The Doctor Turned Developer Behind AutoPen

Bureaucracy runs on paper worldwide. Despite advances in digital technology, essential tasks like verifying identities, signing contracts, and issuing official documents still require physical paperwork and notaries. This reliance on outdated systems creates bottlenecks, particularly for people in rural areas who must travel long distances to access notarial services.

In Argentina, for example, most notaries are based in major cities like Buenos Aires. For those living in the countryside, something as simple as setting up a bank account requires a long and costly trip to the capital. AutoPen, a blockchain-based digital signature platform cofounded by Santiago Cammi and Gabriel Lavecchia, aims to solve this problem. 

Built on Avalanche, AutoPen enables remote and secure digital signatures tied to a user's private key that eliminate the need for in-person visits. It works in a similar way to a crypto wallet. By making notarial services accessible online, AutoPen aims to transform how people in Argentina and beyond engage with essential legal processes. In doing so, AutoPen is also introducing a new generation of users to Web3. 

A New Approach to an Old Problem with Web3 

Cammi’s journey to creating a Web3-powered digital notary platform was anything but typical. While studying medicine to become a doctor, he noticed something that made him reconsider his future. “I saw that many doctors were unhappy with their careers,” Cammi recalls. “I loved the intellectual challenge of medicine, but I didn’t want to end up feeling the same dissatisfaction I saw in my colleagues.”

This realization led Cammi to explore technology and eventually start AutoPen, an early-stage Web3 startup that recently won a $300,000 grant from Avalanche’s Web3 accelerator Codebase. Cammi, along with co-founder Lavecchia, felt a pull towards technology since childhood. After his epiphany about the medical industry, Cammi set his sights on computer science and completed Havard’s CS50 course to formalize his footing. 

He soon began working in medical informatics, with a focus on digitizing healthcare processes and improving data interoperability. Working at the intersection of healthcare and technology, he quickly encountered bureaucratic barriers in the healthcare system that made real innovation difficult. “I wanted to build something that could make a real impact,” Cammi says. “But the layers of red tape in the medical field made it impossible to move as quickly as I wanted.”

A Newspaper Article Sparks the Idea to Build AutoPen

AutoPen aims to solve the problem of verifying physical paperwork by replacing notaries with digital signatures. It’s a credential management solution that uses proven Web3 technologies to create a seamless and secure experience. The platform issues digital credentials after verifying a user’s identity through a Know Your Customer (KYC) process. These credentials are tied to a private key, allowing users to sign documents, prove identity, and perform other legally binding actions. From AutoPen’s point of view, the concept is simple. A digital signature is a private key tied to your identity. It’s like a crypto wallet.

Cammi’s breakthrough idea didn’t come from a hackathon or a brainstorming session. It came, ironically, from an article in a print newspaper. The article detailed a change in Argentinian law that made digital signatures more accessible. Enabling the widespread use of biometric checks in the verification process, the legal amendment opened the doors to further digitize processes that had been stuck in the past. “Reading that article was a turning point,” Cammi says. “We realized that digital signatures could solve a real problem, not just for businesses but for everyday people.”

His team didn’t waste time. They built an early version of their digital signature solution on the Ethereum blockchain. However, during a hackathon, they migrated to Avalanche to reduce transaction costs. Avalanche’s sub-second finality and ability to handle high transaction volumes with predictable gas fees made it an ideal choice for AutoPen’s needs. The platform’s multi-chain architecture, which separates smart contracts, platform management, and asset exchange across three distinct chains, provided the flexibility AutoPen needed to scale. Its Layer 1 (L1) capability helps future-proof regulatory implementations. Their solution on Avalanche won the hackathon, validated their idea, and gave them the confidence to fully build it out.

Solving Old Problems With New Technology

Digital signatures aren’t a new concept in Argentina. Around 20,000 people currently use them, but the experience is frustrating and outdated. Users have to visit an office in person, provide their biometrics, and pay $100 annually for a service that feels stuck in the early 2000s. AutoPen aims to change that by offering a more modern solution that only Web3 platforms can provide. “People are overpaying for a bad experience,” Cammi says. “We can provide a smoother, more efficient alternative and charge less than what they’re paying now.”

Unlike traditional digital signatures that rely on outdated processes, AutoPen eliminates the need for USB keys, manual processes, and complex interfaces. The platform simplifies the experience in an intuitive way with the goal of making it accessible to people with little technical knowledge. This is vital to the larger goal of expanding to rural areas across Argentina and the rest of South America. 

Encouraged by their success, Cammi and Lavecchia applied to Codebase, an Avalanche incubator that supports promising early stage Web3 startups. They were accepted into the program, which provided them with the resources they needed to take AutoPen to the next level. “Codebase changed everything for us,” Cammi says. “It gave us the space and support to focus on AutoPen full-time and even quit our day jobs. Without that, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

“Our stack is flexible,” Cammi says. “We built something that can be used in many different ways. Digital signatures are just the beginning.”

AutoPen’s infrastructure is already being used by a major university in Argentina to track attendance. Teachers issue credentials to students, who then scan a QR code to confirm their presence. This use case highlights how AutoPen’s technology can be repurposed to meet a variety of needs beyond legal signatures. 

Unlocking Web3 for Everyday Users

One of the knock-on effects of AutoPen is that users end up with a crypto wallet. This unintended consequence is key to how the company is thinking about the future. Cammi envisions a future where every person in Latin America has a crypto wallet without even realizing it. By onboarding users through a familiar and necessary service like digital signatures, AutoPen introduces people to Web3 in a way that feels natural. 

 “Our users won’t need to know anything about crypto,” Cammi says. “They’ll just see a better, faster, and more secure way to get things done.” The infrastructure AutoPen is building will create a bridge between traditional legal processes and the decentralized world of Web3. Users will be able to access a broader ecosystem of decentralized applications and services without needing specialized knowledge. This approach lowers the barriers to entry and accelerates Web3 adoption.

Codebase: Empowering Founders to Solve Real Problems

Codebase played a crucial role in Autopen’s journey. The incubator provided more than just financial backing. It offered mentorship, resources, and a community that helped Cammi and his team refine their vision and build a scalable product. Codebase’s support also helped the team tell their story in a way that resonates with investors and users alike. “Codebase didn’t just give us money,” Cammi says. “They helped us tell our story in a way that connects emotionally with people. That emotional connection is what drives adoption.”

Autopen’s success is a testament to how targeted support can help founders solve real-world problems. “Success in one year means owning the digital signature space in Argentina,” Cammi says. “But success in five years means building a digital infrastructure where signatures, identity, and intention all flow seamlessly through Web3 technology.” By making legal processes more accessible, Autopen is not just improving bureaucracy. It is bringing Web3 to the masses. For Santiago and his team, the journey has just begun. But with a clear vision and strong support, Autopen is poised to transform how people in Latin America engage with the digital world. One signature at a time, Autopen is unlocking a new future.

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