DiiMO Technologies Represented El Salvador in The Startup World Cup Grand Final in San Francisco

DiiMO has been named the winner of Startup World Cup El Salvador 2026, earning the opportunity to represent the country at the competition's global finals in San Francisco. The recognition highlights the growing visibility of El Salvador's startup ecosystem and positions the fintech among the region's most promising companies.

DiiMO will represent El Salvador on the global stage

The Salvadoran fintech was selected as the overall winner during the local Startup World Cup competition, held on July 28 at the Hilton San Salvador Hotel. The event brought together startups, investors, and key players from the country's innovation ecosystem to identify the company that will compete internationally.

With the victory, DiiMO will advance to the Startup World Cup Global Finals in San Francisco, where founders from dozens of countries will compete for a US$1 million investment, one of the most prestigious prizes in the global startup ecosystem.

Building financial access for underserved entrepreneurs

Founded by Juan David Hernández Bustamante, DiiMO has focused since 2021 on addressing one of Central America's most persistent financial challenges: limited access to formal credit for small businesses, independent workers, and individuals with stable income who remain outside the traditional banking system.

Through its mobile application, the company provides microloans and working capital advances designed specifically for these underserved customer segments, seeking to expand access to financing beyond conventional financial institutions.

A growth journey backed by investors and international recognition

DiiMO's latest achievement follows several milestones that have strengthened its position within the regional fintech ecosystem.

In 2023, the company secured a US$1.2 million Pre-Series A round combining debt and equity, led by Endless Ventures and Aguila Investments, providing additional resources to continue expanding its financial services.

Its international exposure also predates the Startup World Cup victory. In 2025, DiiMO was recognized among the Top 100 startups worldwide during the Entrepreneurship World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, demonstrating that the company had already begun attracting attention beyond Central America.

Why this matters for Central America's venture capital ecosystem

DiiMO's success comes at a time when Central America continues to represent a relatively small share of Latin America's venture capital market.

According to the Latin America VC Report 2026 by Cuantico VP, the region attracted US$107 million in venture capital during 2025, representing 2.6% of the US$4.126 billion invested across Latin America. The report also places Central America in Tier 2 of the Venture Capital Efficiency Index (VEI), with a score of 22.4, trailing more mature ecosystems such as Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil.

Against that backdrop, companies demonstrating measurable traction and international recognition play an increasingly important role in showcasing the region's investment potential. DiiMO's qualification for the global finals represents not only a milestone for the company, but also another example of investable startups emerging from Central America.

A diverse panel selected this year's winner

The local competition was evaluated by a panel representing different areas of the entrepreneurial and investment ecosystem:

• Ileana Figueroa, CEO of Pulso Capital and iLB Metrics.
• Jose Kont, Partner at Cuantico VP and Venture Partner at Impacta VC.
• Nelson López, Founder of DeWe Partners and Head of Incubation at Funding the Commons.
• Erika Ehlerman, SNBX Ecosystem Leader at AGRISAL.
• José Roberto Rodríguez, CEO of CoreNest Accelerator.

The combination of expertise in venture capital, startup acceleration, corporate innovation, incubation, and market intelligence contributed to a selection process that reflected multiple perspectives within El Salvador's innovation ecosystem.

Growing international visibility for Salvadoran startups

For Jose Kont, DiiMO's achievement extends beyond the company's own success and reflects a broader opportunity for the region.

"A Salvadoran fintech reaching the Startup World Cup global finals and competing for a US$1 million investment is a meaningful signal for an ecosystem that still needs more traction stories and greater international visibility to attract capital into Central America's Northern Triangle," he said.

As DiiMO prepares to compete in San Francisco, its participation places both the company and El Salvador's startup ecosystem on a global stage, reinforcing the region's growing presence in international entrepreneurship and venture capital conversations.