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MercadoLibre

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MercadoLibre, Inc.
Native name
Mercado Libre (Spanish)
Mercado Livre (Portuguese)
TypePublic
IndustryE-commerce
FoundedAugust 2, 1999; 27 years ago (1999-08-02)[1] in Buenos Aires, Argentina
FounderMarcos Galperin
Headquarters
Montevideo
,
Uruguay
Area served
18 Countries
Key people
Giancarlo Moreira (board of directors)
Brands
  • Mercado Pago
  • Mercado Crédito
  • Mercado Ads
  • Mercado Envíos
  • Mercado Shops
  • Mercado Play
  • Mercado Coin
ServicesOnline marketplace and e-commerce payment system
RevenueIncrease US$28.9 billion (2025)
Increase US$3.20 billion (2025)
Increase US$1.99 billion (2025)
Total assetsIncrease US$42.7 billion (2025)
Total equityIncrease US$6.75 billion (2025)
Number of employees
123,670 (2025)
Websitemercadolibre.com
Footnotes
[2]

MercadoLibre, Inc. (Spanish pronunciation: [meɾˈkaðo ˈliβɾe]), known as Mercado Livre in Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [meʁˈkadu ˈlivɾi]), literally meaning "free market" in both languages, is a company of Argentine origin headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay and incorporated in Delaware in the United States that operates online marketplaces dedicated to e-commerce and online auctions. As of 2016, MercadoLibre had 174.2 million users in Latin America,[3] making it the region's most popular e-commerce site by number of visitors.[4]

Aside from being the leading player in Argentina's e-commerce market,[5] it also has operations in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.[6] In 2023, Time included MercadoLibre in the list of the 100 most influential companies in the world.[7]

History

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MercadoLibre was founded on August 2, 1999 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[8][6] Founder and CEO Marcos Galperin established the company while attending Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, United States. He acquired funding from John Muse, co-founder of HM Capital Partners.[9][10] MercadoLibre received additional funding from JPMorgan Partners, Flatiron Partners, Goldman Sachs, GE Capital, and Banco Santander Central Hispano. In 1999, MercadoLibre was chosen as an Endeavor company.[11]

In September 2001, the American online auction company eBay purchased a 19.5% stake in the company.[9] eBay sold its stake in MercadoLibre in 2016, but the companies continue to collaborate to expand eBay sellers into Latin America.[12][13] eBay opened its first branded store on the MercadoLibre marketplace from Chile in March 2017.[14] The following month, MercadoLibre acquired iBazar Como, the Brazilian subsidiary of eBay's earlier acquisition, iBazar S.A.[15] In 2006, MercadoLibre.com launched new operations in Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic.[16]

In August 2007, MercadoLibre became the first Latin American technology company to be listed on the NASDAQ, under the ticker MELI.[6][9] MercadoLibre acquired competitor DeRemate's operations in August 2008.[17] MercadoLibre also acquired Classified Media Group (CMG) in 2008. CMG established the Latin American e-commerce portals tucarro.com and tuinmueble.com.[18]

In 2011, the company transitioned its platform to open source technology. The transition allowed application programming interface (API) developers to expand the platform's solutions and services.[19] In 2013, MercadoLibre launched the MeLi Commerce Fund, dedicated to investing in technology startups that create software using MercadoLibre's APIs.[20]

By August 2016, the fund had invested US$1.5 million in 15 companies in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.[21][22] MercadoLibre acquired Portal Inmobiliario, a Chilean classified ad website, in 2014.[23] In 2015, MercadoLibre announced its acquisition of Metroscúbicos.com, the portal of Mexico-based real estate company Grupo Expansión.[24]

MercadoLibre depot in Brazil

In 2016, MercadoLibre relocated its Brazilian headquarters to new offices in São Paulo, Brazil. The 17,000 square meter complex, named Melicidade, held a cafeteria, auditorium, gym, beauty parlor, meeting and training rooms, and a recreation area.[25][26] In March 2016, MercadoLibre announced its expansion into Córdoba, Argentina with its new software center.[27]

However, the company announced that the offices located in Córdoba would be closing their doors in August 2025, citing the high cost of municipal taxes, with all the company's staff continuing their work remotely.[28] MercadoLibre opened its first Colombian office in Bogotá in October 2016. It was the company's fourth customer service center in Latin America,[8][29] following centers in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.[30]

On June 19, 2017, MercadoLibre became a NASDAQ-100 company.[31] In 2019, MercadoLibre opened its first distribution centers in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.[32] In March 2020, MercadoLibre announced its new distribution centers in Chile[33] and Colombia.[34] In June 2020, MercadoLibre announced its new software center in Colombia.[35] In March 2021, MercadoLibre announced an investment of R$1.8 billion in its Brazilian operations.[36]

In April 2025, MercadoLibre announced a ARS$2.6 billion investment in Argentina, representing a 53% increase from the previous year, as part of its regional expansion strategy across Latin America, with plans to hire 2,000 additional employees and expand its logistics network and technological capabilities.[37]

Operations

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MercadoLibre operates under five main business units. MarketPlace is its platform for users to sell products, MercadoPago is its payment platform for online sales,[5] Mercado Publicado is the advertising portion of MercadoLibre, MercadoShops is a tool designed to enhance the platform's overall ecosystem,[38] and Mercado Crédito is the company's credit line.[39]

MercadoLibre's MarketPlace is a platform designed to match buyers and sellers. Customers bid for items or pay a set price for offered products. Items are delivered after payment, and users can provide feedback.[40] 3,000 official stores or brands work with MercadoLibre.[41] MercadoLibre also runs a real estate and motors division under the name MercadoLibre Classificados. Realtors pay a monthly fee to list properties and automobiles on the MercadoLibre platform.[42]

MercadoLibre launched MercadoPago, a secure payment system, to diversify payment options.[43] MercadoPago processed 138.7 million transactions in 2016, which was a 73% improvement from 2015.[41] Launched in 2012, MercadoShops was designed to allow small and medium-sized companies to open virtual stores on their existing websites. The stores feature integration with social network sites.[44]

In October 2014, a mobile app was released for MercadoPago which used a credit card reader to allow charges to be processed using a tablet or smartphone using a QR code.[43][45] The company expanded MercadoPago into Colombia in July 2016.[46] Mercado Crédito's credit process works with buyers and sellers. Rate types for credit lines are determined through a borrower profile.[47] In September 2018, an alliance with BIND Group was announced, through which users of MercadoPago's digital wallet could invest their available balance in units of a mutual fund structured and managed by BIND.[48]

Sponsorships

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MercadoLibre is the title sponsor of the Liga Profesional de Fútbol (AFA), having signed a deal for the 2026-2027 season,[49] and currently sponsors all CONMEBOL club competitions.[50] MercadoLibre is the personal sponsor of Argentine Formula One driver Franco Colapinto, hence the company's logo appears on the Williams and Alpine cars he has driven.[51]

Corporate affairs

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The key trends for MercadoLibre are (as of the financial year ending December 31):[52][53][54]

Revenue
(USD billion)		 EBIT
(USD billion)		 Total Assets
(USD billion)
2015 0.65 0.15 1.00
2016 0.84 0.18 1.36
2017 1.29 0.05 1.67
2018 1.43 (0.07) 2.23
2019 2.29 (0.11) 4.78
2020 3.97 0.08 6.52
2021 7.06 0.24 10.10
2022 10.53 0.78 13.73
2023 14.95 1.55 17.61
2024 20.77 2.43 25.19

Controversies

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Unauthorized access

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On March 7, 2022, a cybercriminal group known as Lapsus$ gained access to the data of approximately 300,000 users. The multinational company acknowledged the incident and issued a statement saying that "no evidence was found that the infrastructure systems had been compromised or that user passwords, account balances, investments, financial information, or payment card details had been obtained."[55]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "MercadoLibre.com WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info - DomainTools". WHOIS. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  2. ↑ "2025 Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. February 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ "The Free Market portal sold 181.2 million products in 2016". La Republica. March 6, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Most popular online retailers in Latin America". Statista. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Ormerod, Alex González (April 26, 2023). "MercadoLibre is a massive fish in a medium-sized pond". Rest of World. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "Mercado Libre will celebrate its17th birthday with discounts of up to 70%". La Republica. September 9, 2016.
  7. ↑ Mercado, Libre (June 21, 2023). "TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2023: Mercado Libre". Time. Archived from the original on June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Mercado Libre opens offices and customer service center in Colombia". Terra. October 19, 2016. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 Irene Caselli (October 12, 2014). "The man behind the eBay of Latin America". BBC News. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  10. ↑ Tom Metcalf, Blake Schmidt (September 28, 2016). "Argentina Sees First Tech Billionaire in Macri Renaissance". Bloomberg Technology. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Endeavor Entrepreneur Marcos Galperin on Mercado Libre (World Economic Forum report)". Endeavor. May 25, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  12. ↑ Vanessa Page (October 14, 2016). "eBay to Sell Stake in Mercado Libre". Investopedia. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  13. ↑ "eBay Selling 20% Stake in Mercado Libre". Portada. October 17, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  14. ↑ Axel Christiansen Z. (March 14, 2017). "EBay Store arrices in Chile through Mercado Libre". La Tercera. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  15. ↑ Paul Sawers (October 13, 2016). "eBay divests majority of its stake in Latin American e-commerce giant Mercado Libre". Venture Beat. Retrieved July 5, 2026.[dead link]
  16. ↑ "MercadoLibre, Inc. Reports Financial Results for Third Quarter and First Nine Months 2007" (Press release). MercadoLibre, Inc. November 13, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2026 – via U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
  17. ↑ "MercadoLibre buys DeRemate's operations". Clarin. August 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Oficializada la venta de TuCarro.com y TuInmueble.com a Mercado Libre". www.tecnologiahechapalabra.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Mercado Libre Opens to Developers". InfoTechnology. April 27, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Mercado Libre reports 37% growth in electronic commerce in Latin America". Portada. August 6, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  21. ↑ Gabriela Samela (August 8, 2016). "In search of innovation, big companies launch their accelerators". Clarín. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  22. ↑ Diego Dávila (October 12, 2016). "Mercado Libre targets entrepreneurs". La Voz. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Mercado Libre buys Real Estate Portal and GuiaDinmuebles in USD $40 million". FayerWayer. April 15, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Terms & Conditions". El Economista. April 22, 2015. Archived from the original on March 25, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Mercado Libre en San Pablo: una mini ciudad con sabor argentino" [Mercado Libre in São Paulo: a mini city with an Argentine flavor]. Clarín (in Spanish). January 30, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  26. ↑ Cláudio Florenzano. "Mercado Livre inaugurates a new headquarters of R$105 million in São Paulo". CBSI. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Mercado Libre doubles its software center in Córdoba". La Voz del Interior. March 23, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Mercado Libre cierra oficinas en Córdoba y vuelve a chocar con los impuestos provinciales" [Mercado Libre closes offices in Córdoba and clashes again with provincial taxes]. Página 12 (in Spanish). July 7, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Mercado Libre invested $10 million in headquarters". La Republica. October 20, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Mercado Libre to invest $10 billion in Colombia". Dinero. October 27, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  31. ↑ "MercadoLibre, Inc. to Join the NASDAQ-100 Index Beginning June 19, 2017" (Press release). Nasdaq. June 10, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  32. ↑ "MercadoLibre abre tres nuevos centros de distribución en América Latina - Reuters" [MercadoLibre opens three new distribution centers in Latin America - Reuters]. lta.reuters.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  33. ↑ PE, FashionNetwork com (March 3, 2020). "Mercado Libre invertirá 100 millones de dólares en Chile". FashionNetwork.com (in Spanish). Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Mercado Libre se expande, pero fuera de Argentina: abre un nuevo centro logístico en Colombia". iproup.com (in Spanish). March 12, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Mercado Libre to bring 200 new jobs to Bogota in 2020". Reuters. June 10, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  36. ↑ "MercadoLibre to Invest Record $1.8 Billion in Brazil". finance.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  37. ↑ Grainger, James (April 9, 2025). "Mercado Libre to invest US$2.6 billion in Argentina this year". Buenos Aires Times. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  38. ↑ "Free Market Opens 'Stores' For SMES". Expansion. July 11, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Mercado Libre advances to be (also) a bank: Market Credit already offers up to $30,000". Info Negocios. December 16, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  40. ↑ Javier Drovetto (May 2, 2016). "E-commerce:fashion, big star of consumption in the country". La Nacion. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  41. 1 2 "Mercado Libre Reported One Of The Best Years Of Its History". Latin Spots. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Mercad Libre bets on the recovery of the real estate business". El Cronista. August 11, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  43. 1 2 "MercadoPago introduced its card reader to charge from a mobile device". La Nacion. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  44. ↑ Julio Sanchez Onofre (July 11, 2012). "Mercado Libre bets SMEs with MercadoShops". El Economista. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  45. ↑ Ana Clara (October 24, 2016). "Que el cliente entre al sistema por donde quiera, la batalla es con el efectivo" [Let the customer enter the system from wherever they want; the battle is against cash]. El Cronista. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Mercado Pago is now available for trade in Colombia". El Tiempo. July 16, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  47. ↑ "MercadoLibre avanza a ser (también) un banco: Mercado Crédito ya ofrece hasta $ 30.000" [MercadoLibre moves forwards to (also) being a bank: Mercado Crédito already offers up to $ 30.000 (Argentine pesos)]. inneuquen.info. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  48. ↑ "Mercado Libre y BIND: alianza para inversiones online" [Mercado Libre and BIND: alliance for online investments]. Ámbito Financiero (in Spanish). September 21, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  49. ↑ Cunningham, Euan (November 3, 2025). "Mercado Libre in as Argentine LPF naming rights partner". Sportcal. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  50. ↑ "Mercado Libre is new Official Sponsor of CONMEBOL". FC DIEZ MEDIA. September 6, 2023. Archived from the original on November 17, 2025. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  51. ↑ Brittle, Cian (February 19, 2025). "F1: Alpine harness Franco Colapinto link to secure Mercado Libre deal". Black Book Motorsport. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  52. ↑ "MercadoLibre (MELI) - Revenue". companiesmarketcap.com. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  53. ↑ "MercadoLibre (MELI) - Earnings". companiesmarketcap.com. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  54. ↑ "MercadoLibre (MELI) - Total assets". companiesmarketcap.com. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  55. ↑ Brodersen, Juan (April 29, 2022). "Mercado Libre empezó a notificar a los usuarios afectados por el hackeo de marzo: qué dice el mensaje" [Mercado Libre began notifying users affected by the March hack: what the message says]. Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved March 17, 2026.
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