Our Company
A consulting firm that listens before it speaks
Zaque was founded in Bogotá to give early-stage founders a calm, independent perspective on their situation — with no commissions, no pressure, and no predetermined answers.
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How Zaque came to be
Zaque started from a single observation: most early-stage founders in Colombia were making important decisions with far less information and support than the situation deserved. Not because the knowledge wasn't available, but because the people around them were too close — co-founders, investors, family — to offer the kind of calm, disinterested view that the moment called for.
The firm was founded in Bogotá in 2019 by a small group of advisors who had worked across different industries and wanted to bring that breadth to founders directly. The name Zaque comes from the Muisca word for a leader of a community — someone who held things together and kept the long view in mind while others focused on the day to day.
In the years since, we've worked with founders across Colombia — technology companies, services businesses, consumer brands — and the work has stayed consistent. We listen first. We name what we see honestly. We leave founders with something written and actionable after every session.
We are a deliberately small firm. We don't have a big team, a partner network, or a proprietary methodology we're trying to licence. We have time for the people we work with, and we think that matters.
Mission
To give founders the honest, unhurried perspective they need to move with clarity rather than anxiety.
Our approach
- We spend more time understanding than advising
- We write things down so they can be shared
- We pace the work to the founder's reality
- We hold no financial interest in any outcome
- We are straightforward about what we don't know
6+
years in Bogotá
140+
founders supported
The Team
The people behind the work
Catalina Morales
Founding Partner
Catalina spent twelve years advising companies in financial services and consumer goods before founding Zaque. Her work focuses on business model assessment and early-stage financial clarity.
Santiago Rueda
Advisory Partner
Santiago brings a background in operations and scaling, having helped three Colombian companies through their first significant growth phase. He leads the Readiness Study engagements.
Valentina Ospina
Client Relations
Valentina manages the day-to-day relationship with clients and ensures that the working rhythm across all engagements stays calm, organized, and responsive to each founder's pace.
How We Work
The standards we hold ourselves to
Full confidentiality
Everything shared in our sessions stays between us. We can formalize this in writing for founders who prefer it. We do not discuss client situations with other clients or with third parties.
Honest assessments
We say what we see, including the uncomfortable parts. Telling founders what they want to hear is not what they're paying for, and it's not how we work. We aim to be gentle but clear.
Timely written follow-up
After every session, we deliver a written summary within five business days. We don't expect founders to take notes during conversations. We handle the record-keeping.
Independence from outcomes
We have no financial interest in what you decide. We don't receive referral fees, don't invest in clients, and don't have a product to sell. Our only incentive is to give good advice.
Continuous learning
Our team participates regularly in professional development through ACOPI and Colombia's startup community networks, keeping our knowledge of the local environment current and grounded.
Data handled with care
Financial documents and business information shared with us are held securely and not retained beyond the engagement period. We follow responsible data handling practices in line with Ley 1581 de 2012.
Business consulting in Colombia
Advisory support shaped for the Colombian context
Building a company in Colombia involves a particular set of considerations — from the regulatory environment to the dynamics of local capital markets and the operational realities that vary significantly between cities. Generic consulting frameworks don't always translate well to that context.
At Zaque, our work is grounded in Colombia specifically. We understand how early-stage companies are typically financed here, what investors and lenders are looking for in different stages, and how operational challenges tend to present themselves in the Colombian market. That local depth shapes how we listen and what we notice during sessions.
We work with founders across sectors — technology, professional services, consumer businesses, light manufacturing — because the challenges at the earliest stages tend to have more in common than the sectors themselves suggest. The need for a clear view of priorities, a realistic handle on finances, and a way to communicate the business's story to the outside world applies broadly.
Our three services — the First Steps Review, the Build Companion, and the Readiness Study — were each designed around a specific moment in the founder's journey. The fees are published openly and reflect time-based work rather than outcomes, which keeps our interests aligned with yours.
Work with us
See if it makes sense to work together
There's no obligation in reaching out. We'll have a brief conversation to understand where you are, and if it feels right, we'll suggest the most sensible path forward.
Start the conversation