Maria Silveira

Barkus is an ed-tech that democratizes access to financial education and inclusion for young people and vulnerable groups through a humanized chatbot that works as a financial educator via WhatsApp.

“Acquiring financial education early on was transformative for me, a young black woman from the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I aspire to extend this impact to other young individuals facing vulnerable situations.

“We’ve recognized the value of choosing this platform by observing the KPIs of our learning product: over 40% of users reach the end, while the average completion rate in the market currently ranges between 5% and 15%. Another advantage is our average ticket price, which is lower than the fees charged by other educational solutions in the market. Barkus has already impacted over 140,000 people around Brazil.

“Every day, I wake up knowing that my work, as a black woman in the financial market, is, in itself, part of my legacy. And my legacy is to leave not only a future but also create a better present. I strongly believe that innovation resides in diversity. And it is an innovation that the world needs.”