Awana

Awana is a recruiting firm that places engineers and other technology professionals from Latin America with US startups. It says it has made more than 500 placements with US startups since 2020, and that 98 percent of its hires stay past the three-month replacement guarantee. Roles include backend, frontend, mobile, data and AI engineers, as well as developers, designers and PMs.

It works through direct hire, where the client employs the hire and pays a single placement fee, as well as contract-to-hire, freelance teams and managed talent, where Awana handles payroll and compliance. It also offers technical screening, talent for private equity portfolio companies, and AI development and evaluation services. Candidates go through a live technical interview, a role-specific take-home, an English fluency screen and reference checks.

Awana sources mainly in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. Its headquarters are in Melbourne, Florida, with an office in Quito, Ecuador. It was founded by Calvin Sedao, co-founder and CEO, and Javier Dutan, co-founder and COO.