Which e-commerce company was founded by Marcos Galperin in Argentina in 1999?

Marcos Galperin founded Mercado Libre in Argentina in 1999.

Galperin established the company in Buenos Aires after studying finance at the Wharton School and working in the financial sector. Mercado Libre began as an online marketplace and expanded throughout Latin America.

Its services later included payments through Mercado Pago, shipping and logistics, advertising, and credit products. This broader ecosystem helped address challenges such as fragmented retail markets, limited access to payment services, and uneven delivery infrastructure.

Mercado Libre is sometimes described simply as the Latin American equivalent of eBay because both began with marketplace models. However, Mercado Libre developed its own regional payment, logistics, and financial-services businesses.