Guama
Digital credit card for Colombians without credit history
Website: https://www.guamacard.com/
Cover Block
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Guama (Guamacard) |
| Tagline | Digital credit card for Colombians without credit history |
| Headquarters | Bogotá, Colombia |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Stage | Seed |
| Business Model | B2C |
| Industry | Fintech |
| Technology | AI / Machine Learning |
| Geography | Latin America (Colombia) |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (María Paula Pinzón, Victor Julio, Alfredo J. Prieto) |
| Funding Label | Undisclosed (total disclosed ~$1,500,000) |
Links
- Website: https://www.guamacard.com/
- LinkedIn: https://co.linkedin.com/company/guamacard
- App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/guama/id6474447069
Summary and Signal
Guama is a Colombian fintech building a digital credit card for the large segment of the population excluded from the traditional financial system due to a lack of credit history. The company's proposition targets a fundamental, underserved need in a major Latin American economy with a product that leverages modern data infrastructure for underwriting [Guamacard.com].
The company was founded in 2023 by three former Nubank colleagues, María Paula Pinzón, Victor Julio, and Alfredo J. Prieto [Contxto, Nov 2023]. Its core product, the Guamacard, is a fully digital VISA credit card that requires no collateral or prior credit score, instead using open banking data and alternative data sources to assess applicant risk [Guamacard.com].
Key differentiators include a completely digital application via mobile app, the issuance of free virtual cards, and a commitment to reporting user payment behavior to credit bureaus to help customers build a formal financial history [Contxto, Nov 2023]. The company has raised an undisclosed seed round, with one report citing a $1.5 million raise led by Salkantay Ventures, and it completed the Techstars Payments accelerator in 2024 [LatamList] [Techstars, 2024].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product claims and founding team background are corroborated by multiple sources; specific funding details and traction metrics rely on limited public reporting.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Stage | Seed |
| Business Model | B2C |
| Industry / Vertical | Fintech |
| Technology Type | AI / Machine Learning |
| Geography | Latin America (Colombia) |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (3+) |
| Funding | Undisclosed (~$1.5M seed reported) |
Company Overview
Guama was founded in 2023 by a trio of former Nubank colleagues, María Paula Pinzón, Victor Julio, and Alfredo J. Prieto, who identified a persistent gap in Colombia's financial system: the inability for individuals without a formal credit history to access a basic credit card [Contxto, Nov 2023]. The company is headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, and operates under the brand Guamacard [CBInsights]. Its founding narrative centers on a pivot from an initial concept as a personal finance management app to a focused credit product [Contxto, Nov 2023].
Key operational milestones are anchored by its participation in the Techstars Payments accelerator program in 2024 [Techstars, 2024]. The company's primary product, the Guamacard, was officially launched in the first quarter of 2024 following a development and integration period with its card-issuing partner, Pomelo [Contxto, Nov 2023] [Pomelo]. A seed funding round of $1.5 million, led by Salkantay Ventures with participation from Story Ventures and Hustle Fund, was subsequently reported [LatamList] [Forbes Colombia, Aug 2025].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Founding team and HQ confirmed by multiple sources; accelerator participation and seed round reported by industry publications.
The Product and the Stack
Guama’s product is a digital credit card designed for Colombian adults who lack a formal credit history. The company’s primary wedge is its underwriting method, which replaces traditional bureau scores with analysis of open banking data. Applicants link a bank account through the mobile app, and Guama uses the transaction history and cash flow patterns to assess creditworthiness, a process the company describes as “100% digital” and requiring no collateral or deposit [Guamacard.com].
The core offering, the Guamacard Clásica, is a VISA credit card issued and processed through a partnership with Pomelo [Pomelo blog]. The product economics include a variable interest rate, a monthly management fee charged only when there is a balance, and an optional fee for a physical card [Contxto, Nov 2023]. The initial product is a virtual card, with the company promoting features like progressive credit limit increases and interest-free single installment purchases for certain transactions [Contxto, Nov 2023]. A critical component of the value proposition is that payment behavior is reported to Colombian credit bureaus [Guamacard.com].
From a technology perspective, the card issuance and payment processing layer is provided by Pomelo’s platform, which enabled a launch timeline of 11 days from integration [Pomelo blog]. The proprietary underwriting engine involves machine learning models trained on the aggregated open banking data. The user-facing experience is delivered through native iOS and Android applications [App Store].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are consistent across the company website and partner blog, but specific technical details and performance metrics are not publicly verified.
The Market They Are Entering
The market for thin-file credit in Colombia is defined by a persistent structural gap between traditional bank underwriting and a large, digitally-connected population seeking formal financial inclusion. The Colombian credit card market was valued at approximately $12.5 billion in 2023, with over 15 million cards in circulation [Statista, 2024]. Colombia's financial regulator, the Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia, reported that 66% of adults had a credit product in 2022, leaving an estimated 14 million adults outside the formal credit system [SFC, 2022].
Demand is driven by high smartphone penetration, estimated at over 70% in Colombia [GSMA, 2023], and the formalization of open banking frameworks in Latin America. Adjacent markets include buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services and debit cards, which facilitate digital spending but do not inherently build a credit profile.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Adult Population (2022 est.) | 38 million |
| Adults with a Credit Product (2022) | 25 million |
| Adults without Formal Credit (2022 est.) | 14 million |
| Credit Card Market Value (2023) | 12.5 $B |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing figures are from third-party reports (Statista, SFC) but are not specific to the thin-file credit segment.
The Competitive Field
Guama enters a Colombian credit market defined by high barriers to entry and a clear divide between traditional banks and fintechs attempting to serve the thin-file population.
| Company | Positioning | Stage / Funding | Notable Differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guama | Digital credit card for Colombians without credit history, using open banking data. | Seed ($1.5M) | No collateral or deposit required; reports to credit bureaus to build user history. |
Incumbent banking sector participants include Bancolombia, Davivienda, and Banco de Bogotá. Guama's primary named competitor is ExcelCredit, which targets the thin-file segment using a secured card model. Adjacent substitutes include buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) providers like Addi and Nelo, and digital lenders such as Lulobank.
Guama's defensible edge rests on its specific data wedge and partnership architecture. The company's underwriting process is predicated on open banking data, a resource that traditional banks have been slow to operationalize. The partnership with Pomelo for card issuing and processing provides a capital-light, regulatory-compliant infrastructure layer.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor ExcelCredit confirmed via its website; broader market context from public reports.
Opportunity
If Guama can successfully establish itself as the primary on-ramp to formal credit for Colombia's unbanked and thin-file population, the prize is a multi-billion dollar consumer finance business built on a proprietary underwriting dataset. The founding team's prior experience at Nubank provides a relevant playbook for scaling a consumer fintech in Latin America [Contxto, Nov 2023].
| Scenario | What happens | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical Integration into Full-Service Neobank | Guama uses its credit card user base as a launchpad to cross-sell high-margin products like personal loans, savings accounts, and insurance. | Launch of a proprietary digital wallet or deposit account, leveraging existing user data and trust. |
| Become the Underwriting API for Other Lenders | The proprietary risk models and data access built for Guama's card are productized and sold as a service to other financial institutions. | A formal partnership announcement with a regional bank or larger fintech to white-label the underwriting engine. |
Compounding for Guama would manifest as a classic data network effect in credit underwriting. Each new customer provides more behavioral and repayment data, refining the risk models for the next cohort of applicants. A 2025 article notes the company's goal to surpass 100,000 users following its seed round [Portafolio, 2025].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- The opportunity analysis is based on confirmed product positioning and founder background, but specific traction metrics and detailed market size data are not publicly available.
Sources
- [Guamacard.com] Guama | Tu primera tarjeta de crédito | https://www.guamacard.com/
- [Contxto, Nov 2023] Guamacard Launches Colombia's First Credit Card for Non-Credit History Individuals | https://contxto.com/en/latin-america/guamacard-launches-colombias-first-credit-card-for-non-credit-history-individuals/
- [CBInsights] Guama - Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, Headquarters Locations | https://www.cbinsights.com/company/guama
- [Techstars, 2024] Techstars Payments powered by Stellar and MoneyGram Announces 2024 Class | https://www.techstars.com/newsroom/techstars-payments-powered-by-stellar-and-moneygram-announces-2024-class
- [Pomelo blog] Guama tarjeta powered by Pomelo | https://pomelo.la/blog/guama-tarjeta-powered-by-pomelo
- [LatamList] Guama raises $1.5M seed round | https://latamlist.com/guama-raises-1-5m-seed-round/
- [App Store] Guama on the App Store | https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/guama/id6474447069
- [Forbes Colombia, Aug 2025] Guama, fundada por tres ex-Nubank, obtiene US$1.5 millones para su tarjeta de crédito para quienes no tienen historial crediticio | https://forbes.co/2025/08/21/emprendedores/guama-tarjeta-de-credito
- [Statista, 2024] Credit Card Market in Colombia | https://www.statista.com/outlook/fmo/credit-cards/colombia
- [SFC, 2022] Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia - Financial Inclusion Report | https://www.superfinanciera.gov.co/inicio/estadisticas-y-publicaciones/estadisticas/inclusion-financiera
- [GSMA, 2023] The Mobile Economy Latin America | https://www.gsma.com/mobileeconomy/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GSMA-Mobile-Economy-Latin-America-2023.pdf
- [World Bank] Global Findex Database | https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/globalfindex
- [Colombia Fintech, Jul 2025] Guama se une a Colombia Fintech para fortalecer la inclusión financiera en el país | https://colombiafintech.co/2025/07/17/guama-se-une-a-colombia-fintech-para-fortalecer-la-inclusion-financiera-en-el-pais/
- [Belvo] Fintech Heroes: desafíos para la inclusión financiera en Colombia con Guama | https://belvo.com/es/blog/fintech-heroes-desafios-inclusion-financiera-colombia-con-guama/
- [Portafolio, 2025] Guama cierra ronda de inversión por USD $1.5 millones para superar los 100.000 usuarios | https://www.portafolio.co/negocios/inversion/guama-cierra-ronda-de-inversion-por-usd-1-5-millones-para-superar-los-100-000-usuarios-639864
Articles about Guama
- Guama's Visa Card for Colombia's Unbanked Lands a $1.5M Seed — Ex-Nubank founders and Salkantay Ventures back a bet on open banking data to underwrite credit where traditional bureaus see nothing.