Conquering Brazil: Rocketbot bets on local talent to lead the RPA market
The Chilean scaleup accelerates its expansion in Latin America with the opening of new offices in Sao Paulo. The goal is to reach twenty corporate partners and establish itself in all regions of the South American giant within a year.
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2022, Latin America has the highest entrepreneurship rate in the world. In particular, Brazil has emerged as an entrepreneurial magnet, attracting over 1.6 billion dollars in venture capital last year, a figure comparable to the joint investment of Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. This growth has been accompanied by the generation of more than 40 new unicorns, demonstrating a high level of innovation and business success.
However, the South American giant poses challenges for startups, especially for Chilean ones, proving to be a "tough nut to crack" in terms of cultural complexity and integration. Despite this, it remains a key destination for companies looking to scale in the region. One of them is Rocketbot.
The Chilean scaleup leader in robotic process automation (RPA) decided to continue its ambitious international expansion with the opening of offices in Sao Paulo. This move involved a significant strategic change in its business model, as the initial focus, as is normal for the company, was on the use of local distributors and representatives. However, the cultural and tax complexity of the Brazilian market necessitated a reassessment.
Follow us on: 
"We started with our own people, but from here, who spoke Portuguese, looking for distributors. Then we switched to a representative, which also didn't work well. Until we came to the current model of having our own office, with our own team made up of Brazilians, who know the culture, and who also gain more trust in the Brazilian market, and this is reflected in the results, with a larger number of clients and projects that we are closing," comments Juan Jorge Herrera, CEO of Rocketbot.
The Necessary Local Leadership
Follow us on: 
The person in charge of leading this new stage in Brazil is Matías Leiva, a Chilean with vast experience in RPA and a deep connection to the country, not only because he has been living there for eight years, but also because he is married to a Brazilian woman.
Leiva narrates his unique journey, from his arrival in that country as an RPA expert to his current role at Rocketbot. "I came here hired by an RPA company. Later, I worked for a Russian company, but the cultural and linguistic barriers were significant. That's when I proactively contacted Rocketbot and proposed to represent them in Brazil, which resulted in the creation of Rocketbot Brazil and the opening of the office," he explains.
In that context, the new subsidiary made its way into a completely new market. In fact, they were present at Febrerantech 2024, the largest technology and innovation event in the global financial sector, which took place in São Paulo at the end of June.
On the matter, Leiva asserts: "The level of the event really surprised us, the number of people, the number of experts and the amount of connections as well. We made a strong impression with Rocketbot, demonstrating that we Latin Americans can take the lead."
The company aims to establish itself in all regions of the country and reach 20 corporate partners within a year. This new chapter in the scaleup's history aims to reaffirm its vision of leading the RPA sector in Latin America, adapting to the specificities of each market and strengthening its presence with local teams.