Unlocking LATAM: Marcelo Podgaetz on Partnerships, Performance & Leverate’s Powerhouse Tech

Latin America has rapidly become one of the most promising regions in the global trading and fintech sector, driven by a young digital population and growing demand for accessible financial solutions. As the market expands, brokers and prop firms are increasingly seeking reliable technology, strategic guidance, and localized expertise to support long-term growth.

Leverate has built a strong foundation in LATAM, combining its in-house technology ecosystem with dedicated regional support to help firms launch and operate efficiently in a complex, fast-evolving environment.

To shed light on the region’s momentum and the factors shaping its development, we spoke with Marcelo Podgaetz, Senior Director of Latam Sales at Leverate. In this discussion, he offers insights into LATAM’s unique dynamics, the challenges firms face, and the role Leverate plays in empowering their success.

Q: Marcelo, LATAM has become an increasingly important region for brokers and prop firms. What makes the market so dynamic today?

Marcelo:
LATAM is undergoing rapid growth in both retail trading and fintech adoption. You have a young, digitally native population, expanding internet penetration, and a strong appetite for new investment opportunities.

What makes LATAM truly unique is its speed of adoption. Once traders find a product or service that resonates, the momentum builds quickly. This creates a high-growth environment, but also one where brokers must be technologically prepared to scale effectively.

Another reason that makes the market so dynamic is the fact that many brokers who previously worked with other platforms abandoned them due to costs and regulatory pressures, leaving them with no viable alternatives. Leverate stepped into this space not only with a complete technological solution at an accessible price, but also with a Latin team that understands the market and its culture.

Q: From your experience, what distinguishes LATAM brokers from other regions?

Marcelo:
Most brokers in Latin America are market professionals who work in operations for international brokerage firms, such as IBs, marketing companies, and trading academies. However, they have not previously owned a brokerage themselves, which, on one hand, makes it easier for them to have the ambition to start their own business, but on the other hand, represents a disadvantage due to their lack of prior experience.

And this is also where Leverate, together with all its departments, can provide the guidance needed to overcome this disadvantage, guiding them on how to successfully start their own brokerage business

Q: Leverate is known for its turnkey solutions. How do these offerings directly support LATAM brokers’ growth?

Marcelo:
Our turnkey solutions give LATAM brokers a complete, ready-to-launch environment that covers every aspect of their business: trading platforms, CRM, onboarding, risk management, liquidity, compliance layers, payments, and more.

For brokers, this eliminates fragmentation. Instead of relying on five or six separate vendors, they gain a unified ecosystem that is fully integrated and optimized for scalability.
This is a major advantage in LATAM, where speed-to-market and operational continuity are critical for success.

In addition to this, since all our software is developed in-house, we have the advantage of constantly updating and improving our technology. Leverate’s trading platform is extremely user-friendly and easy to operate, making it a perfect fit for the Latin market. To complete the experience, Leverate is the only company in the industry that assigns a dedicated account manager to every client, speaking Spanish or Portuguese, ensuring that clients are not limited to email communication, but receive truly personalized and exceptional support.

Q: Prop firms have also expanded significantly in LATAM. How does Leverate support its specific structure and needs?

Marcelo: 

Prop firms, often recognized through their funded account models, are still an emerging concept in Latin America. More clients in the region are discovering that launching a prop firm is far easier than opening a traditional brokerage. It requires a lean operational team and relies heavily on effective marketing rather than large-scale infrastructure.

Leverate’s Prop Firm solution is fully integrated with LATAM’s preferred payment methods, enabling traders to purchase challenges using cryptocurrency, cash deposits, local bank transfers, and all major credit cards.

Unlike standard brokerages, prop firms run on evaluation cycles, challenge structures, and continuous performance analysis. This demands a technical backbone capable of handling high-volume data and real-time decision logic. Leverate delivers this with complete end-to-end infrastructure: evaluation engines, live dashboards, risk monitoring, automated payouts, and scalable architecture that grows with your firm.

In the prop industry, reliability is everything; one outage can damage trust instantly. This is where Leverate’s stability, uptime, and technical resilience provide LATAM firms with a major competitive edge.

Q: Leverate recently expanded its integration with Solitics. How does this enhance the value proposition for LATAM clients?

Marcelo:
Solitics adds a powerful layer of real-time personalization and automation. LATAM traders are highly engaged, so being able to respond to user behavior instantly, whether through tailored messaging, automated journeys, or predictive engagement, creates a major competitive edge.

With Solitics now fully connected to Leverate’s ecosystem, brokers and prop firms can deliver faster, more relevant engagement that drives higher retention and conversion. Solitics is just one part of Leverate’s broader library of supported third-party integrations, giving clients the flexibility to build an ecosystem that fits their unique strategy.

Q: Before partnering with Leverate, what are the most common challenges you see LATAM brokers facing?

Marcelo:
One of the biggest challenges we see among brokers and prop firms approaching Leverate is their lack of operational experience. Most potential clients have never owned a brokerage before and, understandably, don’t yet know how to manage one. Budget expectations also create hurdles. Many believe they can launch a brokerage with around $10,000, a figure that simply isn’t realistic. Attempting to start a company with such limited capital almost guarantees failure within a few months.

This is exactly where Leverate’s expertise becomes essential. We guide aspiring entrepreneurs through the realities of building a brokerage, helping them prepare both operationally and financially. If we determine a client isn’t ready, we don’t push them forward; we provide a structured roadmap to ensure they reach the point where the business can succeed. Only then do we reintegrate them into the setup process.

This approach leads to long-term success. Instead of leaving after a few months, our clients stay with us for many years. That longevity and our commitment to preparing clients properly are major reasons Leverate has been a trusted industry leader for 18 years.

Q: How do you personally approach building partnerships in the LATAM region?

Marcelo:
In Latin America, before presenting Leverate and its products, I focus 100% on understanding my future partner. I aim to gain a deep understanding of their professional experience, plans, and as much information as possible so that I can help build a brokerage that is fully adaptable to their unique profile. Additionally, as a Latin professional, I also take time to discuss personal aspects, reflecting our cultural tradition of building relationships beyond business. This approach strengthens trust and facilitates more effective and long-lasting professional partnerships.

Q: Looking ahead, what can we expect from Leverate’s expansion in LATAM?

Marcelo:
Latin America is home to nearly 700 million people across 33 countries, making it one of the most promising regions for our industry. As mentioned earlier, the market’s potential is enormous, but realizing that potential requires time, consistency, and a deep understanding of local dynamics. 

To put things in perspective, large-scale Forex events in the region only began emerging in the past two years, yet Leverate has been active and present from the very start. We’re still at the early stages of this journey, but our commitment is long-term. Leverate will continue investing, building, and supporting this market because we genuinely believe in the opportunities it holds.

Thinking about starting or scaling your brokerage or prop firm in LATAM? Schedule a one-on-one with Marcelo and discover how Leverate can accelerate your success.