Julián Colombo, CEO of N5, discusses the rise of autonomous banking in Latin America, the role of artificial intelligence, and the key challenges shaping digital transformation across the financial sector.
Three questions, three answers… Leaders from financial and technology companies share how they’re navigating the market. Today it’s N5, a technology company for the financial industry, founded in 2017. We interviewed Julián Colombo, CEO of N5, who spoke about trends, challenges, and the digital transformation of the banking industry. Let’s dive in.
1) What are the 2026 trends coming for the fintech industry that will drive a meaningful improvement in efficiency and competitiveness?
Julián Colombo: The financial industry is undergoing a profound transformation. If 2025 marked the shift of artificial intelligence from promise to real-world application, 2026 will be the year when efficiency and competitiveness are redefined at scale.
The main trend will be the consolidation of autonomous banking, driven by AI. Credit decisions, pricing, and collections will increasingly be made in real time, through automated processes and within clear governance frameworks with human oversight. This will reduce costs, improve accuracy, and speed up processes.
In Latin America, financial institutions will move toward integrated platforms that replace fragmented solutions and enable data, risk, and operations management within a single ecosystem. Alongside this, instant payments, embedded finance, and emotional banking—which adapts the experience based on the customer’s context—will help strengthen financial inclusion through more accessible and scalable solutions.
2) What were the main challenges that defined the arrival of artificial intelligence in the insurance sector during 2025, and what’s coming next for this segment?
Julián Colombo: In insurance, AI’s expansion in 2025 brought key challenges: technological scalability, regulatory adaptation, and cultural resistance within organizations. Integrating intelligent models into critical processes required not only investment, but also a deep shift in how people work and make decisions.
The arrival of Universal Life insurance in Brazil, for example, marked an inflection point that other markets had already experienced—where AI began playing a central role in supporting more flexible, dynamic, and personalized products.
Throughout 2026, the sector will enter a more mature phase. The focus will be on operational efficiency, personalization, and ethical governance.
3) N5 aims to consolidate itself as a leader in the digital transformation of the banking industry. Where is the company today, what are the next investment steps, and how do you see 2026?
Julián Colombo: We closed a pivotal year, extending our funding round and reaching approximately US$20 million. Alexia Ventures and Scale-Up Ventures, Endeavor’s investment fund, joined the group of investors already supporting us: Illuminate Financial, Exor Ventures, Madrone Capital Partners, LTS Investments, Arpex Capital, and Overboost. We also maintained our presence in 18 countries, as well as strategic partnerships with global leaders such as Microsoft.
Our goal for 2026 is clear: to be the leading reference for autonomous banking in Latin America, integrating AI and Open Finance to deliver experiences that are seamless, secure, and efficient.
The company will continue investing in Research & Development and in strategic partnerships to support the region’s financial industry as it evolves digitally.
2026 won’t be just a technological shift—it will be a cultural one. And at N5, we’re ready to lead it.
