Historical series Credit contracting via government lines grows by approximately 50% in digital channels in 2024, according to Itaú Unibanco data
The Investment Guarantee Fund (FGI, in Portuguese) was the highlight, boosted by a new journey to sign up directly on the Itaú Empresas app
São Paulo, January 2025 – The year 2024 registered records in the granting of credit to small and medium-sized companies via digital channels at Itaú Unibanco, especially in government plans. Contracting government credit lines via internet banking and the app grew by almost 50% this year compared to 2023, with the highlight being the FGI, which had more than double the number of contracts compared to the previous year.
To further support the journey of the small entrepreneur, in October Itaú implemented the contracting of the FGI through the Itaú Empresas app, with great adherence on the part of customers. In just three months of operation, the channel grew to represent 17% of the total contracted in the year and, in December, corresponded to more than 30% of the total granted. In 2024, the bank also recorded a record number of small and medium-sized companies using digital channels, with 87% of customers accessing internet banking and/or the app monthly.
“The survey Cabeça de Dono (‘owner’s head’), carried out by the Locomotiva Institute, shows that 71% of SME leaders report that obtaining credit is one of the challenges in running their businesses. Credit is one of the pillars for the development and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, and granting it in a healthy and appropriate manner has a great potential impact on the development of the economy and society. We know that time is a very important and scarce asset for entrepreneurs, so offering a fluid and contextualized contracting journey in the palm of the entrepreneur’s hand makes their life much easier and allows them to organize their finances and cash flow, and to invest in their future much more easily,” says Renato Mansur, Director of Shared Experience for SMEs at Itaú Unibanco.
“We were the first bank to offer a 100% digital journey for SMEs to contract FGI, structuring our service and channels to meet our clients’ needs as they arose during their journeys with us. The growth in operations reflects the assertiveness of this strategy, which is very much connected to and enhances our value proposition – a very powerful combination of experience with a human and specialized service,” adds Michel Cury, Director of Products and Guarantees at Itaú Unibanco.