Dubai, UAE – May 14, 2025 — With a bold vision and deep social commitment, OHANA powered by Brainhawk, a Mexican startup focused on financial inclusion for migrants, has secured a place among the 8 global finalists of the Fintech World Cup, held during the Dubai FinTech Summit 2025, one of the world’s leading forums for financial innovation.
A Global Stage for Financial Innovation
Organized by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the Dubai FinTech Summit brings together global leaders, startup founders, investors, regulators, and fintech experts each year. In its 2025 edition, the event tackled crucial topics such as digital banking, sustainability, scalability of fintech models, and the urgency for inclusive financial solutions.
In this context, more than 200 startups from around the world competed for a place in the Fintech World Cup finals, where OHANA stood out for its cross-border microcredit model tailored for migrants.
OHANA’s Proposal: Fair Credit, Without Barriers or Hidden Fees
OHANA introduced an innovative microcredit system with no hidden fees, targeting Mexican migrants living in the United States who want to send money to their families. Leveraging artificial intelligence and psychometric tools developed by Brainhawk, the model allows for assessing a person’s repayment ability without relying on traditional credit history.
This technology has the potential to transform how migrant communities access credit, removing intermediaries and eliminating abusive fees. During their presentation at the Summit, the team also highlighted plans to expand the model to other regions with large migrant populations, such as India, the Middle East, and Africa.
A Purpose-Driven Model: Technology for Inclusion
The founding team of OHANA powered by Brainhawk is made up of three complementary profiles:
- Victoria Díaz-Cuervo Pueblita (Co-CEO) – Leads operations and institutional partnerships.
- Stefano Motti Novoa (Co-CEO) – Designs the overall strategy and product development.
- Ignacio Zinser Staines (CTO) – Leads the AI and psychometric-based tech creation.
Their mission is to address one of the most pressing challenges in the global financial system. Timothy Adams, President of the Institute of International Finance (IIF), emphasized in his keynote speech that access to remittances and inclusion of migrant families are critical global issues. OHANA embodies this vision, offering an ethical, scalable, and impact-driven financial solution.
Diplomatic Support and International Recognition
OHANA’s participation in Dubai was actively supported by the Embassy of Mexico in the United Arab Emirates, led by Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba and Head of Economic Affairs Óscar Gallegos. The team also received backing from Branding Matters, helping establish a strong institutional presence on one of the most important stages for global innovation.
This milestone was achieved after OHANA’s selection at the Fintech World Cup Mexico 2025 Qualifiers, organized by Trescon Global, which propelled them directly to the international stage.
A Borderless Opportunity
With over $40 billion in remittances sent annually from the UAE alone, the problem OHANA aims to solve is as global as it is urgent. Their model presents a real alternative for millions of people excluded from the formal financial system, especially within migrant communities.
OHANA powered by Brainhawk’s participation in the Dubai FinTech Summit 2025 not only elevates Mexico’s status as a key player in global fintech innovation, but also reaffirms the power of purpose-driven technology as a tool for social transformation.
🟢 Up next, exclusively for LatinGulf.ae, an interview with the founders of OHANA powered by Brainhawk: Victoria Díaz-Cuervo and Stefano Motti Novoa, who share their vision, motivations, and what’s next for this promising Mexican startup.
What does it mean for you and your team to have represented Mexico at the Dubai FinTech Summit and become a global finalist in the Fintech World Cup?
Stefano: It feels amazing it is an honor. I am a bit surprised that even though the world is hyper-connected through technology, especially in the start-up ecosystem, with so many global companies, communities, talented people changing employers, etc… I realized that this region is a whole new world, different culture, different services, different companies, and we were the only participants from America (the continent), so it felt like we were a bridge to latam, and at the same time it felt very familiar, the pitches, the presentation formats, the startup world structure… it is pretty similar.
Victoria: Representing Mexico at the Dubai FinTech Summit was both an honor and a huge responsibility. It meant standing on a global stage not just as a startup, but as a voice for millions of migrants who face challenges with remittances and remain invisible to the financial system. Becoming a global finalist reaffirmed that the problem we’re solving isn’t just local…….it’s global. It was a deeply satisfying moment for our entire team, and a powerful reminder that innovation from Latin America can resonate anywhere when it’s built with empathy and driven by purpose.
How did the Dubai FinTech Summit shape your vision for scaling OHANA’s cross-border microcredit solution, especially in regions like the Middle East and Africa?
Stefano: It helped understand that the UAE has done an amazing job, to become a true startup hub for the Africa, Middle East and south east asia. It has been mind-blowing to see how easy is to open a startup here and set it up to start operating. They truly understand the needs of startups and they are doing everything to attract them! It is very inspiring.
Abd talking about the problem, we have validated now more than ever, that the remittances and loan industry needs disruption, especially for migrants. Talking to local people; and to migrants here in the UAE, they tell us the same thing as the Mexican migrants in the US, their problems when sending money back home are similar. And we cant wait to help them all.
Victoria: Dubai helped us realize just how global the need really is. Listening to stories from locals across the Middle East, we saw clear similarities with our operation in the U.S. and Mexico: millions of migrants working abroad, sending money home, yet lacking access to real financial tools to build a future. Shaping our vision by expanding our ambition, we’re now thinking about how we could adapt OHANA’s model to new corridors, starting with regions that share this same structural gap. The Middle East in particular, with almost $40B in annual remittances, opened our eyes to what’s possible. It confirmed that our cross-border microloan solution has the potential to create meaningful impact wherever migrant communities are underserved.
What were some of the key insights or feedback you received during your pitch and networking sessions in Dubai that you believe will influence your next strategic steps?
Stefano: In talks with DIFC and with ABGM we understood how important is to establish here. To have presence here, to know people here, and to start to build a reputation here with strong bonds, i think that is a key aspect if we want to truly make an impact in the region, to physically be very present.
Also, with so many people to help in the mexico – latam corridor, and because is the biggest remittances corridor from single countries in the world, we have never thought about moving to this region, but after understanding the super friendly enviornment for stsrtups, the very dynamic VC ecosystem, and the similar needs, it is becoming very attractive for us to open operations here.
Victoria: A key insight was the importance of scalability through regional strategic partnerships, backing financial inclusion initiatives. Investors and ecosystem leaders consistently pointed out that OHANA powered by BRAINHAWK’s strength lies in its ability to build trust in underserved markets, but to grow beyond the U.S.-Mexico corridor, we’ll need local allies.
Another recurring point was the value of our behavioral and psychometric credit model, many saw it as a competitive advantage in markets with thin or non-existent credit data. That feedback will guide how we prioritize expansion partners and tech integrations moving forward.
Another key insight was the recognition of the social impact within our model. Beyond traction metrics and proof of concept, many stakeholders emphasized the transformative effect OHANA has on families, helping them access opportunities, stay connected across borders, and build long-term economic resilience. It reminded us that while scalability is essential, the impact per dollar is just as important.
OHANA’s technology focuses on financial inclusion for migrants — how did your value proposition resonate with stakeholders and investors in the UAE, a country with a large migrant population?
Stefano: I think this was answered in previous questions, but to make a deepdive, i think that because we are able to find variables that are intrinsic to the person (their character, personality traits, etc.), and that we can do the underwriting process with alternative data, stakeholders here understood perfectly how we can help the people here.
Victoria: OHANA powered by BRAINHAWK’s value proposition resonated in the UAE because the large migrant population faces many of the same barriers as our current clients in the U.S. The idea that a system can see and trust people beyond their credit history was eye opening, especially in a region where migrants are essential to the economy but often excluded from formal financial systems. Our pitch sparked immediate interest in replicating the model locally, which gave us both validation and new strategic questions to explore.
How would you describe the role of institutional support, including from the Mexican Embassy in the UAE, in enabling your participation and visibility at such a high-level international event?
Stefano: Without the role of institutional support we wouldn’t be here. First of all, to Melisa Urtuzuastegui founder of Branding Matters, and ambassador of the Fintech World.Cup in Latam. She took the event to Mexico, and organized everything. Without her support we wouldn’t even be aware of the Dubai fintech summit.
Secondly a big thanks to all the Mexico embassy, and ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba. He and his whole team have been very welcoming and have all the disposition in helping us connect with the ecosystem, and help us grow as much as possible, they make us feel like home.
Victoria: The presence and support of the Mexican Embassy gave us both credibility and a deep sense of community. Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba and his team welcomed us not just as entrepreneurs, but as representatives of a broader mission to showcase Mexican talent, purpose-driven innovation, and binational collaboration. Their belief in what OHANA stands for gave us the confidence to speak from the heart and represent our country with pride. That kind of institutional backing is what transforms participation into presence, and presence into impact.
Another key factor was the warm welcome and guidance we received from Melisa Urtuzuástegui, the Fintech World Cup ambassador for LATAM and founder of Branding Matters, a branding, PR, and events UAE-based company. Melisa was the one in charge of organizing the LATAM qualifiers in Mexico, which is how we first connected with the Fintech World Cup. Her continued support in Dubai, from introductions to ecosystem insights, made a real difference. She helped us feel seen, prepared, and connected, not just as participants, but as representatives of Latin America.
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