DIGITAL BANKING
Vélez has transformed banking across Latin America through Nubank, the digital bank he co-founded in 2013. Now serving millions of customers across Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, the company has risen to become one of the region’s most significant financial institutions.
DAVID VÉLEZ
TITLE : CO-FOUNDER & CEO COMPANY: NUBANK INDUSTRY: FINTECH LOCATION: BRAZIL
David Vélez, 43, co-founded Nubank in 2013 after fleeing Colombia’s violence as a child. Stanfordeducated , he transformed Latin American banking, building a financial institution now valued at US$45bn.From Colombia to Silicon Valley Born in Medellín, Colombia in 1982, David’s early life was shaped by his country’s turbulent history.
An early memory was leaving a shopping centre moments before it was bombed. After his uncle was kidnapped, his family relocated to Costa Rica when he was nine years old.
The son of a button factory owner, David grew up in an entrepreneurial environment. His father had 11 siblings, all of whom ran their own businesses.
In Costa Rica, he proved to be an exceptional student and discovered a passion for financial markets.
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Learn more about NubankAfter graduating as valedictorian from a German-language prep school, he earned admission to Stanford University, where he completed both a Bachelor’s degree in Management Science and Engineering and an MBA.
His career progressed through positions in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, followed by roles in private equity at General Atlantic.
By 2011, he had become a partner at Sequoia Capital, tasked with establishing the venture capital firm’s presence in Brazil.
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June 2025
David Vélez, CEO,
Nubank