The success story of fintechs in Latin America is entering a new phase. After five years of explosive growth, the ecosystem has expanded by more than 340% in the last six years, according to the Inter-American Development Bank — a new factor can now level the playing field and drive not just more growth, but also more opportunities for startups. AI agents are transforming the way financial services startups connect with customers, amplify inclusion and reduce costs. These agents offer startups the chance to scale more quickly and intelligently than their predecessors. See how they are redesigning the future of the fintech sector in Latin America
Potentiating customer engagement through AI agents
Os agentes de IA estão revolucionando as interações com clientes nas startups financeiras ao assumir a linha de frente do atendimento 24/7, besides dealing with more complex tasks, as financial advice. According to Finextra, financial institutions using personalized agents see a 30% improvement in customer satisfaction and a 20% increase in conversion rates
Some of the biggest players in the region are already reaping the benefits. The MercadoLivre, for example, integrated AI and machine learning to offer personalised financial services — um movimento que ajudou a elevar o seu valor de mercado para mais de 100 bilhões de dólares, according to Reuters
Now, with the rise of cloud computing in Latin America (growing at an annual compound rate of 15%) and the decrease in processing costs, what was once a privilege of tech giants is becoming accessible to a new generation of startups. This change in the offering is enabling growing companies to build AI solutions internally or adopt the AI as a Service (AIaaS) model to optimise their operations. Recently, a large Mexican retailer used IAaaS to digitise its consumer credit approval process — reducing the waiting time from one week to just 15 to 20 minutes, what significantly improves the customer experience
Advancing financial inclusion
With the growth of the fintech ecosystem in Latin America, financial inclusion has also advanced — even if in an uneven and limited way. According to a 2023 Mastercard study, 21% of Latin Americans remain outside the formal financial system. And, embora 79% tenham cartão de débito e/ou conta bancária, only three out of ten have access to more advanced services such as credit, loans and insurance
AI agents are becoming an essential tool to accelerate progress in financial inclusion, allowing fintech startups to take a central role in this expansion. The World Economic Forum states that the use of AI agents could trigger a "technological leap through AI" effect in developing economies such as Latin America, allowing financial services to reach underserved populations directly, without relying on traditional infrastructure
The CGAP reports that AI agents contribute to inclusion by processing complex transactions and operations while keeping customer interactions simple. For example, while an AI agent can analyse diverse datasets to create personalised financial products, he can communicate all transaction stages via WhatsApp, understand customer voice commands or offer simplified decision flows — what facilitates inclusion even in rural areas with low literacy
Furthermore, when processing more diverse datasets intelligently, AI agents are also capable of calculating fairer loan costs and increasing approval rates for people with little or no financial history. A Brazilian financial services company that used AI to analyse alternative credit data for underbanked clients achieved a 25% increase in credit approvals, maintaining low default rates
Optimising operations and reducing costs
The benefits of AI agents are not limited to customer experience and financial inclusion — startups seeking to keep their operational costs low are also finding efficiency. Galileo fintech reported that its AI agent reduced back-office calls by 70%
On Gupshup, It is observed that financial institutions that implemented AI agents experienced a 40% to 50% reduction in operational costs related to customer service and loan processing. These efficiency gains come from automation in document handling, reducing manual intervention in routine tasks and optimized workflow management
In light of these three factors — enhanced customer engagement, expansion of inclusion and cost reduction — AI agents are becoming an essential tool for the next generation of financial services startups. More than that: several venture capital funds in Latin America are already preparing to increase investments in startups offering credit products and artificial intelligence. This means that fintechs adopting AI agents will become even more attractive investment options
In summary, AI agents are not just the future of financial services in Latin America — they are already the smartest bet of the present
