Kontigo
Category: AI in Fintech
A USDC-smart neobank for Latinos that provides stablecoin-based banking services, enabling instant cross-border payments, savings protection from currency devaluation, and financial inclusion across Latin America and the United States. Kontigo was founded in 2023. The company is led by Jesus Castillo. Based in San Francisco, United States. Team size: 10. Total funding raised: $20.5M. Latest round: Seed ($20.0M, Dec 2025). Key investors include ["DST Global","Y Combinator","Coinbase Ventures","Soma Capital","Founders, Inc.","Pioneer Fund","FoundersX Ventures","Transpose","HF0","Orange DAO","Optimism","Bayhouse Capital","Alumni Ventures"].
- Founded
- 2023
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, United States
- Team size
- 10
- Total funding
- $20.5M
Value proposition
Protects savings from local currency devaluation through USDC wallets while providing instant, unlimited cross-border payments with up to 10% yield on holdings, enabling financial inclusion without traditional banking barriers through an AI-powered WhatsApp banking assistant.
Products and solutions
["USDC Global Wallet with non-custodial storage","Bitcoin Savings Account for wealth creation","Stablecoin Visa Debit Card with Bitcoin cashback (up to 8% return)","USDT-backed Credit Lines","AI WhatsApp Banking Assistant (AI private banker)","Kochinitos - Saving Circles (ROSCAs) with yield generation","Save Now, Buy Later Marketplace","AI Credit Builder with credit reporting","Tokenized U.S. Stocks Investment Platform","Cross-border Payment Infrastructure (Venmo-like on USDC, Zelle-equivalent internationally)","QR Code Payment System","Peer-to-Peer Crypto Onramp"]
Unique value
First neobank to combine USDC stablecoin banking with Bitcoin savings for Latino markets, integrated with AI-powered WhatsApp assistant for natural language banking transactions. Features non-custodial, fully decentralized architecture enabling global access without traditional banking limitations. Provides instant, unlimited cross-border payments across all corridors (U.S. ↔ LatAm ↔ Asia). Utilizes AI-driven alternative credit scoring based on Muhammad Yunus's microfinance methodology, enabling micro-lending without traditional credit history requirements.
Target customer
Latinos in the US and Latin America, including both individuals and SMBs; specifically targeting unbanked/underbanked populations in regions with currency instability (reaching 4.8 billion people globally)
Industries served
["Fintech / Stablecoin Banking","Financial Inclusion","Remittances & Cross-border Payments","SMB Banking","Digital Banking / Neobanking","Cryptocurrency & Web3","AI-Powered Financial Services","Alternative Lending"]
Technology advantage
Built on stablecoin infrastructure (USDC/USDT) with Circle partnership, eliminating currency devaluation risks that plague Latin American economies. Combines decentralized blockchain technology with AI-powered conversational banking interface, enabling users to execute international USDC transactions via WhatsApp. Features automated yield generation through saving circles (ROSCAs), instant remittances without limits, and AI credit building that reports to credit bureaus. Team has previously built Venezuela's largest micro-lending app and brings experience from Venmo, Nubank, Rappi, MercadoLibre, Ualá, and Platzi.
How they differentiate
First USDC-smart neobank specifically designed for Latinos, combining stablecoin banking with AI-powered WhatsApp assistant for natural language transactions. Unlike traditional neobanks that operate with local fiat currencies exposed to inflation, Kontigo uses blockchain-native USDC stablecoins to protect against currency devaluation in Latin American markets. Offers instant, unlimited cross-border payments (no fees or limits), up to 10% yield on USDC holdings, Bitcoin savings accounts with up to 8% cashback on debit card purchases, and AI-driven alternative credit scoring based on Muhammad Yunus's microfinance methodology for underserved populations without traditional credit history.
Main competitors
["Nubank","Revolut","Plasma One"]
Key partnerships
["Flagright (Y Combinator alumni) - Transaction monitoring, AML compliance, case management, risk scoring, and AI forensics","Circle - USDC stablecoin infrastructure provider","Binance - Cryptocurrency infrastructure partnership","Thirdweb - Decentralized technology infrastructure","DST Global (Lead Investor, December 2025)","Y Combinator (S24 Batch)","Coinbase Ventures","Founders, Inc.","Soma Capital","Pioneer Fund","FoundersX Ventures","Transpose","HF0","Orange DAO","Optimism"]
Notable customers
[]
Major milestones
["Y Combinator S24 batch selection (2024)","Reached 1M+ users across Latin America and US","Processed $1B+ in payment volume","Achieved $30M ARR and profitability within 12 months","Raised $20M seed round led by DST Global (Dec 2025)","Valued at $100M post-seed funding","100% user reimbursement ($340,905 to 1,005 users) after security incident (Jan 2026)","Partnership with Flagright for AML compliance and transaction monitoring"]
Growth metrics
1M+ users, $30M ARR, $1B+ payment volume, profitable within 12 months, 2+ year runway, $100M valuation
Market positioning
Fastest-growing stablecoin neobank targeting emerging markets, specifically serving 1M+ Latinos across US and Latin America. Achieved $30M ARR and processed $1B+ payment volume with lean 10-person team. Positioned as 'Venmo on USDC, Zelle for unlimited cross-border transfers, and Nubank/Revolut without inflationary currencies.' Operates entirely on decentralized blockchain infrastructure with 24/7 availability, fractional operating costs, and permissionless global access without traditional banking barriers.
Geographic focus
United States Latino community and Latin America (Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador), with global expansion capability across all corridors including U.S. ↔ LatAm, LatAm ↔ Asia, Asia ↔ Europe, U.S. ↔ Africa, Europe ↔ LatAm
Patents and IP
No registered patents disclosed as of latest update
About Jesus Castillo
Previously built the largest micro-lending app in Venezuela for low-income SMBs using AI and Muhammad Yunus's microfinance methodology; 10+ years in fintech and financial inclusion across Latin America
Official website: https://www.kontigo.lat