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Creditas leads R$ 100 million investment in leading electric vehicle company Voltz

In its biggest bet so far, the fintech Creditas leads an investment that includes Grupo Ultra’s venture arm and aims to consolidate Voltz as the leader in EVs in Latin America

Sao Paulo, May 24th, 2021 - Creditas, the leading digital platform for lending and consumer solutions, is announcing a strategic investment in Voltz, a pioneer in the electric motorcycle market in Brazil. Creditas has invested R$ 95 million of the R$ 100 million round, which also counts UVC as an investor; UVC is the venture arm of Grupo Ultra, a company engaged in the oil & gas chain through Ipiranga, Ultragaz and Ultracargo, specialty chemicals through Oxiteno and retail pharmacy with Extrafarma. The investment round led by the fintech will support Voltz's growth plans to become the leading electric motorcycle company in Latin America.

"We are going to scale up the company while improving supply chain, opening concept stores and showrooms in key strategic cities, launching of new products and connectivity projects that will reframe 2 wheels mobility. We know how important credit is for vehicle sales - especially motorcycles - and Creditas believes in our smart motorcycle project which will take part in this demand with Voltz. Meanwhile, UVC R$ 5 million investment is a bet in a promising startup, with a product with less impact on the environment. The investment may also allow partnerships with the Ultra’s businesses, such as pop-up showrooms and battery swapping stations at Ipiranga gas stations", says Renato Villar, CEO and Founder of Voltz.

"The future of mobility lies in smarter, connected, and environmental-friendly transportation. Today's consumers demand a complete experience and Voltz is committed to delivering that. We believe the company is paving the way for the future of two-wheelers in Brazil," says Sergio Furio, Founder and CEO of Creditas. "The investment in Voltz is our biggest bet so far and confirms our belief that innovation in financial services needs to be closely linked to technological progress and migration from combustion to electric engines. Renato is an outstanding entrepreneur and the perfect partner to reinvent the two-wheeler market", adds Furio.

The investment in Voltz opens a new vertical for Creditas with the launching of electric motorcycle financing. "The strategic partnership with Voltz will allow us to innovate in a market with customized solutions to improve our customers’ purchasing power. The synergies between smart mobility and financial products are huge and will allow us to create new models for vehicle acquisition", says Furio.

The partnership between Creditas and Voltz also opens several new opportunities:  

  • Financing electric motorcycles with customized credit models, using Internet of Things (IoT) and improving predictive capacity

  • Creating a new sales channel for Voltz, including the Creditas @Work digital ecosystem with partner companies and the new Creditas Auto showroom network

  • Creating a proprietary marketplace for used motorcycles that will use the reconditioning capabilities of Creditas Auto’s physical space in Barueri, delivering a higher value proposition to lower-income clients

  • Supporting Voltz in developing battery swapping stations to make more flexible models viable

"We believe that joining forces with Voltz will allow us to advance together in an untapped market in Brazil and which we know to be the future. The success of this market requires joint investment in electric vehicle technology and financial solutions", says Furio.

Inspired by Tesla, Voltz understands that electric mobility is the next big revolution in transportation. Based on the same belief, Creditas saw an opportunity in this investment to boost the market and foster innovation. "We believe that Voltz will be able to redefine the market and soon create alternative subscription models, similar to phone solutions launched by Apple", says Furio.

With concept stores in São Paulo and Recife and over 30 showrooms throughout the country, Voltz allows its customers to test drive and learn about electric vehicles. Voltz sells exclusively through digital channels, where consumers select the products they want, with the configurations they need before getting to the check-out. Then, they just need to wait for the product to be delivered to their doorstep. The operation is unprecedented for a Brazilian two-wheeler company.

About Creditas

Creditas is the leading Latin American digital lending and financial solutions platform, based on three ecosystems: real estate, mobility and payroll. The company works actively to change the credit market in Brazil and Mexico through user experience and proprietary technology developed to help its customers achieve their goals. Its loan portfolio includes real estate, vehicle and payroll-collateralized loans, providing access to different solutions and services with integrated financing and refinancing options. Founded in 2012, it employs more than 2,000 people in Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Recife, Valencia (Spain), and Mexico City. International venture capital funds have invested over US$ 569 million in the company and it has been ranked by KPMG, Business Insider, and Glassdoor as one of the world's most promising fintechs.

About Voltz

Voltz Motors is a technology company that operates in the electric mobility ecosystem. The company was created to offer Brazilians a sustainable, economical, and smart form of transport. Besides producing electric scooters and motorbikes, Voltz, which has been in the market since 2019, is taking its first steps in the technology field – creating systems to improve urban mobility. The company now has two concept stores, in Sao Paulo and Recife, and 30 showrooms around Brazil.

About UVC Investimentos

UVC Investimentos is the Ultra Group's Venture Capital fund and started its activities in January 2020, with the objective of accessing innovative businesses and new technologies. Its mission is to support the Group's innovation process, investing in startups that operate in the vicinity of its business and/ or are disruptive to the segments in which it operates.

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