Daniel Ruhman

Yo, have you heard about Daniel Ruhman? Dude’s a total rockstar in the fintech world, especially coming out of Brazil. He’s only 23 but already crushed it big time.

So, here’s the deal, Daniel’s the founder of Cumbuca, a sick multiplayer banking app that helps Brazilian families split bills and manage money together. Like, it’s super needed down there, where a lot of folks still struggle with simple banking stuff. He started Cumbuca in 2021, and guess what? He got into Y Combinator’s summer batch right after launching it. No biggie, just YC, the most competitive startup program out there. That’s basically the stamp that he’s the real deal.

But here’s what’s wild, Daniel is totally self-taught. Released his first iPhone app at just 14. Holy shit, that’s crazy. Most kids are playing video games, and he’s out here coding apps. By 2017, he was already doing internships as a software dev at Numbrs, a fintech company in Europe. That’s where he got his first taste of the finance world from the inside. Then, in 2019, he started his own thing called UmHelp, which pivoted into Comadre, all about helping low-income households and gig workers in Brazil. It’s clear he’s driven by a passion to actually make a difference for the people who need it most.

His background? It’s a mix, studied at Colégio Santa Cruz, hopped onto summer programs at Harvard and UC Berkeley, even did an exchange at Berkeley. He also dipped his toes into Insper but didn’t finish a degree. Basically, he’s always been curious, always hungry to learn more. Plus, he’s got certs like Product Sprint from Section4 and Behavior Design, which tells me he’s serious about building products that really work and actually change behavior.

What I dig about Daniel is that his whole process screams motivation. He’s all about tech that actually makes a difference, especially for Brazil’s lower-income folks and gig workers. That’s rare. Most founders chase fame or cash, but he’s out here with a real mission.

Bottom line? This guy’s a perfect example of someone who started coding early, never stopped learning, and used that to build something meaningful. His story shows that if you really care about solving real problems and stay hungry, you can jump into big leagues like YC at 23 and start changing the game. Dude’s just getting started, and I’d keep an eye on him, he’s the kind of founder who’s gonna keep crushing it and making waves.