RecebeAqui buys Kolek in share swap, targeting R$1B a year by 2027
What's the deal? Brazilian fintech RecebeAquiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired KolekDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a billing and receivables platform, in a deal whose value was not disclosed. The two companies will form a holding company, as yet unnamed, with Kolek's founders staying on but ceding their majority stake.
What do they do? Kolek, founded in 2022, runs a collections and receivables platform for accounting firms and small businesses, handling recurring boleto and Pix charges. RecebeAqui, part of Grupo VPA, focuses on card and payment-link transactions for the tourism sector across Latin America and Europe.
Why now? Regulation pushed the decision. Kolek chief executive officer and co-founder Murilo Pinheiro said tighter Banking as a Service (BaaS) rules made operations costlier, while the Central Bank's Resolution BCB 522 raised compliance costs for smaller fintechs.
What's the endgame? The brands and products stay separate, but management unifies under the new structure. Kolek keeps its recurring transactions for accountants, lawyers, and agencies; RecebeAqui keeps its higher-value one-off card payments.
Together the companies process R$15 million to R$20 million a month. They aim to grow that five- to six-fold, to between R$50 million and R$60 million monthly — nearly R$1 billion a year — by the end of 2027. "The market is huge, but still fragmented," Pinheiro said.
No exit: The transaction was effectively a share swap, with no liquidity for investors. Kolek raised a pre-seed round from accelerator AntlerDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → in 2022, worth about 10% of the company, followed by an angel round in 2024 that included Insper AngelsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. "We're not giving anyone an exit, they'll keep investing in the combined company," Pinheiro said.
The signal: The deal reflects a wave of consolidation among Brazilian payments and financial-management fintechs, as smaller sector-focused players fold into larger platforms rather than chase independent funding. In a climate of costlier credit and tighter regulation, RecebeAqui and Kolek are betting on a "verticalise and consolidate" thesis — bringing more niche fintechs into the group.
Read more: Startups.com.br
