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Rinaldi, who spoke to Broadband Communities, said SONDA has found that operating in the U.S. is “quite different” compared to the operations of SONDA USA’s parent company, SONDA, which operates throughout Central America and South America. In the U.S. market, economic activity is more spread out across wide areas, Rinaldi said, which provides different priorities.
Rinaldi said he hopes the U.S. market can make up at least 15 percent of SONDA’s overall operations within five years.
“We are on track,” he said.
Rinaldi said SONDA would likely pursue the acquisitions of local service-provider companies in the U.S. market as part of a plan to expand the company’s footprint in the country.
Rinaldi pointed to the company’s strong performance in the second half of 2022, when SONDA announced that deals closed during the year reached over $1.6 billion. A release from the company at the time said it represented “the greatest figure in the history of SONDA, standing 34.4% above 2021.”
SONDA, with operations based in Santiago, Chile, has been in business for over 50 years and currently boasts 650,000 users across 11 countries, according to their website.
The company has a strong focus on the integration of technology into what they call ‘smart cities.’
Rinaldi explained SONDA’s approach with comments in a September post on SONDA’s website.
“Sonda believes that big projects solve big problems. We have led smart cities projects in the region for more than ten years. The primary focus of our work has been to promote collaborative work between public and private organizations and the startup ecosystem. To develop solutions that improve people’s quality of life in more sustainable and friendly cities.”
SONDA has announced the success of several flagship projects, including a security project in Uruguay that has operated for over a decade in a partnership with Uruguay’s interior department.
Smart transportation networks, which implement single payment systems across comprehensive transportation networks, are also a niche the company has carved out. Earlier this year, upon announcing a deal with the Chilean Railway Company, an executive explained why they partnered with SONDA.
In March, Director of Payment Projects Rodolfo Muñoz Suazo said SONDA was chosen for their experience in transportation systems.
“The company has shown very effective service in the Chilean Railway Company subsidiaries where it is currently operating. SONDA’s support and the experience of the Chilean Railway Company will enable us to make a qualitative leap in transportation payment systems beyond Santiago de Chile.”
