From fairs to data: how Madespa opened Latin America

Madespa makes plasters, silicones and other consumables for dental clinics and laboratories. It built its international business in Europe through contacts made at industry fairs.

That approach worked in Europe, but it was not enough to go deeper into Latin America. So Madespa brought xNova into its export department, with three goals: speed up its international expansion, prospect in a smarter way, and get a full picture of the dental market in Latin America.

Prospecting in the fog

Relying on fairs meant waiting for importers and distributors to come to them. Madespa had no systematic way to find new partners outside its usual channels.

The market studies it paid for were slow, expensive and too general to act on. And it was hard to see who its competitors were, who they sold to and at what prices.

A full picture of the dental market in Latin America

Madespa chose xNova for its complete, transaction-level trade data. With it, the team can:

• Build lists of potential importers and distributors, with direct contacts.
• Follow import trends and prices shipment by shipment.
• See who its competitors’ customers buy from, and at what prices, to adjust its own offers.

From prospect lists to meetings

xNova is now part of Madespa’s commercial routine: prospect, contact, analyse prices. The first results are already visible:

• Importers in Ecuador have been contacted and shown interest, leading to competitive analyses and price proposals.
• Meetings with Latin American importers are booked before each trip, so every visit counts.
• Fairs in Portugal and Italy, prepared with xNova data, brought very good feedback on potential agreements.
• Fewer external market studies, with the data now in one place.

The tool also helps Madespa look at markets where it had no presence or little information, and decide where to go next.