The digital delivery platform iFood is moving towards an ambitious plan in the financial sector: becoming a commercial bank within a period of up to three years. The goal was revealed by Diego Barreto, CEO of the company, in an interview with the newspaper The Globe. The first step, according to the executive, will be taken in 2026, when the company will request a license from the Central Bank to offer remunerated deposits to customers.
“I want, next year, to be receiving deposits. Today, I already have a digital account, payment flow and financial services, but I want, from next year, to start offering remunerated deposits for restaurants”, he said in the interview.
Barreto explained in the report that, as iFood generates more flow in restaurants, it will have more capacity to offer credit. Therefore, the company has been working on its fintech since 2022, focusing on credit.
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He revealed that the company disburses R$160 million per month to small and medium-sized restaurants, with an average term of 18 months. In 2025, this amount should reach close to R$2 billion.
According to the plan outlined, with the necessary authorizations, iFood will also be able to offer investments and real estate credit, among other products.
Barreto also reinforced that, in the short term, the focus will continue on restaurants, but in the medium term it involves individuals, within the logic of generating synergy in the company’s ecosystem.
