Hola amig@s fintech,

This past weekend, LatAm came alive with color and rhythm as vibrant carnivals took center stage. Countries like Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, and Uruguay celebrated with holidays and unique festivities that showcased the best of the vibrant Latin culture. For those of you who celebrated, we hope you had a great time! 

Please find below this week’s front page of LatAm fintech news. If you’re reading this on the web, we’d appreciate your support by sharing and subscribing.  

🩵Until next weekend. Até a próxima!

• Lorena

Feedback?  Reach out to us anytime! This week we're Elena on read, post, and podcast of the week, funding, exists, policy, other news, and deeper reads, Daniela on product launches and partnerships, and Lorena on editing.

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📊 Stat of the Week 

In LatAm, Ecuador leads with 32% of adult women engaged in entrepreneurship, followed closely by Guatemala (21.4%) and the US (17.8%). In contrast, developed economies such as Germany (8.5%) and Sweden (6.2%) show significantly lower rates. These figures reflect the strong dynamism of female entrepreneurship in LatAm, largely driven by economic necessity and the growing digitalization of businesses (Source).

📖  Read of the Week

The "Digital 2025: Colombia" report by DataReportal provides a detailed overview of the country's digital landscape. As of January 2025, Colombia had a population of 53.2 million people, with 82.8% residing in urban areas and 17.2% in rural zones. In terms of connectivity, there were 78.3 million active mobile connections, equivalent to 147% of the total population, indicating that many individuals possess more than one mobile connection. Additionally, 41.1 million individuals used the internet, representing a penetration rate of 77.3%, and there were 36.8 million social media users, corresponding to 69.2% of the population. 

🎙️ Podcast of the Week

💸 Venture Financing

💸 Equity

🇧🇷 Malga, the Brazilian payment marketplace for e-commerce, raised a $5.5 million Series A round led by iDEXO and Costanoa. Ignia, Citrino Ventures, Gaingels, QED, Norte Ventures, and Y Combinator also participated in the round.

🌎 Niva, the Latin America-focused AI verification platform founded by Indian entrepreneurs, secured $5.5 million in an investment round led by Kaszek. The company specializes in AI-powered identity verification and fraud prevention for financial institutions and e-commerce platforms.

🇨🇱 ABC Din, the Chilean financial services company, closed its $750k first VC investment round with Vita Wallet, a fintech focused on cross-border payments. The funding will support ABC Din’s digital transformation and expansion into new financial services. No further details of the deal were disclosed.

💰 Venture funds 

🇲🇽 Promotora Social México and Impacta VC, two investment firms focused on social impact, launched a $5 million Seed fund to support early-stage startups in LatAm. The fund aims to back companies addressing social and environmental challenges, particularly in sectors such as health, education, and financial inclusion.

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☯️ Exits

🤝 M&A - Fintech

🇧🇷 Bradesco, one of Brazil’s largest banks, acquired of 100% of RCB, a credit recovery company. This move aims to strengthen Bradesco’s capabilities in managing and recovering non-performing loans, enhancing its financial services portfolio. No further details of the transaction were disclosed.

🇧🇷 Jeitto, the Brazilian digital credit fintech, acquired Pilla, the platform specializing in private payroll loans, to strengthen its credit offerings and expand its presence in the financial services sector. No further details of the transaction were disclosed.

🇧🇷 Provu, the Brazilian fintech focused on consumer credit, was acquired by an entrepreneur whose identity has not been disclosed. The deal marks a shift for the company as it seeks to scale operations under new leadership.

🚀 Product Launches & Partnerships

💻 Fintech

🇨🇱 Mercado Pago announced a new brand identity and launched its first credit card in Chile. The updated visual identity aligns with Mercado Libre’s signature yellow, enhancing brand recognition and trust. The new credit card, aimed at users with limited access to traditional banking, offers fee-free ATM withdrawals and digital transactions.

🇨🇴 Tpaga, the Colombian digital payments platform, announced the launch of a voice-command payment service powered by AI, allowing users to complete transactions with simple phrases. Developed with Anthropic and AWS Bedrock, the technology enables voice-activated payments while incorporating biometric authentication and AI-driven fraud detection. 

🇧🇷 Meliuz, the Brazilian cashback platform, announced a Bitcoin treasury strategy, allocating up to 10% of its cash reserves into BTC, aiming to maximize long-term shareholder value. The company has already purchased 45.72 BTC for $4.1 million, with further plans to evaluate Bitcoin as a primary treasury asset. 

🏦 Financial Services & Banking 

🇲🇽 BanCoppel, the Mexican retail bank and lender, announced its entry into the mortgage loan market with a fully digital application process. Offering loans ranging from $15,000 to $750,000 with interest rates starting at 9.90%, BanCoppel aims to capture 5-6% of the market. The bank also introduces features like "mensualidad comodín," allowing borrowers to defer a payment after 12 consecutive on-time payments, and the ability to bundle incomes with co-borrowers. 

🇲🇽 Walmart México announced it is expanding its fintech presence with the launch of a debit card under its Cashi brand. The card, available in both physical and digital versions, enables deposits of up to $1,200 per month, SPEI transfers, and remittance reception. Walmart also plans to expand its credit offerings, increasing loan amounts beyond the current $1,000 limit. 

📜 Policy

🇧🇷 The Central Bank of Brazil tightened fraud prevention measures for Pix, introducing stricter security protocols to protect users and financial institutions from fraudulent activities. The new rules aim to enhance transaction monitoring and risk assessment.

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📰 Other News 

🇲🇽 María Teresa Arnal was named  Executive Advisor at Bitso.

🇲🇽 Vanesa Robles was named Managing Director at Flat 101. 

🇲🇽 Emilio Romano was named President of the Mexican Banking Association (ABM).

🇨🇴 Ignacio Giraldo was named CEO at Lulo Bank.

🌎 Colombia has dropped out of the top 20 in global crypto adoption, with transaction volumes declining significantly. The slowdown reflects shifting regulatory environments and changing user preferences in the region.

🇲🇽 Parque Tec México launched an investment readiness program for startups, aiming to support early-stage companies in securing funding. The initiative provides mentorship, networking opportunities, and financial planning assistance to foster innovation.

🇲🇽 Contactless payments now represent one in five transactions in Mexico, highlighting a significant shift toward digital payment adoption. The increase is driven by enhanced security measures and consumer trust in NFC-enabled technology.

📚 Deeper Reads

Nubank vs Revolut, round 2: What if Nubank launched in Europe? 

How to invest in Ripple, Solana and Cardano from Colombia (ES)

Banks add women to senior management positions, but remain far from parity (ES)

Closing The Gap: What Can We Learn About Gender Parity From China And The U.S.

📣 LatAm startup alum who have been impacted by layoffs and recruiters looking for top talent, check out the Startups Alumni and Layoffs Brasil databases.  

If you’re looking to hire from a group of 10,000+ smart, motivated fintech professionals, come pick up a Collective Pass and post a job here.  If you’re looking for your next adventure at one of the best fintech companies, check out the open roles here!

Made in LatAm with 🩵by 

Elena, Digital Innovation Manager at Banco Azteca

Daniela, Investment Associate at Cultivo

Lorena, Head of Policy for Spanish-speaking LatAm at Tools for Humanity

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