[{"jcr:title":"Capstone brings Computer Engineering students closer to real-world challenges in financial services","cq:tags_0":"area-de-conhecimento:engenharia","cq:tags_1":"area-de-conhecimento:tecnologia"},{"richText":"Project developed for fintech byx enabled Insper students to apply technical knowledge to a real business demand while expanding their perspective on teamwork and professional practice","authorDate":"08/05/2026 09h43","madeBy":"Por","tag":"area-de-conhecimento:ciência-da-computação","title":"Capstone brings Computer Engineering students closer to real-world challenges in financial services","variant":"imagecolor"},{"jcr:title":"transparente - turquesa - vermelho"},{"themeName":"transparente - turquesa - vermelho"},{"containerType":"containerTwo"},{"jcr:title":"Grid Container Section","layout":"responsiveGrid"},{"text":"Developing a solution to a real business problem within a short timeframe while balancing academic responsibilities and internships. This was the challenge faced by Fernando Pinheiro Silva Fernandes de Mattos, 21, Pedro Antônio Braga Dutra, 24, and Sérgio Carmelo Torres Filho, 22, [Computer Engineering](/en/programs/undergraduate/computer-engineering) students at Insper, during their [Capstone](/en/conteudos/tecnologia/capstone-e-a-evolucao-do-pfe-do-insper) project conducted in partnership with fintech company [byx](https://byx.com.br/) in the second semester of 2025. Specializing in technology solutions for credit operations, the company presented the group with a challenge related to the visualization and monitoring of the public payroll-deductible loan origination process, the organization’s main product. byx develops solutions for credit operations and financial products offered under the brands of its partners. The project focused on public payroll-deductible loans, a type of credit in which loan installments are deducted directly from the payroll of retirees, pensioners, public servants, and other beneficiaries. The students’ task was to understand this process and propose a way to make it more visible and traceable for the company. According to Sérgio, the challenge was to translate a business need into a solution based on technology and data. The goal, he explains, was to build a funnel capable of showing, step by step, the path of contracts and identifying where losses or interruptions might occur. Although the Capstone formally spans one semester, the actual execution period was shorter. Between aligning expectations with the company, developing the solution, and preparing final presentations, the group had approximately three months to advance the project. During this period, the students held frequent meetings with company representatives, different departments within byx, and faculty advisor [Raul Ikeda Gomes da Silva](/en/docentes/raul-ikeda-gomes-da-silva) . Fernando highlights that this constant interaction was essential to the project’s success. “We always had a weekly meeting, but whenever we needed to talk to specific areas within the company, we scheduled additional meetings,” he says. Learning a new industry The first major challenge was understanding the environment they were entering. Coming from a Computer Engineering background, none of the three students had prior familiarity with the public payroll-deductible lending market or with the company’s operational model. Fernando recalls that the first few weeks were crucial in closing that knowledge gap. “At the beginning, since all three of us are engineers, we didn’t really understand how public payroll-deductible lending worked,” he says. According to him, byx organized an onboarding process in which the group met with different areas of the organization to understand each team’s role, the stages of the contract lifecycle, and the operation of the origination pipeline. “That part was very valuable because it gave us better context, helped us ask the right questions, and understand where we could contribute,” he explains. For Sérgio, the experience differed from more traditional academic projects precisely because it required interaction with a variety of stakeholders. “It stops being a project where you simply meet with a group in a room and develop something together,” he notes. Instead, students must listen to professionals from different areas and translate their needs into a clear and functional deliverable. “We needed to understand the pain points of people from various departments, each with different perspectives and requirements,” he says. From a technical perspective, the group started with a strong foundation but had to learn new tools quickly. Pedro notes that their Computer Engineering education gave them confidence to tackle the challenge, even though some of the technologies involved were not part of their initial skill set. One example was Power BI, a tool already used by the company for other internal dashboards and selected to consolidate the visualization developed during the project. “We had never worked with Power BI before—none of the team members had experience with it—but within a few weeks we were able to become familiar with the platform,” he says. The team also faced common challenges associated with corporate projects, such as obtaining access to databases, VPNs, and other resources required to develop the solution. “It was a relatively lengthy process to gain access to everything we needed,” Pedro explains. Nevertheless, the group overcame these barriers and delivered a tool accompanied by documentation that would allow the company to continue developing the project after its completion. According to Raul Ikeda, the project’s faculty advisor, the experience reflects the type of challenge that defines the Capstone experience. “Like every Capstone project, this was a unique experience for the team. Each company has its own characteristics, especially regarding its products and services. The students demonstrated tremendous flexibility and adaptability in absorbing new business concepts and rapidly applying solutions to the company’s challenges. It is also important to highlight that the immersion in the company’s corporate culture was fundamental to the project’s success.” Learning beyond the classroom Looking back on the experience, each student highlights a different key takeaway. For Fernando, the greatest benefit was exposure to the corporate environment. “The thing I learned most was how the corporate environment works,” he says. He emphasizes the opportunity to interact with a structured company, engage with professionals from different areas, and work on real-world challenges. Sérgio associates the project primarily with adaptability. “If I had to summarize it in one word, I would say adaptation,” he says. For him, the group had to adjust to an unfamiliar topic, a new technology platform, and the demands of diverse internal stakeholders. Pedro, in turn, highlights the deeper understanding he gained of the product they worked on. “Before joining the project and working with byx, we had only a very superficial understanding of the topic. We left knowing much more about every stage of the process,” he says. For him, the Capstone demonstrated how programming, data analysis, and technology skills can be applied in a sector increasingly driven by digital tools and automation. Now in the ninth semester of their program and approaching graduation, the three students see clear connections between the experience and their professional plans. Fernando intends to join his family’s business and believes the exposure to byx’s organizational structure provided valuable insights into processes, task allocation, and data-driven management. Sérgio, who has already gained experience in investment funds and investment banking, believes the project combined his two main areas of interest. “The project ended up bringing together the two fields I’m most interested in: financial markets and technology,” he says. Pedro, who also interns in the financial sector, says the Capstone reinforced his interest in the industry and helped him better understand how a Computer Engineering background can be applied within it. “This experience at byx helped us understand how we can translate what we learn into practical applications in areas where we want to build our careers,” he summarizes. More than simply delivering a solution, the project demonstrated the educational impact of the Capstone experience at Insper by placing students in front of a real-world challenge, with diverse stakeholders and concrete deadlines. For Fernando, Pedro, and Sérgio, the experience expanded their technical repertoire, strengthened their adaptability, communication, and teamwork skills, and demonstrated how Computer Engineering can contribute to solving complex challenges in sectors increasingly driven by data and technology."}]