phData is expanding its presence in Latin America with the acquisition of the Uruguayan company Nooka Labs

On Tuesday, January 17, phData acquired the Uruguayan technology company Nooka Labs. Following the acquisition, the company changed its name to phData Latam, taking on the responsibility of leading the U.S. company’s expansion across the continent from Uruguay. Nooka Labs was founded by Uruguayan entrepreneurs Marcelo Sosa and Martín Ciappesoni. “In 2020, these two friends, after a soccer practice, decided to start their own company,” says Charlie Poladura, phData’s current general manager for Latin America. “Shortly thereafter, they called me to tell me about the project. It was an opportunity to apply locally the knowledge I had gained in the fields of software and e-commerce while working at companies in the United States and around the world,” added the Uruguayan entrepreneur, who has been based in the United States since 2015.

Nooka Labs is a Uruguayan company specializing in data engineering, machine learning, analytics staffing, and professional services on the Snowflake data cloud platform.

phData’s headquarters notes that this strategic acquisition will enable the company to expand its capacity to provide machine learning and data analytics services in Latin America and offer new and existing customers a more comprehensive range of services, including Snowflake professional solutions. We spoke with Charlie Poladura about the current state of the software industry in Uruguay and the Latin American region.

Nooka Labs is a young company. What do you think was the most appealing aspect for phData?

From the very beginning, we’ve been looking for a unique selling point—one that stands the test of time. In Uruguay and Latin America, you can’t turn a stone without finding a software company. So we felt it was incredibly important to find that differentiator. Partly because of the human values we all share—the values that allowed us to meet and become friends for so long. So, beyond any romanticism, the key differentiator for us is people. We care about the human values behind the people and how they stand the test of time.

How did you get started with Nooka Labs?

In 2020, we launched our startup. We focused on several sectors, including e-commerce, software development, and app development. Like any startup, we were searching for the right niche. We worked very hard in Uruguay and managed to secure major clients. We partnered with e-commerce giants such as La Oriental and Fórmula. We had many great opportunities within Uruguay. As we began to look a little further afield and continued to grow, we shifted our focus to the world of data. That’s how we started working with clients on a platform called Snowflake.

What was the process like when phData acquired Nooka?

It was all thanks to Snowflake. The company is a SaaS (Software as a Service) application based on the Data Cloud concept, which provides a multi-cluster shared data architecture with high levels of performance, scalability, and concurrency. We began working with clients on this platform. It was a niche that allowed us to see a very clear path forward. We began to differentiate ourselves on this platform. One of our largest clients was phData, another Snowflake partner that began outsourcing its work to us. We implemented their projects in a highly efficient manner for them. phData recognized the unique value we offered through our human touch and our values. We hadn’t even been working together for six months when they presented us with a letter of intent for acquisition. Three months later, we were already signing the acquisition agreement, preparing for the merger and transition. That’s how the path led us from Nooka Labs to phData. This U.S.-based company is a global data services provider using a modern technology stack. After the acquisition, we closed our other verticals and dedicated ourselves exclusively to data services.

What was the main reason phData sought to invest in Latin America?

The main reason phData sought to invest in Latin America was to reduce costs and establish nearshore resources. phData has a hub in India, with nearly 200 employees, that provides 24/7 coverage worldwide. But to complement its high-quality services, it needed to establish a presence in Latin America. So, as part of its vision, the company found in us the capacity it needed to grow. With virtually no time difference, Latin America stands out as a great place to invest. phData’s acquisition was based on the values and the application of Latin American culture to services in North America.

“The acquisition of phData was based on the values and the application of Latin American culture to services in North America.”

Is the software industry booming in Latin America?

The data industry is certainly booming. Latin America is much stronger today. Major industry players are turning their attention to Latin America. In my experience, the world moves in a clockwise direction. Innovations start in the United States, then move to Europe, then to Asia, and finally reach Latin America. We are witnessing a major shift. In this shift, innovations are moving from North America to Latin America, rather than following the traditional clockwise movement—a movement historically driven by wealth, industry, and availability. An important fact about phData in Latin America is that, while Uruguay serves as the hub and is where our headquarters are located, we have employees in Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, and Jamaica.

What is the reason for this phenomenon?

The key factor that sets North America apart when it comes to investing in South America is talent. We’re not going to gloss over the cost aspect. But these days, costs aren’t as high as one might think. India is light-years ahead of us in terms of costs. The cost of living in North America and Latin America is much higher than in India. So, while costs are attractive to the American market, the real difference lies in talent and the quality of human resources.

The good thing about today’s market is that there’s plenty of talent available. In other words, we’re finding highly talented professionals with the necessary seniority. When companies enter a region, they hire at all levels, from senior to junior. Your academy needs senior-level support. So, the first 50 hires we’ll be making are seniors. That’s something we’re finding in the region—something we weren’t entirely sure we’d find. Because following the clockwise pattern, Latin America would be the last to arrive. And I’ll tell you more: Europe is still quite young when it comes to data. Much more responsible, but still young. So it’s a nice surprise to see Latin America with so much talent aligned with the values needed to move forward together. Plus, this is an industry that’s still quite, quite young for me.

In Latin America, giants like Deloitte, Accenture, and E&Y coexist alongside unicorns such as Mercado Libre and Globant, as well as corporate software giants like Amazon, but 90% of companies are SMEs. What is driving the growth of tech SMEs?

Maybe it’s a cultural phenomenon. Latin Americans have a natural flair for leadership; they’re the kind of people who step up to the plate. We all want to be captains, we all want to be coaches, we all want to be starters. True giants are few and far between.

This creates opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses to gain a stronger foothold. The Latin American market isn't full of corporate sharks. In North America, you have large companies that are constantly buying up smaller ones. That's just how they operate. Latin America isn't at that stage yet; culturally, it's different. It's not very common to see that kind of acquisition within Latin America.

Why did you choose Zonamérica as your location?

We chose ZONAMERICA before the acquisition, as part of a startup that was just beginning to operate internationally. I felt it was important to prepare ourselves fiscally to handle larger volumes. In addition to all the benefits the park offers today for business operations, it’s a fantastic place.

In fact, earlier this year we even explored the possibility of expanding into Zonamerica Colombia, in Cali. As I mentioned, part of the company’s vision is to start with experienced staff and eventually establish an Academy. The Academy project is fully integrated into Zonamerica’s structure, working closely with Holberton and Zonamerica’s recruiting team. We know these are services we’ll be able to make the most of when the time comes.

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