FELADE

What FELADE does

FELADE is a Costa Rica-headquartered regional specialist in anti-money laundering (AML), financing of terrorism (FT), and financing of proliferation of weapons of destruction (FPADM) compliance, operating across Latin America since 2005 through two complementary divisions: Fundación FELADE (education and international certifications) and FELADE Compliance Services (corporate consulting). The firm serves banks, insurance companies, securities firms, cooperatives, regulators, and APNFDs (Activities and Professions Non-Financial Designated) across 10+ Latin American countries plus a Miami office serving US clients, with formal tripartite alliances with national regulators in Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. Its underlying technology consists of proprietary compliance methodologies — including the SUGEF 13-19 six-stage risk management framework, risk matrix design using Mosler, Monte Carlo, points scheme, and logical fault/success/decision trees — built over 500+ implementations and aligned with FATF/GAFI international standards adapted for local regulatory environments.

The business model combines four revenue streams: (1) professional services consulting on a monthly retainer basis (notably the outsourced compliance officer service "Programa OS"), (2) one-time project fees for manual design, diagnostics, and audits, (3) individual certifications (CIPLAD, CIMAR, CIBCA at USD 1,225 each) and a Master's program (MPLAD at USD 10,775, jointly with Universidad para la Paz/UPAZ-ONU), and (4) workshop-based training priced at USD 325–425 per participant. Distribution is anchored by four operational offices (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, USA), the annual World Compliance Forum flagship event (21 editions since 2005), and a 17,774+ alumni network driving community-led referrals across the region. The firm has no disclosed revenue figure but shows 1,324+ organizations served, 99% recommendation rate, and 6,000+ UPAZ-ONU graduates, with 11 employees listed in firmographic data.

Strategic positioning combines academic credibility through the UPEACE-ONU alliance, regulatory moat via tripartite partnerships, and an enterprise field sales motion targeting regulated financial institutions with a 30-minute diagnostic consultation as the primary lead conversion mechanism. The customer base spans major global banks (Citi, HSBC, BNP Paribas, Scotiabank, Santander), Latin American institutions (BAC Credomatic, Bancolombia, Davivienda, BCR, BNCR), insurance leaders (MAPFRE, Zurich, Chubb, AIG), and 15+ national regulators, indicating broad enterprise traction across both private and public sectors.

Name

FELADE

Legal name

FELADE

Website

https://felade.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FELADE is a Costa Rica-based regional specialist in AML/FT/FPADM compliance consulting and certification, serving banks, insurers, regulators, and APNFDs across 10+ Latin American countries plus the US, with proprietary risk methodologies and UPEACE-ONU academic endorsement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AML/CFT Compliance Training and Consulting

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDABADAD

Financial Crime Compliance (AML/KYC/Sanctions)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Compliance, Ethics & Regulatory Training

SECONDARYBPAHAFAE

Financial Crime, AML/CFT & Sanctions Compliance

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Risk, Compliance & Governance Advisory

SECONDARYEDABAJAK

Financial Crime & Fraud Prevention (Forensics, Investigations)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Finance, Accounting & Risk Training

SECONDARYFSAMAMAH

Financial Crime Compliance Program Management (Policies, Controls, Training)

Financial & Insurance/Payments & Transaction Processing/Payment Compliance, KYC/AML & Screening

Keywords

• AML compliance training
• Anti-money laundering consulting
• Regulatory certification programs
• Risk matrix design
• Compliance advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: Professional services revenue from AML/FT compliance consulting including regulatory diagnosis, program design, implementation, and ongoing compliance officer outsourcing. Operates on monthly recurring retainer model with defined deliverables.
2. Professional Certifications: International certification programs (CIPLAD, CIMAR, CIBCA) at USD 1,225 per program (4 months, 100% online), with continuing pathways to Master's degree (MPLAD) at USD 10,775 total. One-time fee per participant.
3. Training and Workshops: Workshop-based training programs (e.g., Risk Matrix Workshop at USD 325–425 per participant), including in-company training sessions. Revenue per event based on per-person pricing.
4. Master's Degree (MPLAD): International Master's in Prevention of Money Laundering and Related Crimes, delivered jointly with UPAZ-ONU. USD 10,775 total program cost, with payment plans and scholarships available. 2-year duration, 4 modules, 41 academic credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FELADE is a Costa Rica-based non-profit foundation that delivers specialized training, international certifications, and consulting/advisory services in anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CFT) and proliferation-financing (FPADM) compliance for Latin American regulated entities. Its core catalog includes the CIPLAD, CIMAR and CIBCA certifications, the accredited MPLAD Master's program, the outsourced Compliance Officer service (Programa OS), SUGEF 13-19 audit support, risk-matrix workshops, and corporate in-company training for banks, insurers, securities firms and APNFDs (Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions). It also operates the World Compliance Forum as a regional industry platform.

Product overview

FELADE operates as a dual-division organization offering AML/FT/FPADM prevention services in Latin America since 2005. The Foundation division (Fundación FELADE) provides professional education and international certifications including CIPLAD, CIMAR, and CIBCA, plus the Master's program MPLAD with UPEACE-ONU academic backing. The Compliance Services division offers corporate consulting including the flagship Programa OS (compliance outsourcing), Manual AML/CFT design, SUGEF 13-19 internal audits, risk matrix workshops, and in-company training. Both divisions share methodology, teaching staff, and institutional backing, serving regulated entities across 10+ Latin American countries with 4 operational offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• World Compliance Forum (WCF): Flagship annual international compliance forum organized by FELADE, held in various Latin American countries since 2005. 21 editions in 10 countries.

Products and services

• CIPLAD - Certificación Internacional en Prevención de Lavado de Activos y Delitos (International Certification in Prevention of Money Laundering and Crimes)

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,774+ professionals trained and certified across 20+ countries since 2005
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers68 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Unidad de Análisis Financiero (UAF) - Dominican RepubliccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Tripartite alliance: UPAZ-ONU + FELADE + UAF (Dominican Republic's financial intelligence unit). Established September 2024. UAF provides regulatory endorsement for FELADE's AML/FT programs in Dominican Republic.
• Cooperativa Nacional de Maestros (COOPNAMA) - Dominican RepublicminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Bipartite alliance: FELADE + COOPNAMA (Dominican Republic's national teachers' cooperative). Established September 2024. Cooperative-specific AML/FT compliance training and program design for COOPNAMA's members.
• Asociación de Bancos Múltiples (ABA RD) - Dominican RepublicminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Bipartite alliance: FELADE + ABA RD (Dominican Republic's multiple banking association). Established September 2024. AML/FT training and compliance support for ABA member banks.
• Instituto Costarricense sobre Drogas (ICD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Tripartite alliance: UPAZ-ONU + FELADE + ICD (Costa Rica's national AML/FT authority). Established May 2024. ICD provides regulatory oversight and endorsement for FELADE's compliance programs targeting Costa Rican regulated entities.
• Superintendencia de Sujetos No Financieros (SSNF) - PanamacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Tripartite alliance: UPAZ-ONU + FELADE + SSNF (Panama's supervisor of non-financial obligated subjects). Established April 2024. SSNF provides regulatory endorsement for FELADE's AML/FT programs targeting Panama's non-financial sector.
• Colegio de Contadores Públicos de Costa RicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2020Bipartite alliance: FELADE + CCP Costa Rica (Costa Rica's public accountants' professional association). Established August 2020. AML/FT training and certification programs for accountants and auditors.
• Instituto de Auditores Internos del Peru (IAI Peru)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018Bipartite alliance: FELADE + IAI Peru (Peru's internal auditors' professional association). Established October 2018. Joint training programs for internal audit professionals in AML/FT compliance across Peru.
• Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores (CNBV) - MexicocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2018Tripartite alliance: UPAZ-ONU + FELADE + CNBV (Mexico's federal financial regulator). Established May 2018. CNBV provides regulatory endorsement and access to supervised entities for FELADE training programs in Mexico.
• Universidad para la Paz (UPAZ-ONU)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2017Founding academic partner and sole academic alliance of FELADE. The University for Peace (UN system, created by UN General Assembly Resolution 35/55 of 1980) provides academic endorsement for all FELADE certification programs (CIPLAD, CIMAR, CIBCA) and the Master's in Prevention of Money Laundering and Related Crimes (MPLAD). The partnership was formalized on November 22, 2017, with 6,000+ graduates, 120+ countries reached, and Costa Rica as the UN headquarters. UPAZ-ONU is a third party in all tripartite alliances with national regulators.
• World Compliance Forum (WCF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005FELADE is the regional organizer of the World Compliance Forum (WCF), a premier international annual conference in AML/FT compliance. 21 editions held in 10 countries since 2005, with global leaders, Fortune 500 compliance practitioners, regulators, and UIF representatives participating.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BDO: Major mid-market accounting and advisory network with global AML services and significant LATAM country presence. Competes for APNFD and mid-sized financial institution compliance mandates where FELADE's Programa OS retainer is also positioned.
• EY: Big-4 with Financial Services Risk and AML consulting, including a regional LATAM presence and Forensic practice. Overlaps with FELADE on enterprise compliance diagnostics, audits, and outsourced compliance officer services.
• KPMG: Big-4 with global Forensic / AML practices including LATAM. Competes head-to-head with FELADE's Compliance Services division on AML program design, risk matrix construction, and regulator-interaction work for Tier-1 banks and insurers.
• PwC: Big-4 with a dedicated Financial Crime Unit and LATAM risk and compliance practice. Comparable to FELADE on AML consulting and advisory but at broader portfolio scale and with more technology-driven delivery.
• Deloitte: Big-4 with a global Financial Crime / AML consulting practice and dedicated regional LATAM teams. Already a customer of FELADE (Shirley Araya is ex-Deloitte) but also competes for the same enterprise compliance officer outsourcing and program-implementation mandates.

Emerging players

• Compliance Learning Solutions (CLS): Specialist e-learning provider for AML, sanctions, and financial crime compliance training, including LATAM-relevant modules. Comparable on online AML certification and the training-only segment, though smaller in scale and reach than FELADE's regional network.
• ComplyAdvantage: RegTech firm offering AI-driven AML, KYC, transaction monitoring, and sanctions screening software to LATAM banks and fintechs. Not a direct training peer but competes for the compliance budget of the same APNFDs and mid-sized financial institutions that FELADE's consulting arm serves.

Direct peers

• ACAMS (Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists): Global leader in AML/financial crime certifications (CAMS) and training, with the most comparable model of certification-based revenue and member community. Competes directly with FELADE's CIPLAD and CIMAR programs in the LATAM market, although ACAMS is global while FELADE is regional.
• ICA (International Compliance Association): International compliance training and certification body offering diplomas and certificates in financial crime, AML, and governance. Comparable in delivery model (online + in-person) and target buyer (compliance professionals), competing for the same individual professional learner in LATAM.
• Themis (The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing Training Network): UK-based training network focused exclusively on AML/financial crime prevention courses and certifications for the regulated sector. Closest functional peer to FELADE on training-only model and FATF-aligned curriculum, with comparable global ambitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/felade

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 FELADE