What Quinto Elemento Lab does

Quinto Elemento Lab (legal name: El Quinto Elemento, Laboratorio de Investigación e Innovación Periodística A.C.) is an independent nonprofit investigative journalism organization founded in 2017 and headquartered at Medellín 33, Colonia Roma Norte, in Mexico City. It produces high-impact, collaborative investigative reporting on corruption, human rights violations, disappearances, environmental harm, organized crime, and public health failures in Mexico and Latin America. Core offerings include Investigaciones (investigative reports), the MásterLAB editor training program, a library of webinars on investigative techniques, and a news section. The organization operates with a compact in-house team of approximately 14 editorial, data, and technical staff, supported by an external collaborative network of more than 800 journalists and specialists.

Distribution is free and multi-channel: investigations are published on quintoelab.org and co-published simultaneously with more than 100 partner media outlets including ICIJ, OCCRP, The Guardian, El País, MCCI, Ríodoce, and A dónde van los desaparecidos. Reach is extended through Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, email newsletters, and webinars. The organization is a member of ICIJ and participates in transnational investigations including FinCEN Files, Pandora Papers, and NarcoFiles; investigations have produced documented accountability outcomes such as the capture of Emilio Lozoya in Spain, the termination of corrupt SAT official Ramón García Gibson, and detentions linked to the Riviera Maya gang.

Quinto Elemento Lab is funded entirely by grants and donations from international foundations aligned with press freedom, democracy, and equity — including Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Reva and David Logan Foundation, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, GroundTruth Project, Fondation CHANEL, and Google — with explicit editorial independence from funders. There are no subscriptions, paid products, or licensing fees; all content is freely accessible. The organization is led by co-founders Alejandra Xanic (Editor-in-Chief) and Marcela Turati (Coordinator), and Executive Director Armando Talamantes.

Name

Quinto Elemento Lab

Legal name

El Quinto Elemento, Laboratorio de Investigación e Innovación Periodística A.C.

Website

https://quintoelab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quinto Elemento Lab is a Mexico City-based nonprofit investigative journalism organization founded in 2017 that produces collaborative investigations on corruption, human rights, organized crime, and environmental issues across Latin America, funded by international foundations and distributed free via its website and 100+ media partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mexico City

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation grants and donations: Quinto Elemento Lab is a nonprofit organization (asociación civil sin fines de lucro) that depends entirely on financial support from international foundations and donors. The organization does not generate commercial revenue; its income consists of grants and donativos from allied foundations that support press freedom, democracy, justice, and equity. Funders do not intervene in editorial decisions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Quinto Elemento Lab is a nonprofit investigative journalism organization that produces long-form, data-driven investigative reports focused primarily on the Mexican public education system. It operates a small newsroom of 14 employees supported by a wider network of collaborators, and complements its reporting with the MASTERLAB training program and webinars for journalists.

Product overview

Quinto Elemento Lab is a nonprofit investigative journalism organization offering a unified platform focused on research and journalistic innovation. Its portfolio consists of core investigative reports (Investigaciones) covering corruption, human rights, environmental issues, and organized crime; the specialized training program MásterLAB for editors; a growing collection of webinars on investigative journalism techniques; and a news section for organizational updates. The organization positions itself as a collaborative hub working with reporters and media partners to produce high-impact investigative journalism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MásterLAB: A training program for editors in conducting investigative journalism, the only program in the Spanish-speaking world that trains editors annually on how to lead journalistic investigations.

Products and services

• Quinto Elemento Reportajes Long-form, data-driven investigative reports on the Mexican public education system, published as free editorial content for the general public and stakeholders in education policy.
• MASTERLAB Training Program A journalism training program for journalists and reporters seeking to develop investigative and data-driven reporting skills, delivered as a structured offering alongside the lab's editorial work.
• Webinars for Journalists Online webinars for journalists and reporters covering investigative methods and Mexican education topics, complementing the lab's training and reporting work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Investigations led to the capture of Emilio Lozoya (former Pemex director) in Spain
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ICIJ — Consortium of Investigative Journalists (Consorcio Internacional de Periodistas de Investigación)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Quinto Elemento Lab is an active member of ICIJ and participates in global investigations including FinCEN Files, Pandora Papers, and others. ICIJ coordinates transnational investigations and provides access to international databases and resources.
• OCCRP — Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on major investigations including 'La banda de la Riviera Maya' (EPPY Award 2020), NarcoFiles, and other transnational crime reporting projects.
• MCCI — Mexicanos Contra la Corrupción y la ImpunidadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular collaboration partner on investigations including the Riviera Maya gang investigation and FinCEN Files.
• RíodocecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on investigations about the Arellano brothers and links between organized crime and Mexican authorities.
• A dónde van los desaparecidoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner in investigations on disappearances in Mexico, including 'El país de las dos mil fosas' (Gabo Award 2019) and the Crisis Forense investigation.
• The GuardiancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on investigations into industrial pollution in Monterrey, covering toxic emissions from companies operating in the metropolitan area.
• El PaíscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Pandora Papers investigation, publishing stories about offshore companies and corruption involving Mexican politicians and business figures.
• Inside AirbnbminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivist project that shared exclusive data with Quinto Elemento Lab for an investigation into Airbnb's short-term rental business in Mexico.
• Mongabay LatamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the 'Defensores desaparecidos' (Disappeared Defenders) investigation covering environmental and land defenders disappeared in Mexico.
• GIJN — Global Investigative Journalism NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuinto Elemento Lab operates under the umbrella of GIJN and participates in its global network of investigative journalism organizations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• El Faro: El Salvador-based nonprofit investigative digital newspaper covering organized crime, corruption, and human rights. Closely comparable in funding model, regional focus, and editorial independence from government and commercial interests.
• Mongabay Latam: Latin American environmental investigative journalism nonprofit. Comparable in nonprofit funding model and in the type of transnational collaborations; partnered with Quinto Elemento Lab on the 'Defensores desaparecidos' investigation.
• Centro de Periodistas Investigativos (CPI): Puerto Rico-based nonprofit investigative journalism organization. Similar model producing investigations on government accountability and corruption, with comparable nonprofit funding structure.
• A dónde van los desaparecidos: Mexican nonprofit collective investigating enforced disappearances. Long-term partner of Quinto Elemento Lab on 'El país de las dos mil fosas' (Gabo Award 2019) and forensic crisis reporting.
• Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP): Nonprofit investigative journalism network with a similar cross-border, grant-funded model. OCCRP is a direct collaboration partner of Quinto Elemento Lab on projects like the Riviera Maya investigation (EPPY Award 2020) and NarcoFiles.
• Animal Político: Mexican nonprofit investigative digital media outlet covering corruption, human rights, and public policy. Operates with a similar nonprofit / grant-funded model and shares the Mexican accountability journalism market.
• CIPER Chile: Chilean nonprofit investigative journalism center. Comparable in using foundation funding to produce in-depth investigations on corruption and public interest issues, with a similar regional Spanish-language audience.
• Aristegui Noticias: Mexican investigative news outlet led by Carmen Aristegui. Comparable in investigative focus on corruption and accountability in Mexico, and a co-publication partner on multiple investigations.
• Mexicanos Contra la Corrupción y la Impunidad (MCCI): Mexican nonprofit investigative organization focused on corruption and impunity. Comparable in country, mission, and grant-funded model; regular collaboration partner on FinCEN Files and Riviera Maya investigations.
• ICIJ — Consortium of Investigative Journalists: Global investigative journalism consortium coordinating transnational projects like FinCEN Files and Pandora Papers. Quinto Elemento Lab is a long-standing ICIJ member and co-publishes investigations through the network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/quintoelab
• Facebookfacebook.com/quintoelab
• Instagraminstagram.com/quintoelementolab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quinto-elemento-lab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Quinto Elemento Lab