Howdy (formerly known as Astro), the Latin American (LATAM) hybrid workforce company, recently announced that it has raised $5M in extension funding to its initial $13M Series A round from August 2022. The latest funding round was led by Obvious Ventures with participation from Greycroft, bringing its total raised to $21 million with a valuation of $105 million.
With this additional funding, the company plans to grow its presence in the US and scale their product.
Founded by Jacqueline Samira, Frank Licea, Howdy is the evolution of people and culture for today’s hybrid workforce needs. It is the convergence of four business models: recruitment, equipment procurement, mentorship and management, and local co-working spaces, to support the success of US tech companies hiring LATAM software developers and other roles. Because of local and federal regulations, including visas and taxes, hiring remote international workers can be confusing, time consuming, and potentially risky. Howdy’s platform structure and industry experience makes it easy for clients to eliminate the risks and focus on finding the right teammates for their company.
Talking about the company, Founder & CEO of Howdy, Jacqueline Samira, said:
The growth of software professionals in LATAM has been prolific the past few years and some of the largest tech companies in the U.S. have built teams in the region to capitalize on the influx of talent close to their local timezone with highly proficient English speakers. However, not all companies have the ability to build and manage teams outside of the U.S. Howdy’s local presence gives technology companies access to top class Latin America-based software engineers, that were formerly inaccessible, to integrate as core members and support a company’s long-term vision.
The startup helps companies of all sizes access talent in LATAM. Its platform automates the sourcing, vetting, payroll, benefits and logistics, allowing any company to start building a team right away. It currently has more than 230 employees in Austin, in Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Medellin, Cordoba, and Santiago. Of those 200 people, more than 170 of them are LATAM-based developers placed in technology roles at more than 45 US-based companies.
Howdy’s Engineering Mentors are at the core of our business. They focus on the well-being of the developer from onboarding to creating a long term career growth plan. They flatten the learning curve of a new role for the developer and help its teammates navigate the relationship with their partner.
Adding further about the platform, CTO & Co-founder of Howdy, Frank Licea, said:
Our new name – a friendly greeting among people coming together – reflects our business model that prioritizes each developer’s individual experience and long-term well being and, in turn, supports our clients’ continued success. The name, “Howdy,” represents a phase of maturation for our company. We now have the infrastructure to support product engineering organizations in the U.S., allowing them to expand their employer brands and their engineering culture in LATAM, without compromise.
