Pedro Gutiérrez
Pedro Gutiérrez understood something simple about Latin America: here, many sales do not happen on a web page, they happen in a conversation. He built Avify on that idea. He is its CEO and co-founder, and one of two Costa Ricans recognized by MIT Technology Review in its 2025 list of innovators under 35 in Latin America.
Key facts
- Company: Avify (CEO and co-founder).
- Field: AI-powered conversational commerce, sales automation over messaging.
- Recognition: MIT Technology Review, “Innovators Under 35 Latin America” (2025).
- Education: Computer Engineering and a master’s in information systems, Costa Rica Institute of Technology.
Why he is a leader
Avify turns messaging apps like WhatsApp into complete online stores: customer management, inventory, payments, shipping, and billing, all inside the chat and supported by artificial intelligence. It is a solution designed for the reality of the region, where the small business lives on the phone and does not always have a sophisticated website.
MIT’s recognition did not come for a promise, but for real traction: hundreds of active businesses across several countries processing thousands of orders a month through the platform. It is one of the few Costa Rican cases of applied artificial intelligence that can be measured in customers and transactions, not just in talk.
His contribution to the ecosystem
Gutiérrez shows that Costa Rican artificial intelligence can solve massive, everyday problems, not just laboratory challenges. Bringing useful AI to the Latin American small business is an enormous market, and having a Costa Rican lead it with international recognition raises the ceiling of what is possible for everyone else.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Pedro Gutiérrez?
- He is a Costa Rican entrepreneur, CEO and co-founder of Avify, a conversational commerce platform that uses artificial intelligence to turn messaging apps like WhatsApp into automated online stores. He was recognized by MIT Technology Review as an innovator under 35 in Latin America in 2025.
- What is conversational commerce?
- It is the sale of products and services through conversations in messaging apps. Avify integrates inventory, payments, shipping, and customer service inside the chat, supported by artificial intelligence and automation.