• Rental Cars Vehicle rental services for travel throughout Chile and Argentina, including all-inclusive rates with unlimited mileage, insurance, and support with itinerary planning. Targets tourists and travelers needing self-drive transport.
• Camper and Motorhome Rentals Camper and motorhome rental services for self-drive exploration of Chile, with booking support and travel advice. Targets tourists seeking flexible road-trip travel.
• Boat Trips and Ferries Patagonian cruise and ferry services including Australis (Stella Australis and Ventus Australis) expeditions to Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn, Skorpios cruises, and various ferry routes throughout Patagonia. Targets travelers seeking expedition cruises and ferry connections.
• Special Tours Specialized tours including volcano ascents, glacier hiking, kayaking, city tours, wine tours, and trekking expeditions throughout Chile. Targets adventure travelers and tourists seeking curated experiences.
• Hotel Bookings Hotel booking assistance and guidance across all regions of Chile, from the Atacama Desert in the north to Patagonia in the south. Targets tourists and travelers needing accommodation throughout Chile.
• Domestic Flights and Bus Tickets Booking assistance for domestic flights and bus tickets throughout Chile, leveraging the Recorrido.cl bus ticket comparison portal. Targets travelers needing inter-city transportation.
• Work and Travel in Chile Programs enabling travelers to work and travel in Chile, combining employment opportunities with cultural immersion. Targets international visitors seeking income-earning travel experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26 years of experience helping 20,000+ people from 70+ countries

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fair ChileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCertified member of Fair Chile organization, demonstrating commitment to ethical and fair tourism practices in Chile. Badge displayed on website footer.
• TrekkingChile FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint offering of maps, guides, and trekking resources for Chile destinations. TrekkingChile provides professional maps of national parks and tourist destinations (Atacama, Torres del Paine, Pucón, etc.) available for purchase through ContactChile office and online.
• AustraliscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred booking partner for Australis expedition cruises (Stella Australis and Ventus Australis) through Patagonian fjords to Cape Horn. ContactChile acts as booking agent for their 4-night cruises between Punta Arenas and Ushuaia.
• Rental Car CompaniescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with well-known rent-a-car companies for vehicle rentals throughout Chile and Argentina. ContactChile provides booking support and itinerary planning.
• Spanish Language Schools (Partner Schools)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner schools in Santiago, Iquique, Puerto Varas, and Pichilemu offering group and individual Spanish courses with cultural programs. ContactChile coordinates enrollment and accommodation for students.
• Recorrido.clminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for bus ticket bookings in Chile. Recorrido.cl is Chile's largest bus ticket comparison and booking portal with 20+ bus lines.
• Hotel PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of hotels throughout Chile including North, Center, South, and Patagonia regions. ContactChile provides guidance and booking services.
• Apartment Owners/LandlordscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of 800+ furnished apartments and 250+ rooms across Santiago districts (Santiago Centro, Providencia, Las Condes, Vitacura, Ñuñoa, La Reina) and coastal cities (Valparaíso, Viña del Mar). Long-standing relationships with most landlords.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Blueground: Globally scaled operator of furnished apartments for 30+ day stays, now present across multiple continents. A broader incumbent serving the same long-stay furnished rental category as ContactChile, with significantly more capital and proprietary inventory.
• Airbnb: Global short-term rental marketplace that overlaps with ContactChile's furnished apartment and travel booking services. As Airbnb expands into longer stays, it increasingly competes for the same international visitor demand.
• Sonder: Tech-enabled hospitality operator offering furnished apartments and boutique stays for short and extended visits. Competes with ContactChile for furnished accommodations serving travelers and relocating professionals.
• Graebel Relocation: Global corporate relocation services firm offering destination services including home search, area orientation, and settling-in support — the same core services ContactChile delivers to individuals and small groups in Chile.

Direct peers

• Spotahome: Mid-to-long-term online rental platform offering verified furnished properties for relocating professionals and students. Competes directly with ContactChile's furnished apartment and room marketplace in Spain, Italy, and other markets.
• Uniplaces: Online booking platform for student housing aimed at international and exchange students. Closely comparable to ContactChile's student housing placement and high school exchange support services.
• Nestpick: Furnished apartment platform targeting expats, students, and digital nomads for 30+ day stays. Direct overlap with ContactChile's furnished apartment offering for international long-term visitors.
• HousingAnywhere: Online rental platform focused on student and young professional housing across Europe and beyond. Closely comparable to ContactChile's housing placement service for international students and relocating tenants.

Emerging players

• Erasmusu: European student exchange and housing platform serving Erasmus and international students. Comparable to ContactChile's study-abroad and high school exchange student housing offerings, though focused on the European market.
• InterNations: Global expat community and information platform offering relocation guides, housing tips, and partner services. Adjacent to ContactChile's destination services, though not a direct booking intermediator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ContactChile
• Instagraminstagram.com/contactchile
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/contactchile-gestiones-interculturales-ltda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ContactChile - Servicios interculturales para extranjeros y chilenos