DLocal is presented as a compelling investment opportunity, boasting a mid-teens multiple despite 50% annual top-line growth, high profitability, and a strong balance sheet. It sits at the nexus of two megatrends: the growth and digitalization of emerging markets (EMs) and the expansion of global tech giants like the MAG7 (Amazon, Meta, Netflix, Uber, Alibaba, Pinduoduo) into these regions. A significant endorsement comes from CEO Pietro Arn, former CFO of MercadoLibre (Melly) for 25 years, who left to lead DLocal, believing it's a prime proxy for big tech's success in EMs.
DLocal operates a B2B payment platform, serving global companies in emerging markets. Its origin, AstroPay, initially focused on B2C prepaid cards. The founders realized the larger opportunity in B2B. Spun off in 2016, DLocal became Uruguay's first unicorn. The problem DLocal solves is the fragmented and complex payment landscape in EMs, where local payment methods (e.g., Brazil's PIX, India's UPI, Nigeria's Verve) are prevalent but not easily accessible for international merchants, and global card networks often face high transaction decline rates due to strict anti-fraud measures and regulatory hurdles.
DLocal provides a single API for merchants, handling local integrations, licenses, tax rules, and banking systems across over 60 markets. Its "moat" is built on scale, regulatory expertise (38 licenses, more pending), and deep understanding of EM fragmentation. The company's value-added services include "smart PIX/APMs" for enabling recurring subscription payments on non-card systems, "smart routing" to dynamically pick the best payment path for higher approval rates (a 20 percentage point increase over international cards), and a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) aggregator model that connects merchants to local BNPL lenders without DLocal taking on credit risk. These services significantly boost conversion rates for merchants. The vast transaction volume (3.5 billion pay-in transactions annually) further compounds its data advantage, improving routing and attracting more merchants.
A key challenge is DLocal's declining take rate, which fell from 2.9% in 2020 to 0.9% today. Management attributes this to a strategic decision to prioritize transaction volume from large merchants, offering discounts. CEO Pedro Arn argues that while take rates fall, DLocal benefits from operating leverage, allowing net profits to grow faster than gross profits. He believes market consolidation could make DLocal a "price influencer" and that technological advancements will further accelerate EM fragmentation, increasing DLocal's necessity.
Customer and geographic concentration are noted risks, with Latin America accounting for 80% of revenue and the top 10 merchants making up 62%. However, strong net revenue retention (145% in 2025) indicates deep integration and growing volume from existing clients. DLocal successfully navigated a 2022 short report from Muddy Waters, with an independent review refuting allegations and no merchants abandoning the platform. Stablecoins are viewed as a potential cost reducer for DLocal's settlement processes rather than a direct threat, as DLocal still provides the essential "last mile" conversion to local fiat currency. Argentina, a significant market (20% of LatAm revenue), has seen regulatory changes that, while reducing DLocal's margins from complexity, improve the quality of earnings.
Financially, DLocal exhibits robust Total Payment Volume (TPV) growth (60% YoY last year, ~80% CAGR since 2019). Despite take rate compression, operating leverage is expected to drive EBITDA and EBIT margins higher. The company returns capital via dividends (30% free cash flow, 3-4% yield) and share buybacks (a new $300 million program authorized, potentially repurchasing 7-8% of the company). Management and founders have substantial ownership (33%).
With TPV projected to grow at 38% through 2028 (decelerating to 20% after), a stabilizing take rate, and operating leverage, DLocal presents an expected return of approximately 22% in the base case (with a 20% margin of safety and a low-teens exit multiple). The strategy is to initiate a small 2% position in the portfolio, with the intent to increase it on any significant weakness, acknowledging the stock's historical volatility.