BBVA Spark’s Post

¡Qué emocionante es considerar el potencial de Londres como epicentro de la innovación Fintech! 🌟 No es sorprendente que un líder de Fintech en EE. UU. vea a la capital británica como un semillero de nuevos ganadores. Londres ha construido un entorno favorable que combina talento excepcional, acceso a inversiones, y una sólida infraestructura tecnológica. Además, el respaldo regulatorio y la proximidad a instituciones financieras tradicionales crean el caldo de cultivo perfecto para el crecimiento de startups Fintech. 📈Permite que las empresas innovadoras no solo emergen, sino que también prosperen en un mercado competitivo. ¿Quién no querría ser parte de esta revolución tecnológica y financiera? 💡💸 #FintechLondres #InnovaciónFinanciera #EcosistemaEmprendedor

🇦🇷 𝗔𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮’𝘀 𝗨𝗮𝗹𝗮́ 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 $𝟯𝟬𝟬𝗠 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 Argentina's #fintech leader Ualá has raised $300 million in fresh #funding, led by Allianz X, the investment arm of Allianz, reaching a valuation of $2.75 billion. As reported by Ciara Nugent in Financial Times, this is one of the largest tech funding rounds in Latin America in recent years and underscores #investor #confidence in Argentina’s potential for tech growth. Launched in 2017, Ualá now serves 8 million customers with banking licenses in Argentina 🇦🇷 , Mexico 🇲🇽 , and Colombia 🇨🇴 , and aims to become Argentina's largest bank. Ualá’s fundraising marks a significant shift after years of limited #venture #capital investment in Latin America due to high U.S. interest rates. Backed by investors like SoftBank Investment Advisers and Tencent, Ualá is capitalizing on Argentina’s substantial unbanked population, with nearly 50% of adults now holding Ualá accounts. With this new funding, founder Pierpaolo Barbieri is focused on making Ualá profitable across all markets, leveraging Argentina's emerging tech-friendly environment under President Javier Milei’s deregulation and economic reforms.

#ThursdayThrowback to an exciting moment from this year! 🚀 Our founders, Jan Lastuvka and Lubos Malik, took a trip to Madrid to pitch our SME financing solution at the Visa Innovation Program Europe for Spain and Portugal. And guess what? 🎉 Lemonero was honored to be chosen as one of the top 8 companies out of 274, standing alongside incredible innovators like Data4Deals, Paynest, Starkdata, Orama.ai - Control de Tesorería, Shakers, Sharpei and Uelz. A huge shoutout to Visa for this amazing opportunity! 🙌 Connecting with some of the top players in the financial sector was truly inspiring, and this milestone marks a significant leap for us in bringing disruptive and innovative financing solutions to Spain. 🚀 Onwards and upwards as we continue our journey to transform the financing landscape and support the growth of SMBs across Europe. #ThrowbackThursday #Visa #VisaInnovationProgram #Fintech #Startup #Scaleup #Innovation #Collaboration #Payments #Technology #Digital #Europe #SMB #SME #Financing #Funding #Spain #Portugal #Expansion #Opportunity #Disrupt #Growth

¿Cómo va el día?¿ Qué noticias y actividades en Fintech te interesa ver? ¿Quieres estar informado acerca de novedades en Fintech & Insurtech además de eventos de networking? Si quieres estar al tanto, sigue nuestra página.

Argentine fintech Ualá secured a $300 million series E at a $2.75 billion total valuation Argentine #fintech powerhouse #Ualá has secured $300 million in a Series E funding round, raising its valuation to $2.75 billion. Founded by Pierpaolo Barbieri in 2017, Ualá has quickly become one of Latin America’s most valuable startups, offering services from payments and credit to merchant acquiring and investments. The funding round was led by Allianz X, marking Allianz SE's first venture investment in Latin America, alongside new investors such as Stone Ridge Asset Management, Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P., Claure Group, and RODINA. Ualá’s long-standing supporters like Soros Fund Management, Goldman Sachs, SoftBank Group Corp., and Tencent also participated. This fresh capital will accelerate Ualá’s vision of becoming Argentina’s largest financial institution, with funds directed toward expansion in Mexico, where Ualá holds a banking license, and in Colombia, where the company is building its product suite. With a robust user base of 8 million—over 6 million in Argentina alone, representing 17% of the country's adult population—Ualá is reshaping financial services across the region. The partnership with Allianz also opens new pathways for Ualá to explore insurtech solutions, creating significant potential to enhance customer experience and access to insurance. Barbieri highlights Ualá’s commitment to profitability in all markets, a move that could precede a future U.S. #IPO. Despite current challenges in #LATAM's venture capital landscape, Ualá’s achievements signal strong investor confidence in the fintech’s continued leadership and innovation. The article on BNN Bloomberg in the first comment.

Recomiendo seguir a Pierpaolo Barbieri, fundador de Ualá, porque está liderando la transformación financiera en América Latina. Su enfoque en inclusión, innovación tecnológica y educación económica ofrece una visión clave sobre cómo la digitalización está cambiando nuestras economías y abriendo oportunidades en mercados emergentes para mejorar el acceso a servicios financieros.

🚀 Exciting News for Belgium's Fintech Scene! 🚀 We're proud to share that FINTECH BELGIUM has been recognised as one of the Top 10 National European Fintech Associations by FinTech Magazine! 🎉 Despite the challenging environment in Belgium for startups and fintechs specifically, due to low investment levels compared to the rest of Europe, lack of political recognition, and low financial support to enable a collaborative ecosystem, the innovative talent, resilience, and professionalism of our fintech startups and scale-ups, along with the support of our association and partners, have enabled Belgium to shine as a recognised EU actor in fintech in terms of quantity, quality, and community. This highlights the importance and positive influence of our ecosystem. Investing in a collaborative ecosystem is key to stopping Belgium from falling further in the financial rankings. As our CEO, Alessandra✨ Guion - Gambrill, states: "Every year we lose 5-7 places in this ranking; we are now 60th. It has nothing to do with the quality of our industry… we have good banks, insurance companies, and financial services, like Euroclear and Swift. We have excellent, dynamic, and innovative fintechs. But what we miss is a politically and financially supported collaborative ecosystem. In Luxembourg, the Minister of Finance, regulators, FS, and all stakeholders have invested in a central collaborative ecosystem fostering innovation and collaboration, including academics. Our neighbours are now 16th and gained 3 places in the ranking last time I checked." This recognition highlights the vital role of our ecosystem. It’s a clear message that fostering a collaborative environment is key to improving Belgium's position in the financial rankings. With a well-funded collaborative ecosystem, we can create a dynamic environment that drives innovation, addresses common challenges, and fosters growth opportunities. Let’s Connect. Collaborate. Innovate. Let’s make Belgium future-proof and count again!  💪 Read the full news here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dV-WJ9Ac Alessandra✨ Guion - Gambrill, David Jacob, Ioana Duca, Regina Piffarerio, Khadijah Khawar, Mariana Figueroa Silva, Toon Vanagt, Patricia Boydens, Joan Carette, Xavier Corman, Amelie Breitburd, Bjorn Cumps, Brent Dedecker, Jean-François Heering, Robert Masse, Magali Van Bulck, Johannes Vermeire, Nico Vincent #fintechbe  #Innovation #Collaboration #Growth #FutureProof

Hace dos años y medio estábamos completando la unión entre Scala (Acquired by Pygma) y Pygma logrando unir fuerzas hacia un propósito común, acelerar el impacto de los latinos por medio de la tecnología y las startups. Desde ahí, hemos acelerado a 90 startups en 15 países, crecido la tesis para abarcar latinos en EEUU además de los que viven en LatAm tomando la decisión de que mi socio se fuera a Nueva York para lograr esta gran meta. Además decidimos hacer batches ultra enfocados en una vertical específica a la vez para dar aún más impacto en cada cohorte. Ahora, con todos estos aprendizajes estamos felices de poder anunciar PY6, otro batch en Fintech que también tendrá increíbles mentores, sponsors, partners y oportunidades de crear comunidad con más de 300 fundadores en 15 países que hacen parte de la red de Pygma, participar en las tech weeks de Nueva York, Mexico y Colombia como invitados especiales y hacer un 10X en su network en solo 10 semanas (solo este año hemos logrado hacer 17 eventos, participar en 3 tech weeks y generar más de 12 mil conexiones en el mundo real) y virtualmente ya tenemos +50.000 personas que están pendientes de lo que se viene en Pygma en Substack, Linkedin y nuestras comunidades de Whatsapp! Si eres una fintech en etapa temprana no pierdas esta gran oportunidad, tenemos los últimos cupos para una aplicación prioritaria si aplicas por nuestro waitlist Join Py6: https://lnkd.in/e8Uegm74 Si conoces a un founder en fintech no dudes en comentarlo, nos ayudarías mucho a dar visibilidad para que juntos sigamos acelerando a Latinos en Fintech! #fintech #py6 #aceleracion #latinos #emprendimiento #ia #tech #innovation #new #imagination

🌟 Latin America's Fintech: A 2025 Powerhouse in the Making! 🌟 Latin America is making waves in fintech, with 2024 funding surging 73% compared to 2023, reaching $2.6B across 174 deals. 🚀 While still recovering from 2021's $7.5B peak, the region shows clear signs of resilience and growth. Countries like Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia are stepping into the spotlight. From cross-border remittance innovations to cutting-edge payment platforms, these markets are addressing critical gaps in financial services. Infrastructure-focused startups and seasoned entrepreneurs are driving this new wave, highlighting the region's demand for deeper financial inclusion and technological innovation. 💳🌍 Challenges remain—like limited exits and reliance on regional funds—but the opportunity is vast. With a growing pool of quality founders and untapped markets, Latin America offers fertile ground for those ready to invest in its transformation. 🌟 ----------------------------------- 🌟 Fintech en América Latina: ¡Un gigante en ascenso para 2025! 🌟 América Latina está marcando tendencia en el sector fintech, con un aumento del 73% en la financiación en 2024 en comparación con 2023, alcanzando $2.6 mil millones en 174 acuerdos. 🚀 Aunque aún recuperándose del pico de $7.5 mil millones en 2021, la región muestra señales claras de resiliencia y crecimiento. Países como México, Chile, Argentina y Colombia están tomando protagonismo. Desde innovaciones en remesas transfronterizas hasta plataformas avanzadas de pagos, estos mercados están abordando brechas críticas en los servicios financieros. Con un enfoque en infraestructura y emprendedores experimentados liderando esta nueva ola, América Latina destaca por su necesidad de inclusión financiera y avances tecnológicos. 💳🌍 Los desafíos persisten, como la falta de salidas significativas y la dependencia de fondos regionales, pero la oportunidad es inmensa. Con una creciente calidad de fundadores y mercados sin explotar, la región ofrece un terreno fértil para quienes quieran apostar por su transformación. 🌟 ¿Estás siguiendo de cerca este mercado dinámico? https://lnkd.in/e-KcvHEe #Fintech #KREDITO #AI

Latin America's fintech sector, with Brazil at the forefront, is on the right track. According to Distrito's FinTech Report 2024, financial startups in the region have secured US$ 15.6 billion in investments over the last decade, with 66% going to Brazilian companies. 👨💻 🌎 The region ranks fourth globally in active fintechs, boasting 4,370 according to Finnovating's Fintech Global Vision 2023. Brazil alone is home to 869 fintechs, 623 of which are fully local (IDB data). By 2030, LatAm fintech revenues are expected to hit US$ 1.5 trillion, or 7% of the global market (Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and QED Investors). 💰 📈 While impressive, this number pales compared to mature markets like the US, which has 5,700 fintechs and an estimated US$ 5.62 trillion market value this year (per Mordor Intelligence). 🥇 There's still much to be done, but the future is bright. We continue to monitor these trends and see exciting investment opportunities in the region. 🔝 📌 Find more data on the Brazilian fintech market https://lnkd.in/eh_A-T4v #fintech #LatinAmerica #growth #innovation #entrepreneurship