In the most indebted country in Latin America, where 67% of the population has no financial reserves to handle unforeseen events, according to a Fiduc survey, Brazilian startups are beginning to transform the consumer's relationship with money. One of the initiatives gaining prominence is SmartSave, a fintech accelerated byStart Growththat automates the creation of emergency reservations based on rounding values in daily transactions.
The proposal is simple: with each purchase made by credit card, a predetermined amount set by the user is automatically invested in a kind of digital piggy bank. "We know that saving is difficult, especially in a country where more than half the population lives with tight income. SmartSave solves this by eliminating the need for conscious effort to save," he says.Marilucia Silva Pertile, CEO, co-founder of Start Growth and startup mentor.
With over a thousand people accessing the platform, the startup emerges as a practical solution to a structural problem. Datafolha data reinforces the concerning scenario: seven out of ten Brazilians have no amount set aside for emergencies. In this context, automated solutions become more relevant by democratizing access to investment, without requiring technical knowledge or large initial amounts.
The methodology is based on the concept of digital microeconomics. "It's a way to make money work in favor of the user without them having to radically change their habits," explains Marilucia. The fintech has already raised over R$1 million in investments and joins the Start Growth portfolio, which has been operating as a venture capital and accelerator of innovative businesses since 2014.
For the founder of Start Growth, the impact of solutions like this goes beyond the individual level. "Creating access to the financial reserve is not just a matter of personal discipline, but of economic justice. The more Brazilians have autonomy to face unforeseen events, the stronger the ecosystem of consumption, credit, and entrepreneurship will be," he evaluates.
With the app already operational, SmartSave provides integrations and features that allow the user to monitor, in real time, the progress of their savings and the diversification options for the stored amounts, as well as set personalized amounts to be saved automatically.
