Tilt, the San Francisco-based American fintech specialized in cash flow assessment and alternative credit, announced the acquisition of Blipay. The Brazilian payroll advance company was founded in 2021 by former JP Morgan executives Carlos Rodolfo Nascimento, Rodrigo Nakaura and Felipe Müller Ziliotti. Although the companies did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction, the purchase gives Tilt an immediate presence in Brazil and access to a base of more than 6 million registered users.
Blipay used Open Banking data and disbursements via Pix to extend credit to customers excluded by traditional banking. Similarly, Tilt is committed to a model based on alternative data. Instead of relying on credit scores, the company analyzes cash flow in real time to provide liquidity. Thanks to this approach, you can serve three out of every four consumers that traditional entities rejected.
A commitment to the most neglected market in the region
Brazil represents a great opportunity for Tilt. Currently, Pix is used by 90% of the population and nearly 100 million people remain underserved by traditional banking. Additionally, the infrastructure that Blipay has already developed in the local financial ecosystem will allow Tilt to scale its AI credit model without starting from scratch.
“We created Blipay for Brazilian workers who, despite doing things well, were invisible to conventional credit models. Tilt was the partner we were looking for because they have already done precisely this, on a large scale, in markets like ours. Our ambition has always been to be the main consumer credit institution in Brazil. Now we have the infrastructure and resources to achieve it faster,” said Felipe Ziliotti, co-founder and CEO of Blipay.
A global strategy that does not stop
Tilt, formerly known as Empower Finance, has fueled its international expansion through strategic acquisitions. These include Cashalo, in the Philippines; NIRA, in India; and Petal, in the United States. Now, Brazil becomes the next chapter of that strategy and reinforces the company’s global presence in the alternative credit market.
Additionally, the company is backed by Sequoia Capital, Blisce, Icon Ventures, and Defy Ventures. It also receives the support of David Vélez, founder of Nubank. “The advantage we have developed in risk assessment is not specific to one market: it is a competitive advantage that is consolidated every time we enter a new region,” said Warren Hogarth, co-founder and CEO of Tilt.
