Connect33

Connect33 is a consulting firm based in Mexico that helps US technology companies establish and scale engineering operations across Latin America. Founded by Juan Pablo Chapa, who previously led Terminal's LATAM expansion, the firm works with companies navigating market entry, team building, and recruitment in the region. Their advisors have experience scaling teams from 10 to 1,000+ employees at major tech firms globally. Rather than providing offshore development itself, Connect33 advises clients on which markets to enter, how to structure hiring, and connects them with vetted local partners and recruitment agencies.

Services and capabilities

Connect33 offers four core services: Market Intelligence (competitive landscape analysis, talent pool assessment, market research), Local Recruitment (sourcing and hiring support in target markets), Market Entry Strategy (country selection and go-to-market sequencing), and Expert Insights (one-on-one conversations with LATAM software sector specialists).

The firm operates a formal five-step expansion methodology. It begins with Client Immersion—meeting leadership to understand business model, vision, and KPIs. Next is Market Validation, using proprietary research tailored to the client's needs. Country Selection follows, identifying key markets and presenting findings for final decision. The GTM Strategy phase builds out a comprehensive go-to-market plan and identifies vetted partners. Finally, Market Entry involves overseeing execution and managing partner performance.

Notable work

Atrium engaged Connect33 to assess the Latin America software engineering talent market and determine where to establish presence. The firm evaluated multiple countries across engineer capacity, hiring ease, retention rates, business costs, and setup complexity. Atrium hired 12 engineers across 5 Latin American markets (Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominican Republic) in 3 months, avoiding the time and costs of entity creation while improving time zone alignment with US customers. The engagement ran from October 2021 through March 2022.

Connect33 is also trusted by Braze, C3.AI, EPAM, and PhData, though case study details for these engagements are not publicly available. A Braze Sr Manager noted being "incredibly impressed with how fully they integrated within our company," while CodersLink's CMO praised their "high knowledge of the market."

How they work

Engage typically spans 4–6 months from discovery to market entry execution. The process is milestone-based: Client Immersion (weeks 1–2), Market Validation (weeks 3–8), Country Selection (weeks 9–12), GTM Strategy build-out (weeks 13–16), and Market Entry oversight (weeks 17+). Connect33 designates a point of contact, sets communication cadence upfront, and provides deliverables tracked via project GANTT. The firm does not itself hire or employ engineers; instead, it recommends local recruitment partners and oversees their execution. Pricing is not disclosed on the public site.

Team and credentials

Connect33 is led by founder Juan Pablo Chapa (Partner). Kenneth Lopez is a Partner and Principal at Equals11, also Founder & Managing Director of Tekton Labs, a LATAM software development consultancy. Carlos Quirarte advises the firm and previously scaled EPAM's LATAM team to 1,000+ employees, led C3 AI's Mexico entry to 80+ employees, and ran operations at Ooyala Guadalajara. Luis Lozano is an Advisor and TA Lead at Kueski; he founded and led an HR & Recruitment agency in Monterrey supporting 300+ companies including Rappi, Aptiv, and Orion Innovation. Exact team size is not stated; the firm appears to be a small advisory partnership (likely 1–10 full-time staff). No certifications, ISO standards, or formal partner statuses are mentioned in the source material.