As technology companies increasingly require employees to return to office settings and foster in-person collaboration, they are simultaneously turning to Latin America for developer talent, particularly for the training of post-training AI models. Revelo, a comprehensive platform connecting vetted developers in Latin America with U.S. businesses, is witnessing a surge in requests for engineers capable of contributing to the training of large language models (LLMs). According to Lucas Mendes, co-founder and CEO of Revelo, the platform boasts over 400,000 developers and streamlines the recruitment and payment processes for its American clients.
Mendes attributes the heightened interest in Revelo’s talent pool to the evolving landscape of AI, specifically the demand for human intervention in the training of LLMs. He noted a “race for data,” emphasising that skilled professionals who can provide expert data significantly enhance the performance of these models—coding being a prime area of focus. In 2024, a notable 22% of Revelo’s revenue stemmed from hires dedicated to LLM training.
Companies seeking talent often approach Revelo in search of specialists proficient in specific programming languages to assist with their ongoing post-training initiatives. Revelo serves prominent U.S. firms such as Intuit, Oracle, and Dell, contributing to a broad array of leading AI providers.
Revelo is not the only entity facilitating connections between U.S. companies and Latin American programmers; firms such as Terminal, Tecla, and Near share this mission. The demand for developers skilled in this domain reflects a broader recruitment trend that Revelo has expertly navigated since its inception in 2014.
Mendes founded Revelo with co-founder Lachlan de Crespigny during a period of acute talent competition, believing that a network of vetted Brazilian developers would help companies secure the expertise they needed. As Revelo expanded beyond Brazil to the wider Latin American market, it successfully raised over $48 million in venture funding from investors including Social Capital and Valor Capital Group.
The Covid-19 pandemic notably broadened Revelo’s horizons, leading U.S. companies to discover the benefits of high-quality, distributed teams with many engineers located in Latin America. This shift has allowed firms to start with small hires, often leading them to expand based on their positive experiences with cost-effective, high-quality talent.
Although the trend towards remote work has started to wane as organisations shift back to in-person settings, Revelo continues to grow. Mendes highlights that demand for their Latin American developers remains robust, largely because they fall into the “nearshoring” category—offering proximity in time zones, making collaboration smoother than traditional “offshoring.”
The company has seen enough growth to acquire five competitors focusing on Latin American talent in the past 30 months, including Alto and Paretisa, both announced recently. Mendes envisions building a global talent network tailored for the burgeoning AI sector and anticipates further acquisitions in the future.
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