Unico, a leading identity verification network in Latin America, announced on September 10, 2026, that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Valida, an Argentine biometric identity verification platform with a strong presence in the country's banking sector. The transaction, whose financial terms were not disclosed, remains subject to customary closing conditions. Once completed, the acquisition will mark Unico's formal entry into Argentina and reinforce its regional expansion strategy.
Strategic Entry Into Argentina
Valida was founded in 2019 and serves more than 25 million users, offering fraud prevention and authentication primarily to financial institutions. Its client base includes Banco Galicia, Supervielle, Bancor, and NBCH, and the company holds approximately 50 percent market share in Argentina's banking segment. Unico plans to use this established infrastructure to broaden Valida's reach into health, insurance, and telecommunications.
Regional Fraud Pressures Drive Urgency
The acquisition comes amid a sharp rise in sophisticated identity fraud across Latin America and globally. According to a Unico study with Liminal, advanced attacks involving deepfakes, video injection, and physical manipulations already account for 23 percent of fraud cases worldwide. The same research estimates that financial institution losses from fraud will grow more than 120 percent by 2030 to 55.3 billion dollars, while sophisticated fraud attempts in Latin America have already risen 1,000 percent this year.
Leadership Perspectives
Luis Felipe Monteiro, Unico's CEO for Latin America, said the acquisition consolidates the company's leadership in Argentina as a natural step in its regional expansion. He added that Unico recognizes the strength of Argentina's financial sector and intends to build alongside partners that already hold the trust of local banks and businesses. José Rolandi, CEO and co-founder of Valida, said the alliance provides the scale to keep growing with clients while maintaining the way Valida operates.
Growth Trajectory and International Footprint
Founded in Brazil in 2007, Unico became a Brazilian unicorn after investments by SoftBank, General Atlantic, and Goldman Sachs valued it at more than 2.6 billion dollars. It verifies identities for four of Brazil's five largest banks, including Itaú, Bradesco, and Santander, and operates in more than 20 countries. The company has offices in São Paulo, Mexico City, and Silicon Valley and was named the third most innovative firm in Latin America by Fast Company in 2024.
Recent Expansion and Financial Momentum
The Valida deal is Unico's fourth international acquisition, following Trully.AI in Mexico and Oz Forensics in the UAE in 2024, and OwnID in Israel in 2025. In the first half of 2026, global consolidated revenue rose 41 percent year over year, while transaction volume grew 68 percent. International revenue increased 56 percent, led by Mexico, where volume grew 200 percent compared with the second half of 2025.
New Office as a Technology Hub
Beyond the acquisition, Unico announced plans to open its own office in Argentina, expected in January. The new operation will function as a regional technology talent hub, creating qualified jobs and strengthening the company's local presence. It will become Unico's third Latin American office, joining São Paulo and Mexico City, and support clients across Spanish-speaking markets such as Colombia, Peru, and Chile.
The acquisition signals Unico's ambition to become a single provider for enterprises across Latin America while selectively advancing in other global markets. With Valida's established banking relationships and Unico's scale, the combined operation is positioned to address the region's escalating fraud threats. The deal reflects a broader strategy of entering key markets through established local infrastructure and accelerating from a foundation of trusted clients.