Bold

The story of Bold.co is a journey born from a clear vision to democratize digital payments in a country where cash has long been king. Founded in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2019 by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs including José Vélez, Ana Sandoval, Enrique Ramirez, Jorge Ulloa, and Sergio Vergara, Bold emerged to tackle a significant challenge: the financial exclusion of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). José Vélez, having previously co-founded and led PayU Latam to become a regional powerhouse in online payments, witnessed firsthand the barriers that prevented smaller merchants from accessing the digital economy. This experience ignited the mission for Bold: to create simple, affordable, and secure financial tools that would empower entrepreneurs to prosper.

From its inception, Bold set out to break down the traditional hurdles of electronic payments. The company's first major product was a low-cost point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a dataphone, designed for accessibility. This allowed businesses, from street vendors to small shops and independent professionals, to accept credit and debit card payments seamlessly, many for the first time. The enrollment process was designed to be exceptionally agile, enabling merchants to get started in minutes. This focus on user experience and removing friction was a core tenet. The journey wasn't just about technology; it was about fostering economic growth from the ground up. By providing access to digital transactions, Bold unlocked new revenue streams for thousands of merchants. The company's growth has been remarkable, scaling from a dedicated team to over a thousand employees and securing significant funding from major international investors like General Atlantic and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), validating its impactful model and its potential to reshape Colombia's economic landscape.