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Ruvo

The Global Dollar App for Brazil

Ruvo is a global account for receiving, holding, and moving money between USD and BRL. We connect Pix, crypto, and Visa so you can receive USD from abroad, convert between USD and BRL in minutes, send money to the U.S., spend worldwide, and save in digital dollars with yield — all in one place. Ruvo supports both personal (CPF) and business (CNPJ) accounts, with low fees, strong security, and direct Pix settlement. Formerly known as Cacao.
Active Founders
Alec Howard
Alec Howard
Co-Founder & CEO
Co-Founder and CEO of Ruvo (formerly Cacao). Ex-Uber & previous Head of Marketing at Gauntlet AI (Lambda School, YC S17)
Michael Mason
Michael Mason
Founder
Co-Founder & CTO of Ruvo. Previous Co-Founder & head of Product & Engineering at Mercato.
Company Launches
Cacao - Brazilians can now receive USD & crypto instantly
See original launch post

Hey everyone

We’re Carlos, Alec, and Mike - co-founders of Cacao.

TL;DR

Cacao helps Brazilians receive USD or crypto and instantly convert to Reais (BRL), straight to Pix - all in one mobile app.

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PIX is Brazil’s instant, free, 24/7 payment system created by the Central Bank.

Whether you're a remote worker, freelancer, software engineer, content creator, or receiving remittances, Cacao gets your money home faster, cheaper, and with zero bureaucracy.

Try the app: https://www.cacaofi.com/
Contact us: founders@cacaofi.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEbsfiKngvU


The Problem

Millions of Brazilians earn money from abroad - whether working for global tech companies, freelancing, creating content, teaching online, or receiving remittances from family. But moving money back to Brazil is still:

  • Slow - transfers take 1–3 business days
  • Expensive - with hidden FX fees and SWIFT charges
  • Frustrating - requiring multiple accounts, platforms, and workarounds

Carlos tried to pay Brazilian engineers from the US and saw firsthand how broken it is. Fintechs keep building on top of SWIFT. But SWIFT is the problem. Cacao replaces it with faster, cheaper rails: stablecoins + Pix.

Our Solution


Cacao is the best app for Brazilians who are receiving income from abroad.

Built with speed, transparency, and flexibility in mind:

  • Receive USD or USDT via ACH, Wire, RTP, or crypto
  • Store securely in a stablecoin (USDT) wallet
  • Withdraw instantly to Reais (BRL) via Pix - 24/7, 365 days
  • Spend in USD globally with a Visa Platinum card (Apple & Google Pay)
  • Send and receive crypto wallet-to-wallet (crypto ↔ crypto is free)
  • Load your wallet with Pix - BRL → USDT directly
  • Track everything in one intuitive mobile app, with local support in Portuguese

Pricing:

  • 0.9% on USD deposits
  • 0.9% on Pix withdrawals
  • 1% on card usage
  • Free crypto ↔ crypto transfers
  • Live FX rates that beat the mid-market rate by 1-2%

Who It’s For

Cacao is built for Brazilians who get paid from abroad:

  • Freelancers - devs, designers, PMs, translators, consultants.
  • Creators - YouTubers, Kick & Twitch streamers, influencers.
  • Remote workers - employed by global companies
  • Remittance recipients - family sending money home
  • Educators - Udemy, Coursera instructors
  • Platform earners - Upwork, Deel, Fiverr, Remote, Ontop, Workana
  • Foreigners in Brazil - US tourists and expats using Pix to pay and get paid

Get paid from anywhere. Avoid high fees. Access your money on your terms.

Our Ask

If you answer “yes” to any of these, we’d love your help:

  1. Do you pay Brazilian freelancers or employees?
    We make receiving income abroad instant and affordable.
  2. Run a global platform (payroll, freelance, creator)?
    Let’s partner.
  3. Know Brazilians who earn from abroad or use crypto?
    Share Cacao with them.
  4. Want to try it yourself or give feedback?
    Download: https://www.cacaofi.com/en

📩 founders@cacaofi.com

Obrigado - let’s make Pix global 🇧🇷💸

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YC Photos
Ruvo
Founded:2025
Batch:Summer 2025
Team Size:6
Status:
Active
Location:São Paulo, Brazil
Primary Partner:Brad Flora