“Can a Colombian artisan swimwear brand scale globally as a premium DTC fashion label while preserving its handmade, sustainability-focused identity?”
Founded in 2003 as a handcrafted swimwear brand in Medellín, Agua Bendita grew from a cottage artisan business into one of Colombia's leading fashion exporters by partnering with local female artisans. Approximately five years ago the founders launched 'Agua by Agua Bendita', a ready-to-wear line that elevated the brand into global high-fashion. To support international e-commerce growth, the company adopted Stripe for payments and Stripe Radar for fraud management, and integrated Sezzle for buy-now-pay-later on its US storefront.
Agua Bendita processes payments through Stripe.
Agua Bendita uses Stripe for FX and cross-border payouts.
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 3 layers in Agua Bendita's stack: Payments / PSP (Stripe); Lending (Buy Now Pay Later (4 interest-free payments over 6 weeks)); FX & payouts (Stripe).
Agua Bendita was founded by Mariana Hinestroza and Catalina Álvarez and is founded in 2003, headquartered in Medellín, Colombia.
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Agua Bendita and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.