Ana Zucato is the co-founder and CEO of Noh, Brazil's first social fintech built specifically for couples and families. Ana has raised over $3 million in seed funding - one of the largest pre-seed rounds for a female-led company in Latin America - and Noh has already processed over $60 million in transactions with 400,000 app downloads. Before founding Noh, Ana built her career in Brazil's early fintech ecosystem, working at Guiabolso (one of Brazil's open banking pioneers) where she helped grow the platform to 6 million users, followed by roles at Intuit and as country manager for Colombian company Truora's Brazil expansion. Ana discovered the idea for Noh through personal experience - realizing there was no good way for couples to manage money together in Brazil, where joint accounts were still designed with women as "second-class citizens." In this episode, we discuss how Ana identified and validated this overlooked market, the unique challenges of building a "multiplayer" financial product, and her vision for transforming how Brazilian families manage their entire financial lives. 

In this conversation, you'll learn: 

1. How Ana discovered that joint accounts in Brazil were designed for "one person plus a second person" - historically women who weren't allowed their own bank accounts 

2. The manual validation process of funding 50 couples' spending with her own money while embedding in their WhatsApp groups 

3. Why Ana calls Noh a "social fintech" and how it mirrors the way Latin Americans actually live their interconnected lives 

4. How Brazil's PIX instant payment system and payment initiation through open banking became the foundation for Noh's multiplayer banking experience 

5. The clever marketing strategy behind becoming Brazil's first white debit card to spark curiosity and word-of-mouth growth 

6. Ana's radical transparency approach where all employees know everyone's salaries, read the company P&L, and participate in every major decision 

7. How content creation and a reality show featuring real couples helped Noh go viral on social media 

8. Why the average Brazilian household has seven different bank accounts and Ana's vision to consolidate everything into "one Noh" 

9. The evolution from couples banking to becoming the financial operating system for entire Brazilian families including kids and elderly parents 

10. Ana's philosophy that AI should maximize your money's value rather than replicate your (financially "stupid") brain 

11. How Ana's fundraising experience differed from expectations and her advice for fintech entrepreneurs pitching in today's market 

12. The importance of separating "signal from noise" when building something truly new and why Ana stopped reading business books 

13. Her backup career plans: becoming Brazil's president or running a neighborhood hair salon - both with the same commitment to transparency 

Where to find Ana Zucato 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anazucato/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azucato/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anadanoh

Where to find Noh: 

• Website: https://www.noh.com.br/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fazumnoh

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fazumnoh

Where to find Tony Cueva Bravo: 

• Newsletter: https://emergingfintech.co

• X: https://x.com/tonycueva

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/tonycueva

In this episode, we cover: 

(00:00) Episode Highlights 

(02:03) Welcome to Emerging Fintech and Ana's Introduction 

(04:39) Ana's Journey in Fintech - From E-commerce to Guiabolso 

(06:46) Key Lessons from Guiabolso and Intuit 

(07:48) Learning Transparency at Truora - Building Philosophy 

(10:17) Discovering the Problem - Personal Aha Moment with Joint Accounts 

(13:34) The Concept of Social Fintech - Beyond Individual Banking 

(16:15) Cultural Dynamics - Banking for Relationships, Not Just Money 

(17:37) Leveraging Open Banking and PIX for Innovation 

(20:15) Expanding Beyond Accounts - Investment and Financial Stack 

(22:13) User Acquisition Strategy - The White Card and Word-of-Mouth 

(27:17) Social Media Strategy - Authenticity and Reality Shows 

(30:03) Vision for Multiplayer Banking - The Future of Household Finance 

(30:23) Vision for the Future of Noh 

(32:14) Five-Year Vision - Organizing Brazilian Family Finances 

(34:11) Fundraising Experience - $3M Seed Round Success 

(36:47) Fundraising Advice - Industry Fit and Hair-on-Fire Problems 

(39:32) Building the Right Team - MVT (Minimum Viable Team) 

(41:26) Core Values in Practice - Proposals and Customer Focus 

(44:15) Radical Transparency - Open Numbers and Company Culture 

(48:33) Scaling Transparency - Maintaining Culture as You Grow 

(50:35) Leadership Challenges - Learning to Delegate and Ask for Help 

(52:11) Best Career Advice - Separating Signal from Noise 

(55:17) AI and the Future of Fintech - Automation vs. Human Touch 

(01:00:34) Final Question - Alternative Paths if not building Noh 

(01:02:30) Closing Thoughts and Thank You

Benjamin Gleason is the co-founder and CSO of Kamino, a financial operations platform serving over 1,500 Brazilian SMBs. Before founding Kamino, Benjamin co-founded GuiaBolso, one of Brazil's first open banking pioneers, which he successfully sold to PicPay after reaching 6 million active users. He also served as CFO at Groupon Brazil during its explosive growth phase and has been building businesses in Brazil for over 17 years. A Wisconsin native who moved to Brazil and never left, Benjamin has become a serial entrepreneur deeply embedded in the country's fintech ecosystem. In this episode, we discuss how Benjamin spotted massive opportunities in emerging markets, the unique challenges of building fintech infrastructure in Brazil, and the mindset shifts required to succeed as a repeat entrepreneur.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

1. Why you can solve much bigger problems in Brazil and emerging markets compared to Silicon Valley
2. How Benjamin bet his entire company on building "impossible" open banking technology before it was regulated
3. The story behind going from 10,000 to 1 million users in just six months through viral mobile growth
4. How GuiaBolso survived being sued by Brazil's biggest bank by creating an unbreakable shield of 6 million user supporters
5. Why Benjamin believes competing fintechs means both companies are probably screwed - and what market size really means
6. The three layers Kamino uses to transform SMB finances: efficiency, control, and visibility
7. How Kamino helped a Series B healthtech company go from being "completely underwater" to fully automated in just three weeks
8. Why 60-80% of Brazil's GDP is generated by SMBs still managing finances manually with Excel
9. The philosophy of "easy decisions, hard life, hard decisions, easy life" and why it guides every major business choice
10. Why you can't successfully launch in Brazil from outside the country - and the importance of boots on the ground in emerging markets
11. How Benjamin transitioned from a successful exit directly into co-founding Kamino with former Groupon colleagues
12. His contrarian prediction that traditional banks will become mere utilities in the next decade

Transcript: https://www.emergingfintech.co/p/pioneering-open-banking-in-brazil

Where to find Benjamin Gleason:
• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamingleason/

Where to find Kamino:
• Website: https://www.kamino.com.br
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kaminolatam/

Where to find Tony Cueva Bravo:
• Newsletter: https://emergingfintech.co
• X: https://www.x.com/tonycueva
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonycueva

In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introduction and Background
(06:12) Cultural Insights: Brazil vs. US
(07:11) Transitioning from Consulting to Fast-Paced Startups
(09:46) Challenges and Lessons from GuiaBolso
(12:36) Navigating Regulatory Challenges in Fintech
(15:35) Achieving Product-Market Fit at GuiaBolso
(18:14) Strategic Exit: Why Sell to PicPay?
(20:55) Founding Kamino: Lessons from GuiaBolso
(25:17) Initial Customer Engagement and Product Development
(29:10) Evolving Focus: From Startups to Medium-Sized Businesses
(31:49) Overcoming Adoption Challenges in Financial Solutions
(33:46) Navigating Brazil's Regulatory Landscape
(36:05) Financial Clarity for SMBs
(37:32) Case Study: Genial Care's Transformation
(39:46) Understanding ERP Adoption in Brazil
(41:32) Team Building and Company Culture Evolution
(43:58) Value Creation and Customer Retention
(46:48) Navigating Economic Volatility
(48:52) The Importance of Cash Flow Management
(50:26) Vision for Kamino's Future
(51:36) Strategic Considerations for Expansion
(53:47) The Future of Financial Management
(56:52) Differentiation in a Crowded Market
(58:45) Lessons from a Serial Entrepreneur
(01:02:33) Advice for Emerging Market Entrepreneurs

Henrique Weaver is the co-founder and CEO of Pagaleve, a Brazilian fintech pioneering buy now, pay later services via Brazil's instant payment system PIX. Before founding Pagaleve, Henrique held leadership positions at global companies including Uber, OYO, and McKinsey. He recently led Pagaleve to reach over 1 billion reais in payment volume and achieve positive EBITDA while growing 8x year-over-year. In this episode, we discuss how Pagaleve is revolutionizing credit access in Brazil, the impact of payment innovation on financial inclusion, and the future of fintech in emerging markets.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

1. How Pagaleve serves three underserved customer groups: people without credit cards, those with insufficient credit limits, and consumers who prefer alternative payment methods

2. Why Pagaleve's purchasing process is faster and simpler than using a credit card online

3. How PIX, Brazil's instant payment system, has created new opportunities for fintech innovation

4. The cultural lessons Henrique brought from Uber's "big bold bets" philosophy to Pagaleve

5. How Pagaleve's AI-driven credit engine analyzes 100+ variables in real-time to achieve 70% approval rates with delinquency below 2%

6. The three key traits Henrique looks for when hiring: high energy levels, interpersonal skills, and strong analytical capabilities

7. How Pagaleve is testing physical retail with 2,000 locations while maintaining focus on e-commerce

8. The strategy behind securing a $25M Series A led by Salesforce Ventures (their first investment in Latin America)

9. How Pagaleve achieved positive EBITDA while maintaining 8x year-over-year growth

10. Practical advice for entrepreneurs building fintech solutions in emerging markets

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Where to find Henrique Weaver:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henriqueweaver/

—

Where to find Pagaleve:
• Website: https://www.pagaleve.com.br
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pagaleve/

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Where to find Tony Cueva Bravo:
• Newsletter: https://emergingfintech.co
• X: https://www.x.com/tonycueva
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonycueva/

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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introduction to Emerging Fintech
(03:23) Henrique Weaver's Journey to Fintech Entrepreneurship
(07:05) Lessons from Uber and OYO: Building a Strong Foundation
(11:35) Understanding Brazil's Unique Payment Culture and Initial Hypothesis about Pagaleve
(15:05) Validating the Pagaleve Hypothesis: Research and Insights
(16:47) Building a Diverse and Talented Founding Team in Pagaleve
(19:23) Cultural Values at Pagaleve: The Foundation of Success
(21:19) The Initial Pitch of Pagaleve: Convincing Investors and Employees
(24:27) Differentiating Pagaleve: Competitive Advantages in the Market
(26:34) Pagaleve's Innovative Risk Assessment: Understanding Consumer Behavior
(32:19) Leveraging AI: Enhancing Pagaleve's Decision-Making Process
(33:54) Securing Investment: Pagaleve's Series A Journey
(36:21) Understanding Pagaleve's Product-Market Fit
(37:23) Evolving Pagaleve's Product Strategy Through Feedback
(38:32) Pagaleve's Innovative Features and Their Impact
(41:22) Pagaleve's Scaling Success: From 30 to 7,000 Merchants
(43:01) Pagaleve's Customer Stories and Competitive Edge
(44:09) Pagaleve's Inflection Points in Growth
(45:11) Pagaleve's Challenges of Expanding to Physical Stores
(49:46) Navigating Crisis as a Leader
(52:36) The Buy Now Pay Later Landscape
(53:57) Remarkable Growth and Future Expectations
(56:03) Vision for the Future of Pagaleve
(57:00) Challenges in Execution and Prioritization
(58:13) Potential for Expansion Beyond Brazil
(59:31) Predictions for Financial Services in Emerging Markets
(01:00:21) Best Piece of Advice Received
(01:01:33) Advice on Hiring A Players for Your Startup
(01:03:49) Rapid-Fire Questions and Personal Insights
(01:07:49) Closing Thoughts and Reflections

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