Mercately: Revolutionizing WhatsApp Commerce in Latin America
In Latin American countries like Brazil and Chile, WhatsApp has emerged as a dominant platform for online shopping. Despite being primarily a messaging app, WhatsApp gained popularity as an e-commerce platform, especially during the pandemic. Recognizing the potential of this trend, a startup called Mercately has developed innovative back-end software to help brands optimize their sales on WhatsApp.
Mercately is a B2B software solution that provides brands with the necessary infrastructure to sell directly on WhatsApp. By integrating with platforms like Stripe and HubSpot and leveraging AI agents, Mercately enables brands to seamlessly communicate with customers, manage inventory, process payments, and generate purchase orders within the WhatsApp environment.
Henry Remache, the co-founder and CEO of Mercately, conceived the idea in 2021 while working on software development projects for companies in Latin America. He observed that many businesses in the region, including a client in Ecuador, were conducting a significant portion of their sales through WhatsApp rather than traditional e-commerce platforms. This insight inspired Remache to create Mercately, emphasizing the importance of meeting customers where they already are.
Remache highlighted the challenges of operating in a diverse and fragmented market like Latin America, with varying currencies and shipping procedures. Since its launch in 2022, Mercately has partnered with over 1,000 companies across 20 countries, achieving profitability and surpassing $1.5 million in annual revenue. The company has experienced rapid growth, expanding 3.5 times year over year, as businesses increasingly recognize the need to align with consumer behavior.
Recently, Mercately secured a $2.6 million seed funding round led by prominent investors like Inventus Capital Partners and SVQuad, with support from Techstars, Salkantay Ventures, and BuenTrip Ventures. The funding will enable Mercately to enhance its AI chatbot capabilities, expand its presence in key markets like Brazil and the U.S., and strengthen its position as a leader in WhatsApp commerce.
Despite the fundraising challenges in Latin America, Mercately’s participation in Techstars and Meta’s “Future of Business Messaging Platform” program facilitated connections with key investors. Remache emphasized the significance of having investors from India, a country with a high WhatsApp usage rate, understanding the platform’s potential for business growth.
While Mercately is pioneering WhatsApp commerce in Latin America, several other startups are also capitalizing on the platform’s popularity. Companies like Magie and FĂ©lix Pago have raised significant funding to offer payment and business services through WhatsApp. Additionally, competitors like Infobip and Trengo are focusing on marketing and customer engagement through the app, posing potential challenges to Mercately’s market dominance.
With over 90% of internet users in Latin America utilizing WhatsApp, the platform’s cultural significance drives Mercately’s mission to simplify WhatsApp commerce. As WhatsApp adoption grows in the U.S., Mercately aims to capitalize on this trend and establish itself as the go-to solution for businesses looking to optimize their sales through the messaging app.
Henry Remache envisions Mercately as the Shopify of WhatsApp commerce in Latin America, simplifying the e-commerce experience and empowering businesses to thrive in the digital marketplace.
