Carryt acquires Paket and strengthens its expansion strategy in Latin American e-commerce

Paket, a Chilean startup that began as an Instagram store, was acquired by Colombian company Carryt in a deal that reflects the evolution of social commerce in Latin America. The move shows how startups that begin with simple social media business models can become strategic assets for companies looking to scale their regional presence.

The rise of e-commerce on social media

In recent years, starting an e-commerce business directly on social media, especially Instagram, has become a common strategy among entrepreneurs. This approach makes it possible to validate market demand with limited resources and without having to build complex technology infrastructure from the outset.

The main advantages of this model include:

• Early validation of product-market fit, without the need to develop proprietary platforms in the early stages.
• Building a community and direct relationships with customers, which helps generate engagement and trust.
• Rapid iteration of the product or service, thanks to immediate user feedback.
• A significant reduction in initial operating costs, making it possible to test ideas with less financial risk.

In many cases, the natural next step for these startups is to move to proprietary platforms or more robust marketplaces, while keeping social media as a key channel for customer acquisition and communication.

Carryt’s expansion strategy

The acquisition of Paket is part of a growing trend in Latin America’s technology ecosystem: companies with greater traction seeking to expand regionally through strategic acquisitions.

For Carryt, the deal will help accelerate its presence in Chile, a market that serves as a gateway to the Southern Cone, add capabilities and talent, access an existing customer base, and diversify its offerings.

Colombia has established itself as one of the region’s most active markets for technology investment and consolidation, especially in sectors such as fintech, logistics technology, and e-commerce.

A more mature startup ecosystem

Mergers and acquisitions among Latin American startups reflect a more mature ecosystem, where local strategic buyers are beginning to emerge. This broadens the exit options available to early-stage founders and investors.

In addition, cross-border acquisitions make it possible to overcome more quickly the challenges of operating across multiple Latin American markets, which are often fragmented by regulations, logistics, and brand positioning.

Lessons for founders and the future of e-commerce

Paket’s story shows that starting out on third-party platforms does not prevent a company from becoming valuable. For early-stage founders, key lessons include starting where the customers are, designing scalable operations from the outset, identifying the right time to move to proprietary infrastructure, and thinking about regional expansion early on.

E-commerce in Latin America continues to grow, driven by the greater adoption of smartphones and digital payments, as well as digitally native consumers. However, challenges such as logistics costs and regulatory fragmentation remain.

In this context, acquisitions such as Carryt’s purchase of Paket offer a way to accelerate regional scale and strengthen the development of the region’s startup ecosystem.