Tag: APAC

Why Chile Is Becoming the Go-To Tech Talent Hub for Global Product

When engineering leaders at scaling companies evaluate where to source their next development hires, the conversation has long defaulted to a short list: Eastern Europe, India, and occasionally Southeast Asia. That shortlist is changing. Chile has been building, quietly and deliberately, the infrastructure, education system, and institutional support to become one of the most credible tech talent destinations for global product teams — and the numbers have started to reflect it.

This isn’t speculative. Companies looking to hire Chile developers are finding a market that combines technical depth, professional maturity, and logistical advantages that many better-known outsourcing destinations simply don’t offer together.

The Demand Signal Is Already There

If you want proof that Chile’s developer market is the real deal, just look at how fast companies are hiring, not some random ranking. In 2024, demand for remote tech talent in Latin America exploded, but Chile took the crown—international hiring there jumped 67% compared to last year, according to Deel’s Global Hiring Report. That growth actually beat out Colombia (55%), Mexico (54%), and Argentina (54%), all countries that global recruiters usually focus on.

This kind of momentum doesn’t just happen overnight, though. It’s the result of years of investment in Chile’s tech scene and a shift in how CTOs and engineering leads view the region. Seriously, Chile stands out for its stability—not just economically, but politically and in terms of infrastructure, too. That’s a rare combo in Latin America.

What Makes Chile’s Developer Pool Distinct

Education Quality and Graduate Output

Chile’s universities aren’t just good for the region — they’re top notch, period. Every year, they crank out around 5,000 ICT grads, and 94.4% of them land jobs, so you know these students leave with actual, job-ready skills. And we’re talking about serious schools here. Five Chilean universities land in the top 30 for Latin America, like Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Chile. Plus, the OECD says 30% of Chile’s college freshmen go into STEM — higher than any other field, so the country’s tech talent pipeline just keeps growing.

Chile’s not just churning out lots of grads, either — they’re producing quality. Chile ranks first in Latin America in the 2025 Global Innovation Index and leads the region in AI maturity, according to Coursera. The workforce is ready for modern, digital work.

Technical Skill Profile

When it comes to skills, Chilean developers aren’t just generalists. They’ve got strong chops in Java, Python, and JavaScript, plus frameworks like React, Angular, Node.js, and solid cloud experience with AWS. These are exactly the skills global teams actually need for SaaS, fintech, and cloud app development. Right now, Santiago alone lists over 10,000 open dev positions, and demand for data scientists is climbing at 35% per year. Big names like Citi, Google, and Microsoft are already recruiting in Chile, which says a lot—they don’t hire just anywhere.

The Infrastructure Argument

Here’s the thing: you can’t build fast teams in a country where the internet drops out every half hour. Chile puts those worries to bed. It ranks fourth in the world for fixed broadband speed and was the first in Latin America to roll out 5G, now covering 92% of the population. Nobody’s waiting around for files to upload — distributed teams can actually communicate and move quickly. And when AWS announces a $4 billion investment to open up a new region in Chile (which they did for 2025), that shows real confidence in Chile’s tech landscape.

Time Zone and Collaboration Fit

One of the biggest pains in outsourcing is teams working totally out of sync. With Chile, US teams are just one or two hours behind — so same day conversations, fast decisions, and quick troubleshooting. European teams get a pretty good overlap, too, especially in the mornings. You’re not stuck in the lag hell that comes with APAC partners.

The Startup Chile Effect

Another thing that doesn’t get enough attention is the Start-Up Chile program. Launched in 2010, it was a government bet to bring international founders to Santiago and turn it into a tech hub. By 2024, more than 1,600 startups and over 4,500 entrepreneurs from 85 countries came through the program. This changed the local scene completely — developers in Chile learned how to work with international teams, picked up agile methods, stronger product focus, and better English, too. For a city its size, Santiago’s tech talent concentration is pretty wild — over 135,000 professionals, behind only Mexico City and São Paulo in Latin America.

Cost Structure: The Honest Numbers

Cost isn’t the main reason to hire in Chile (it’s more about quality and fit), but it’s not nothing. A front-end developer in Chile earns about $38,000 a year. In the US, the same role goes for around $109,000. These aren’t the bargain basement rates you get in markets with less developed talent — they’re a middle ground: fair pay that keeps people around, but nowhere near US or European salary levels.

All of this adds up. Chile’s IT outsourcing market should hit $1.87 billion in 2024, growing over 12% a year through 2028. That growth is real — a result of companies doing their homework, hiring Chilean talent, and sticking around for the long haul.

What This Means for Engineering Leaders

The case for Chile doesn’t rest on any single factor. It’s the combination: a STEM-oriented education system producing verified technical talent, digital infrastructure that matches or exceeds Western European standards, a time zone that enables genuine real-time collaboration, a startup ecosystem that has seasoned local developers in product-led working practices, and a cost structure that makes sustainable long-term hiring viable.

For CTOs in Ireland, the UK, and across Europe who are currently weighing their options for team extension — whether to go deeper into Eastern Europe, explore Southeast Asia, or look to Latin America — Chile merits serious evaluation. It is no longer an emerging market on the speculative end of the risk curve. The infrastructure is built. The talent is trained. The hiring momentum is already there.

The question isn’t whether Chile’s developer ecosystem is ready for global product teams. It clearly is. The question is whether your hiring strategy accounts for it yet.

Chargebee moves to WeWork Dublin to facilitate rapid growth

WeWork, a leading global flexible space provider, today announced that Chargebee, the global billing and monetisation company, has moved offices to recently refurbished WeWork 5 Harcourt Road in Dublin to host its growing workforce. This move not only accommodates Chargebee’s rapid growth but demonstrates the company’s continued investment in workplace experience by providing a dynamic work environment for its growing employee base to support its next phase of innovation and success.

Chargebee, a leading billing and monetisation platform, has experienced impressive growth since its founding in Chennai, India, expanding to Amsterdam, Sydney, Bangalore, Utah, Bethesda MD, and Dublin. The company’s new office at WeWork 5 Harcourt Road is thoughtfully designed to blend first-class design, functionality, and dynamic breakout areas to inspire innovation, foster collaboration, and strengthen company culture.

Over the next three years, Chargebee plans to grow its Dublin workforce to a team of 50, and continue to scale its business at rate. The inherent flexibility of WeWork’s model is a key enabler of Chargebee’s expansion strategy, allowing the company to scale its footprint up or down as needed. It also supports Chargebee’s flex-first hybrid work model, giving employees the freedom to choose their in-office days. This ensures that Chargebee’s real estate decisions remain closely aligned with both its business growth and the evolving needs of its workforce.

Guy Marion, Chief Marketing Officer at Chargebee, says “As someone who has recently relocated to Dublin, I’ve been truly impressed by the vibrant tech ecosystem not only within the city but also in WeWork’s community. Dublin acts as a central hub to our operations, and our move to 5 Harcourt Road is a significant step in advancing our mission to innovate the revenue landscape and support businesses across Europe with their billing and monetisation strategies.

The scalability of our space enables us to expand operations without concern over outgrowing our office. Combined with the signature design and hospitality of WeWork, I am incredibly confident in our ability to attract top talent, as well as the exceptional office experience we are offering to our employees; something that remains a top-of-mind priority for us as we continue to pursue our ambitious goals.”

Luke Armstrong, Regional President, UKI, EMEA and APAC, WeWork says “As companies continue to formalise their work strategies, WeWork is seeing a growing trend in Dublin, where an increasing number of scaling companies are prioritising office experiences that engage and inspire employees, while also opting for flexible workspace solutions that support their growth ambitions. Chargebee’s move to WeWork 5 Harcourt Road is a prime example of this shift.

By choosing a well-designed, scalable space in the heart of Dublin – one of Europe’s most dynamic hubs for innovation and business growth – Chargebee is poised to expand their footprint, grow their team, and scale their business with confidence at WeWork. We’re excited to see firsthand what they’ll achieve at this location.”

Demonstrating its commitment to the Dublin market as well as its focus on delivering a top-tier experience for members, WeWork is investing in key locations across the capital, including Charlemont Exchange, 5 Harcourt Road, and 2 Dublin Landings. These investments will enhance both amenities and design, as well as reconfigure spaces from larger office layouts to more flexible, adaptable designs. This shift aims to meet the evolving needs of SMBs driving regional growth and ensuring that WeWork continues to offer dynamic solutions that align with the changing demands of the market.