Mateo Nicolás Salvatto

27 | Argentine | Founder & CEO @ Asteroid, helping 500k+ disabled people | Co-founder @ Grondplek & Apgreid | MIT Humanitarian Innovator of the Year | Investor | Best-selling author | MBA

Greater Buenos Aires

About

I was born in 1999 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I have always been passionate about technology. Thus, since I was a child, I decided to get involved in it as much as possible. My high school education, focused on electronics, allowed me to carry out many interesting projects, such as launching experimental rockets and building autonomous sumo-fighting robots. Robotics became my passion during my teenage years. I became a national champion in the discipline, and in 2016, along with a friend and our coach, we won the international "Robotraffic" competition at the Technion Institute in Israel. But after all of this, something inside me told me that I could use all the technology at my disposal to make a more useful and direct impact on the world. And that’s how Háblalo was born: a mobile application designed to help people with communication disabilities. Although I was happy with my small, homemade project, I wanted to take it to a larger scale. That’s why I decided to co-found the social technology startup Asteroid alongside my partners Laura and Sergio. Thanks to our work at Asteroid, Háblalo now assists over 500,000 people with disabilities in 65 countries, completely free of charge. Additionally, we have transformed the customer experiences of 50+ multinational companies by making them accessible, establishing a new standard for inclusive service. In 2024, Asteroid received investment from Globant Ventures to ensure our international scalability. Although my role as CEO of Asteroid is my primary job, I am also the co-founder of Apgreid (Ed-tech) and Grondplek (Constru-tech), a speaker, a two-time best-selling author, a teacher, and an investor. I believe a better planet is possible through technology that prioritizes humanity’s needs… and I strive to bring that philosophy into absolutely everything I do. Always, from Argentina to the world. Per Aspera ad Astra 🚀

Experience

  • Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer at Asteroid Technologies
    Mar 2017 - Present · 9 yrs 4 mos

    Impact-driven startup dedicated to investing in R&D of technological products for people with disabilities. Our first development, the mobile app Hablalo, has already helped more than 500.000 people from 75 countries, entirely for free. With our innovative business models, we also transform +40 multinationals into accessibility drivers. Asteroid and Háblalo have collected numerous local and international recognitions for their efforts on creating a more fair and inclusive society. In July 2024, Globant became our main investor and partner.

  • Co-Founder at Grondplek
    May 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 2 mos

    Grondplek is the first additive construction startup in Latin America, which I co-founded in 2022 alongside Pablo Viana, Tomás Chernoff, and Martín Mom. Our mission is to transform the industry through state-of-the-art 3D concrete printing technology, offering innovative solutions for civil engineering, housing, and corporate applications. In early 2025, the region's first 3D Concrete Printer arrived in Buenos Aires and is already being utilized by Techint Engineering & Construction in civil engineering projects, marking a significant milestone in our journey. Grondplek is an official distributor of COBOD International.

  • Co-Founder at Apgreid
    Nov 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 8 mos

    Apgreid is a cutting-edge ed-tech platform designed to revolutionize learning through fully customizable educational materials, tailored to each user's unique learning style. Beyond our adaptive approach and accessible subscription model, our greatest asset is our team of highly acclaimed educators, each an expert in their respective fields. I co-founded and invested in Apgreid driven by my deep passion for education and its pivotal role in shaping the future of society. My visionary co-founders are Augusto Salvatto, Martín Elías, and Martín Mannucci.

  • Investor at Nawaiam
    May 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 2 mos

  • Investor at Hashi
    Dec 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 7 mos