Kala
Kala is a Colombian fintech founded in 2022 that provides digital crédito de libranza (payroll deduction loans) to underbanked workers in Colombia, combining a network of independent advisors with a proprietary digital credit platform and earning revenue through loan interest.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersBogotá, Colombia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Kala does
Kala (legal entity: KALA COLOMBIA S.A.S, NIT 901.541.749) is a Colombian fintech founded in 2022 and headquartered in Bogotá that operates a digital lending platform focused on crédito de libranza (payroll deduction loans) targeting underbanked Colombian workers. The platform combines a network of independent human advisors (asesores) with a fully digital application and disbursement process, marketed as a 3-step credit flow with response times in minutes and disbursement within hours. Supporting technology components include a customer-facing self-service portal (Portal Autogestión), a vendor portal for advisors (vendor-portal.kalaplatform.tech), and a corporate training platform (Universidad Corporativa) for advisor onboarding and certification.
Kala runs a B2B2C hybrid business model. On the consumer side, it originates small-ticket payroll-deduction loans directly to employees, generating revenue through interest charged on the loan book; the company explicitly does not charge fees for credit evaluation or approval. On the B2B side, Kala licenses its credit digitization infrastructure to banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions seeking to modernize legacy underwriting and disbursement processes. Distribution is hybrid: advisor-assisted sales for new customer acquisition, supplemented by the self-service Portal Autogestión for ongoing account management. The marketing mix relies on the company's website, LinkedIn presence, and direct advisor referrals rather than paid acquisition at scale.
The company was founded in 2022 by Manuel Aleman (CEO), Rodolfo Lazo (COO), and Pablo Cattolica (CTO). It has raised approximately $6 million in equity across early-stage rounds led by Canary (2021) and Cometa (2023), with participation from Acrew Capital, Clocktower Technology Ventures, and 99 Startups, and supplemented by a $55 million debt facility in December 2025 from undisclosed investors to scale the loan book, reach a stated target of more than 10,000 clients, and expand nationwide across Colombia. The company reports 1-10 employees.
Kala firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kala
- Legal name
- KALA COLOMBIA S.A.S
- Website
- https://kala.tech
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Kala is a Colombian fintech founded in 2022 that provides digital crédito de libranza (payroll deduction loans) to underbanked workers in Colombia, combining a network of independent advisors with a proprietary digital credit platform and earning revenue through loan interest.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kala industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Fintech Lending
- NAICS
- Sales Financing (52222), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) Marketplaces (FSAKAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management) (FSAMABAF)
Keywords
Where Kala is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bogotá
- HQ country
- Colombia
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kala business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Credit Interest and Fees: Kala earns revenue through interest charged on loans and potential fees associated with credit products. The company provides credit services to consumers and is compensated through the financial mechanics of the lending operation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | No-fee credit evaluation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
Kala product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kala is a Colombian fintech that originates and disburses digital crédito de libranza (payroll deduction loans) to individual employees through a 100% online platform supported by a network of independent advisors. It also provides credit digitization infrastructure to financial institutions seeking to modernize and automate their lending operations. Revenue is earned primarily through interest and fees on the credit products originated.
Product overview
Kala is a Colombian fintech offering a unified digital lending platform centered on Crédito de libranza (payroll deduction loans). The platform combines a customer-facing self-service portal (Portal Autogestión) with advisor support infrastructure, including a Vendor Portal for advisors and a corporate training platform (Universidad Corporativa) for advisor development. All components are powered by the company's core lending technology to deliver a fully digital credit process with human advisor assistance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Crédito de libranza (payroll deduction loans) Rapid, fully digital payroll deduction loan (crédito de libranza) for Colombian employees, with a 3-step process (account creation with an advisor, online application and identity validation, disbursement). Response in minutes, disbursement in hours, with no fees for credit study or approval.
- Credit Digitization Infrastructure for Financial Institutions B2B infrastructure that helps banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions digitize their crédito de libranza and broader credit operations — covering underwriting, origination, and disbursement — to serve underbanked customers faster and more efficiently.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3-step credit process with response in minutes and disbursement in hours
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Kala
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kala technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Kala partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kala competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Addi: Colombian-headquartered BNPL and consumer credit fintech operating across LatAm. Directly comparable to Kala as a Colombian fintech lending platform serving underbanked consumers with a digital-first approach.
- Kueski: Mexican consumer lending fintech offering online credit lines and BNPL to underbanked customers. Comparable to Kala as a LatAm fintech using alternative underwriting and digital channels to serve thin-file borrowers.
- Stori: Mexico-based consumer credit-card fintech targeting underserved mass-market customers. Similar to Kala in serving underbanked LatAm consumers with digital-first credit products and embedded underwriting.
- Konfío: Mexican SMB digital lender providing working-capital and credit products to small businesses. Comparable to Kala as a LatAm fintech lender using proprietary technology to digitize credit and serve underserved segments.
- a55: Brazilian embedded-lending fintech providing revenue-based financing to SMBs via API integrations. Comparable to Kala as a LatAm fintech combining B2B infrastructure with consumer/SMB credit origination.
- Klar: Mexican consumer fintech offering digital banking and credit products. Comparable to Kala as a digital-first consumer fintech in LatAm building credit and banking rails for underserved users.
Broad incumbents
- R2: LatAm embedded-finance platform providing credit, banking, and payments infrastructure to businesses. Comparable to Kala as a B2B fintech infrastructure provider serving the LatAm underbanked segment.
- Ualá: Pan-LatAm neobank serving underbanked consumers across Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia with accounts and credit products. Overlaps with Kala in serving Colombian underbanked users with digital credit.
- Nubank: Largest LatAm neobank with a Colombian operation, offering credit cards and personal loans to underbanked consumers. Comparable to Kala as a major digital-credit competitor in Colombia.
Emerging players
- Arcus: LatAm fintech infrastructure platform providing embedded finance APIs (accounts, payments, lending-as-a-service). Tangentially comparable to Kala's B2B credit-infrastructure offering to financial institutions.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kala social profiles
Digital presenceKala financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kala leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Kala funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kala M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kala
What does Kala do?
Kala is a Colombian fintech that originates and disburses digital crédito de libranza (payroll deduction loans) to individual employees through a 100% online platform supported by a network of independent advisors. It also provides credit digitization infrastructure to financial institutions seeking to modernize and automate their lending operations. Revenue is earned primarily through interest and fees on the credit products originated.
Is Kala a public or private company?
Kala is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Kala founded?
Kala was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Kala based?
Kala is headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, in the Latin America region.
How does Kala make money?
One revenue line is on record: credit Interest and Fees.
Who are Kala's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Addi, Kueski, Stori, Konfío, a55 and Klar. Broad incumbents are R2, Ualá and Nubank. Arcus is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kala have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kala.
What industry is Kala in?
Kala's product category is Consumer Fintech Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAHAI, Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) Marketplaces, with a secondary code of FSAMABAF, Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management). Its NAICS code is 52222 and its SIC code is 6200.