Belvo has just hosted its biggest company-wide offsite to date, bringing the entire team together in Peniche, Portugal, to align our vision, celebrate our culture, and finally bridge the distance between our global hubs.
What happens when a team that has been growing across different continents, hosting country-specific retreats for the last few years, finally occupies the same space?
It was a week of high-voltage energy for Belvo. We discovered that the people we’ve only seen in small Meet rectangles are even more inspiring in 3D. Some turned out to be expert navigators in medieval towns, others were surprisingly dedicated to 7:00 AM yoga sessions or morning runs, and everyone proved that the Belvo culture is just as vibrant in a Portuguese surf lodge as it is on Slack.
BACK AS ONE TEAM
While our remote-first culture has allowed us to scale across Latin America and Europe, we knew it was time for a major reunion. After our 4 years since our last company-wide offsite, Belvolution 2026 reunited the whole team together as one again.
Surrounded by the Atlantic breeze of Peniche, we had three days to reconnect. Between the morning "coffee walks" along the coast and the strategic deep dives, there was a tangible sense of homecoming. It was the perfect setting to step back from the daily grind and remember the scale of what we are building together.
“Being part of Belvo’s journey for almost six years makes moments like this especially meaningful. Seeing the team together, aligning on our strategy, and experiencing our culture in person reminded me why I chose to grow my career here. It’s inspiring to see how far we’ve come and how much bigger we’re thinking.”
Vicky - Head of Finance
A NEW SKIN, A SHARED PURPOSE
This offsite felt different because Belvo is different. We arrived in Peniche wearing a new skin—our recently launched rebrand. This new visual identity is a reflection of the more mature, powerful, and reliable infrastructure we’ve become. Seeing the new brand live across the plenary room made it clear: we are no longer just a startup; we are the backbone of financial innovation.
Our founders, Pablo Viguera and Oriol Tintoré, shared a keynote that grounded us in this momentum. They shared the incredible results we’ve achieved this year (milestones that looked unimaginable when we first started!), and made sure to highlight that while we’ve reached a scale we once only dreamed of, we are just getting started.
The strategy sessions were a marathon of alignment:
- Roadmap deep dives: we heard from Revenue, Product, Data, and Payments leads about the specific objectives that will define 2026.
- Local focus: Leandro Piano and Federica Gregorini shared the 2026 battle plans for Brazil and Mexico, giving us a clear view of our impact in our core markets.
- Investor insights: we held a fireside chat with Kibo Ventures, discussing everything from market dynamics to the practical application of AI in our stack.
“After years of Slack messages and Meet calls, finally meeting the team in person made everything feel more real. Reconnecting with long-time colleagues and meeting new ones face-to-face was easily the highlight of the week for me”
Madhava - Engineering Manager
INNOVATION AT THE CORE
Sharing the same space was also an opportunity to look back at our roots and celebrate the strong culture that brought us here. The offsite was the perfect stage to show that our values are not just words on a slide, but are reflected in how we work together: we get things done, we stay curious, and we have fun.
One of the highlights was the “one bet” breakout session, where teams competed to identify the single most strategic move Belvo should make this year. No safe answers were allowed. These sessions sparked the kind of productive friction that only happens when you’re leaning over the same table.
And, as nothing fuels innovation like a bit of healthy competition and the sound of the ocean, we officially kicked-off Belvo's second-ever Hackathon.
We also took a moment to celebrate the people who drive us forward. The Belvo Awards, led by Dominik and Thiago, recognized those who truly embody our values - getting things done, staying curious, and, most importantly, supporting each other.
“What an incredible energy! The 'one bet' breakout rooms were a highlight - watching teams collaborate, come up with great ideas and condense them into a 2-minute pitch was an intense but rewarding challenge. This event brought a level of alignment and excitement that will definitely carry us through the rest of the year”
Pedro - Chief of Staff
HISTORY AND BEACH VIBES
Between the planning sessions and strategic discussions, there was plenty of space to just be together. We headed to the historic town of Óbidos for a team-building treasure hunt, turning the medieval streets into a logic puzzle. Watching our teams solve clues amidst 12th-century walls was a reminder that we are, at our core, a group of world-class problem solvers.
We closed out the experience with a "Beach, Surf, and Hawaii" themed farewell party at a local surf lodge. From the costumes to the dancing, it was the perfect way to celebrate the bonds we’d strengthened.
As we left Peniche, there was one common impression: we are surrounded by genuinely bright, fun, and kind people. We are returning to our desks with a new brand, a new AI mission, and the shared energy to make 2026 our most impactful year yet.
We’re back at our desks now, but the momentum from Peniche is still very much on. We’re ready to turn the ‘one bet’ into a reality.
Ready to join the next Belvolution? We’re hiring! Check out our open roles here.
