- For those who are not yet familiar with SUMA, how would you define your project, and what need did you identify within the Latin American community that led you to launch it?
SUMA is the operating system for Latin American migrants in Europe. It is a platform that brings together in one place the community, verified services, benefits and the artificial intelligence that Latin Americans need to build their lives here without having to do it alone.
The idea was born out of my own experience. For two years, I travelled the world as a digital nomad: I visited nineteen countries and lived in more than five of them, across the Americas, Europe and Asia. Every time I moved, I had to start from scratch. The same paperwork that was impossible to understand, the same blind search for housing, the same services contracted without knowing whether they were reliable, and the same feeling of loneliness during those first few weeks.
Over time, I realised that the problem was not unique to me. Millions of Latin Americans arrive in Europe every year, navigating visas, housing, banking, employment and cultural adaptation with the same lack of information and support networks. They solve these challenges through WhatsApp groups, anonymous forums and word of mouth. We realised that Latin American migrants in Europe had plenty of communities, but no infrastructure. So we decided to build it.
- SUMA defines itself as a community and support network for Latin American migrants in Europe. What exactly does being part of SUMA mean, and what can someone find when they join the community?
Being part of SUMA means no longer having to navigate Europe alone.
When someone registers on the platform, they immediately gain access to a complete ecosystem:
An organised community, structured by country of origin and destination city, with thematic groups — employment, housing, entrepreneurship, family, pets, leisure and current affairs — where members can ask questions, share experiences and connect with people who have already gone through the same process.
Alana, our artificial intelligence trained on more than 100,000 real messages from Latin American migrants in Europe. Available 24/7 in Spanish, it answers questions about administrative procedures, housing, banking and employment with a level of contextual accuracy that is impossible to find through a generic search engine.
SUMA Services, a marketplace where any member can offer and hire professional services within the community: designers, lawyers, accountants, coaches, photographers and developers. Latin American talent hiring Latin American talent.
More than 25 exclusive benefits negotiated with leading brands. These include discounts on flights with Iberia, preferential banking and mortgage conditions with CaixaBank HolaBank, urban mobility with Bolt, car rental with Sixt, travel insurance with Intermundial, international remittances with Global66, a free first consultation on immigration and taxation with Entretámites, mental health sessions with Selia, and discounts at restaurants and leisure venues, among many others.
A member directory that allows users to identify and contact verified Latin American professionals within the network.
Plus Communities, private spaces organised by professional sector and reserved for premium members, where conversations are more specialised, more senior and have a higher density of genuine opportunities.
And above all, the certainty that you are no longer navigating this journey alone.
- What sets SUMA apart from the traditional WhatsApp groups, social networks or professional directories commonly used by migrant communities?
Three structural differences.
First: trust. A WhatsApp group does not verify anyone. Neither does a generic directory. At SUMA, every member has a real profile and every partner is assessed by our team before being recommended.
Second: intelligence. WhatsApp is an ephemeral conversation. In a group of 500 people, a relevant message can disappear within thirty minutes. At SUMA, information is structured and searchable, while Alana acts as an intelligent layer connecting people who have questions with those who can answer them or with the right service.
Third: infrastructure. We are a platform, not a messaging channel. Migrants do not just need a chat; they need services, benefits, employment opportunities, verified professional contacts and tools to manage their lives in Europe. SUMA integrates all of this into a single product designed specifically for them.
WhatsApp groups belong to the past. We are building the operating system that replaces them.
- One of SUMA’s key pillars is verified services. What types of services do you currently offer, and how does the selection and verification process work for the professionals and companies that join the platform?
We offer services covering the most critical decisions migrants face during their first years in Europe: immigration and visas, legal advice, accounting and tax services, banking and mortgages, housing, insurance, mental health, ground and air mobility, international remittances, financial planning and leisure.
Our verified partners include Iberia, offering flight discounts; CaixaBank HolaBank for banking and mortgages; Bolt for urban mobility; Sixt for car rental; Intermundial for travel insurance; Global66 for international remittances; Entretámites for immigration services, self-employed accounting and taxation; Selia for mental health; Node Living for housing; as well as law firms specialising in migration, registered accountants and a selection of restaurants offering preferential conditions to our members.
The verification process is rigorous. Each partner undergoes a three-layer assessment: institutional strength and track record in the market; specific experience serving the Latin American community; and genuinely preferential conditions for SUMA members. We do not add partners for the sake of volume; we add them because our members can trust them without hesitation.
This is complemented by SUMA Services, our internal marketplace, where any member can offer their professional services to the entire community. Here, verification is twofold: a profile validated by us and a reputation built by the community itself.
- What are the main needs users have when they arrive in Madrid, and how does SUMA help them address them?
After years of observing our community, we identified that migration is not a single moment but a process with three clearly defined stages. We designed SUMA to support people through each of them.
Stage one: arrival. The first 90 days are dominated by urgent administrative matters: NIE, registering with the local authorities, obtaining a health card, opening a bank account and getting a Social Security number. This is the stage of greatest vulnerability and where the most costly mistakes are made. SUMA provides step-by-step guides, 24/7 access to Alana, and specialised partners such as Entretámites, which offers our members a free first consultation.
Stage two: settling in. Between month three and month eighteen, structural needs emerge: stable housing, employment aligned with professional experience, and the development of social and professional networks. This is where our communities by city and nationality, member directory, services marketplace, and housing, banking and employment partners come into play.
Stage three: consolidation. From the second year onwards, long-term decisions begin to emerge: buying a home, starting a business, investing, bringing over family members and building wealth. This is the stage where SUMA’s professional network becomes a genuine economic asset, because your next client, business partner or mentor is likely already part of the community. This is where mortgages with CaixaBank, company incorporation, financial planning and our sector-specific Plus Communities come into play.
Our goal is to ensure that, at every stage, migrants can find an answer, a service and a community in the same place.
- Madrid is currently one of SUMA’s main communities. How important is the Spanish region within your growth strategy?
Madrid is our operational and strategic hub. SUMA was born here, our headquarters are here, and this is where we have held most of our in-person events — including Conecta LATAM Madrid, held at Torre AZCA in collaboration with EY — and where our platform’s most active community is based.
The market we serve is structural and growing. According to the United Nations, more than 300 million people currently live outside their country of birth, and Europe is home to one of the world’s largest Latin American diasporas. Spain is by far their main destination: we share a language, deep historical and cultural ties, and Latin American talent has become one of the demographic and productive drivers of the Spanish economy. We are not talking about a niche market, but millions of people with recurring needs, purchasing power and demand that is not being adequately addressed by any established player.
For us, Spain represents the validation of our model before we scale across the rest of Europe. We are already active in Barcelona and London, and the next natural markets are Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Rome. But Madrid will remain the heart of our operations.
- Why did you choose the Region of Madrid as one of your key locations?
For three specific reasons.
Concentration of highly skilled Latin American talent. Madrid is now one of Europe’s leading hubs for Spanish-speaking talent. It is home to multinational companies, investment funds, leading business schools such as IE and IESE, and a rapidly expanding startup ecosystem. Latin American migrants arriving in Madrid are predominantly professionally qualified, and that is precisely the profile of our members.
An institutional ecosystem that supports entrepreneurs. Our collaboration with organisations such as Invest in Madrid demonstrates a genuine willingness to support projects like ours. We have not encountered the same level of institutional openness in most other European cities.
Quality of life and competitive operating costs. Madrid offers a combination that is difficult to match anywhere else in Europe: first-class infrastructure, international connectivity, a reasonable cost of living compared with London or Paris, and a quality of life that attracts talent and helps families put down roots.
We chose Madrid because this is where the model works, where the ecosystem is supportive and where we want to build the headquarters of a company with European ambitions.
- What opportunities and advantages does Madrid offer Latin American professionals, entrepreneurs and companies arriving in the city?
Madrid offers something that is relatively uncommon: it is simultaneously a sophisticated local market, a natural gateway to Europe and a strategic bridge to Latin America.
For highly skilled professionals, it is one of the European capitals with the greatest concentration of opportunities in sectors such as consulting, technology, financial services, energy and healthcare. Professional recognition processes are accessible, and the business community explicitly values Latin American talent.
For entrepreneurs, Madrid offers an ecosystem with available capital, active accelerators, attractive tax incentives such as the Beckham Law for new residents, and a regulatory framework that supports business creation. Setting up a limited company in Spain is a relatively quick process when you have the right support.
For Latin American companies looking to expand into Europe, Madrid is the most efficient entry point thanks to the shared language, a common business culture, a stable legal framework and close time zones with the Americas.
On top of all this, there is something intangible but decisive: the quality of life and the genuine welcome that we Latin Americans find in this city.
- How would you rate your collaboration with Invest in Madrid?
Very positively, and above all, very practically. Invest in Madrid has provided us with three specific things that are difficult to quantify in value for a growing company.
Workspaces, allowing us to operate with the necessary structure without committing resources that we need to invest in our product and team.
Access to the local ecosystem, connecting us with companies, institutions and relevant regional stakeholders whom we otherwise would have taken much longer to encounter.
Visibility, giving us a voice through institutional channels that provide credibility with partners, investors and the community itself.
Beyond the services, what sets Invest in Madrid apart is its approach: they understand that attracting investment and talent is not simply about administrative procedures, but about building long-term relationships. That approach is aligned with SUMA’s philosophy, which is why the collaboration comes so naturally.
- How many jobs are you creating in the Region of Madrid? What kind of profiles are you looking for?
We currently have a core team as well as a network of specialised collaborators and partners. Over the next twelve months, we plan to add between eight and twelve new positions in Madrid, mainly across three areas.
Product and technology: frontend and backend developers, product designers, and specialists in artificial intelligence and natural language processing to continue developing Alana.
Community and operations: community managers to scale the moderation and activation of our communities by city and nationality.
Partnerships and business development: professionals with experience negotiating with brands and the ability to build the partner network that supports the platform’s growth.
We are looking for people with sound judgement, autonomy and a desire to build something that goes beyond traditional employment. SUMA’s mission attracts a particular type of professional, and that natural selection is a competitive advantage.
- Would you recommend the Region of Madrid to other foreign investors considering expanding their business beyond their home markets?
Without hesitation. Madrid combines four elements that rarely come together in a single European city: talent, capital, quality of life and a genuine institutional commitment to supporting foreign investors.
To any Latin American entrepreneur considering expanding into Europe, I would say this: Madrid is not just a market; it is a platform. From here, you can access the rest of Europe with less cultural and legal friction than from any other capital. You can find highly qualified Spanish-speaking talent. You can operate at competitive costs. And you have institutions such as Invest in Madrid actively working to ensure a successful landing.
We are building SUMA from Madrid because we believe this city will become one of Europe’s leading hubs over the next decade. And we are here to help make that promise a reality.