What Umuntu does

Umuntu is a Montevideo-based disability inclusion consulting firm founded in 2018 by Mariana Goday and two partners. It serves large enterprises, government entities, and increasingly Latin American companies with four integrated service lines: Consultoría (diagnostic and strategic advisory on disability inclusion), Formación en Inclusión (training programs on inclusive leadership, accessible communication, inclusive procurement, and customer service), Inclusión Laboral through its proprietary ZIP program (a seven-step labor inclusion methodology developed with Fundación ONCE support, covering HR accompaniment, accessibility assessment, selection, training, and follow-up), and Certificación (exclusive representation of the Sello Bequal certification for Uruguay and the Cono Sur, with four ascending levels audited across documentary, physical, and web dimensions). The firm operates a professional services revenue model with quote-based, customized engagements, complemented by licensing/royalty revenue from Bequal certification delivery.

The company employs a core team of 5 professionals plus a 6-member advisory board, drawing on specialists with 10-30+ years of regional experience across psychology, occupational therapy, and sign language interpretation. Umuntu's go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven by senior consultants and the director, supplemented by referral channels, ESG/sustainability networks (Pacto Global Uruguay, Deres, Sistema B), and channel partners including the xTalento Latam network, Fundación Bequal, and regional accessibility platforms. Its client base of 28+ organizations spans airlines, retail, hospitality, consulting, telecom, fintech, chemicals, government, and international bodies, including BASF, McDonald's, Hilton, PwC, Telefónica, and CEPAL.

Umuntu's competitive positioning rests on three reinforcing pillars: the Bequal certification monopoly for the region, the proprietary ZIP labor inclusion methodology, and a talent pool that embeds lived disability experience into consulting delivery. The firm is privately held with no external funding rounds disclosed, and has recently expanded its footprint from a Uruguay-only base to a Latin America-wide operating model, with formal government support from MIDES and certification authority extending across the Southern Cone.

Name

Umuntu

Legal name

Umuntu

Website

https://umuntu.uy

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Umuntu is a Montevideo-headquartered disability inclusion consulting firm founded in 2018, serving large enterprises, government entities, and Latin American companies with advisory, training, labor inclusion (ZIP), and exclusive Bequal certification services across Uruguay and the Cono Sur.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Inclusion Consulting

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Case Management, Retention & Student Support (EDALAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN), Accessibility & Special-Needs Customer Support (BPAAABAM)

Keywords

• Disability inclusion consulting
• Workplace inclusion training
• Diversity consulting services
• Accessibility certification advisory
• Employment inclusion programs

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for disability inclusion strategy, diagnostics, and action planning for organizations. Includes ongoing advisory and implementation support.
2. Training and Formation Services: Inclusivity training programs delivered in-person or online, covering leadership, human resources management, accessible communication, inclusive teams, inclusive procurement, and customer service. Custom training developed for specific client challenges.
3. Labor Inclusion Program (ZIP): Seven-step labor inclusion program including HR team accompaniment, workplace accessibility assessment, selection, training, and follow-up. Carried out by multidisciplinary team of psychologists and labor operators.
4. Bequal Certification: Representation and delivery of Bequal certification (inclusive company certification) for Uruguay and the Cono Sur region. Four certification levels: Bequal in progress, Bequal, Bequal Plus, and Bequal Premium. Involves documentary, physical, and web audits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Umuntu is a B2B consulting firm that helps organizations embed disability inclusion across their operations. It sells advisory (Consultoría), training (Formación en Inclusiún), labor inclusion programs (Inclusiún Laboral / ZIP), and certification support for the Bequal Seal (Certificación Sello Bequal) to enterprises and government bodies, primarily in Uruguay and the Spanish-speaking market.

Product overview

Umuntu is a disability inclusion consulting firm offering four integrated service lines: Consultoría (diagnostic and strategic advisory), Formación en Inclusión (training programs), Inclusión Laboral through the ZIP program (labor inclusion with a seven-step methodology), and Certificación (Bequal certification representation). These services work together to provide organizations with a comprehensive approach to disability inclusion—from initial diagnosis and strategy development through training, labor inclusion, and certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consultoría Strategic advisory engagement through which Umuntu diagnoses an organization's current state on disability inclusion and designs a tailored action plan. Targeted at corporate and government clients seeking to build or refine their disability inclusion strategy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful labor inclusion of persons with disabilities in partner companies (documented case with WTC Free Zone, McDonald's, and other enterprises)

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Fundación BequalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación Bequal is the creator of Sello Bequal, a certification for inclusive companies. Umuntu is the exclusive representative for Uruguay and the Cono Sur region, delivering certification audits and promoting the standard across the region.
• ELdeSsupportingTechnology or IntegrationELdeS is the first platform in the world to allow self-administered, interactive, and massive teaching of Sign Language. Partnership provides accessibility tools for clients and community.
• Empleos InclusivossupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChilean-based accessible job portal that Umuntu represents for Uruguay. Used to publish labor inclusion job postings from Umuntu's labor inclusion area.
• LazarillosupportingTechnology or IntegrationApplication for people with visual disabilities that provides route information for autonomous navigation. Partnership enhances accessibility services for clients.
• RedApissupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology company developing various technologies to break down access barriers for people with hearing disabilities. Partnership provides accessibility solutions.
• UNIT (Instituto Uruguayo de Normas Técnicas)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUruguayan technical standards institute responsible for various accessibility standards and regulations. Partnership provides standards framework for accessibility compliance.
• xTalento (Fundación ONCE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación ONCE program to promote employment of people with disabilities in Latin America. Umuntu represents Uruguay in a group of five countries, enabling regional reach and best practice sharing.
• Pacto Global UruguaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal sustainability initiative. Umuntu is part of the Board of Directors since September 2024 (Mariana Goday serves on the board), providing visibility and network access within sustainability-focused business community.
• DeressupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-profit business organization of leading Uruguayan companies working on Sustainable Development Goals. Membership provides B2B networking and visibility.
• Sistema BsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of B Corps in Latin America committed to continuous improvement with social/environmental purpose at the center of their model. Membership provides credibility and network access.
• Alianza (Uruguay)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of dozens of organizations working for the rights of people with disabilities in Uruguay. Umuntu participates in the disability rights community.
• Fundación ONCEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal leader in disability inclusion. Provided support for creation of ZIP program through which Umuntu carries out labor inclusion processes in companies. Endorses Bequal certification and supports xTalento Latam network.
• MIDES (Ministerio de Desarrollo Social, Uruguay)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of Social Development, through its Disability Secretariat, expressed explicit support for Umuntu's ZIP program to achieve national reach and impact across all Uruguayan territory.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bender Consulting Services: Disability-owned US firm providing consulting, training and placement services for disability inclusion in enterprises. Comparable service mix (strategy + workplace inclusion + workforce integration) to Umuntu's portfolio.
• Disability:IN: US-headquartered nonprofit providing disability-inclusion consulting, benchmarking, training and certification (Disability Equality Index). Closest global analog to Umuntu's integrated consulting + certification value proposition.
• Specialisterne: Global social enterprise that recruits, trains and certifies organizations on hiring people with autism and similar disabilities. Directly comparable to Umuntu's labor-inclusion (ZIP) and certification services, with similar employer-engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• Adecco Group (Disability Inclusion programs): Global staffing and workforce-solutions firm with dedicated disability-inclusion and diversity programs across multiple geographies. Larger, broader alternative to Umuntu's boutique model; competes at the top of the enterprise market.
• Sodexo (Sodexo Quality of Life / disability inclusion): Global food services and facilities management company that has publicly championed disability employment and workplace inclusion across LATAM. Provides broad incumbent competition for enterprise inclusion mandates.
• PwC (Disability Inclusion practice): Big Four professional-services firm offering DEI and disability-inclusion advisory globally; appears in Umuntu's own client roster, illustrating that it can also be a peer/competitor for inclusion strategy mandates at large enterprises.

Regional players

• Fundación Descúbreme: Chilean foundation that connects companies with people with cognitive disabilities for labor inclusion, providing consulting and training to Chilean employers. Closest LATAM peer to Umuntu's labor-inclusion program, operating in a neighboring market.
• Rede Empresarial de Inclusão Social (REDI): Brazilian business network driving disability inclusion in workplaces through member programs and best-practice sharing. Operates in the same LATAM disability-employment space as Umuntu, but anchored in Brazil rather than the Southern Cone.

Emerging players

• Inclusively: US-based technology-enabled platform that matches employers with candidates with disabilities and provides inclusion consulting. Emerging tech-enabled peer to Umuntu's services model, focused on enterprise workforce integration.

Others

• xTalento (Fundación ONCE): Fundación ONCE's Latin American network for disability employment that Umuntu represents in Uruguay. Functions as ecosystem/parent program rather than direct competitor, but its strategy and member programs shape the competitive landscape in LATAM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/umuntuuy
• Facebookfacebook.com/umuntuuy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/umuntu-agencia-de-accesibilidad

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 Umuntu