Boaz Jacobi, brings a broad and international professional AI and financial technology background. A graduate of the honors program and computer science at the University of Haifa, he built deep expertise in development and algorithmic systems in research institutions, followed by senior management roles in leading technology companies.
In his most recent role, Jacobi served as co-founder and CEO of a fast-growing digital bank in West Africa, where he was exposed firsthand to the transformative power of technology in improving the lives of people excluded from traditional banking systems.
This experience led him in 2022 to join Motiv8AI, where he now leads the development of next-generation digital banking, focused on enabling financial institutions to see the person behind the data, not just the pattern.
From Transactions to Relationships
Jacobi is working to fundamentally change how financial institutions engage, decide, and create value to their customers.
"Today, banks mainly rely on transaction history — what you spent, when, and where", he explains. "But a transaction is only the outcome, not the reason behind it. In traditional banking, the bank representative knew the customer — their habits, confidence, and needs — and could approve credit, recommend the right product, or simply act at the right moment. Digital systems removed that human context, creating distance and degrading the customer experience".
"What we introduce is a behavioral intelligence layer that captures the motivations, cognitive patterns, and decision drivers behind behavior", Jacobi explains. "Through our Relationship Intelligence Layer (RIL ), this lost capability is restored digitally — enabling banks to make relevant decisions instantly and at scale".
RIL ensures customers feel understood and supported at exactly the right time, offering immediate access to tailored, relevant products. For banks, it translates into higher engagement, greater lifetime value, and the ability to extend services such as credit responsibly, even when traditional data falls short.
"Banks using this approach engage more effectively, retain customers longer, and compete from a position of trust rather than pressure", Jacobi says.
Why Psychology Gives AI an Edge
How does Motiv8AI stand out in a world where everyone is using AI?
"Most AI tools today — including chatbots designed to replace human interactions — are extremely limited in their understanding of the customer as a person", Jacobi explains. "We focus on identifying the why behind decisions. This is especially critical in emerging markets like Latin America, where there is a major credit gap due to lack of historical financial data".
Motiv8AI closes that gap using digital behavioral patterns, enabling access to credit that was previously unavailable. Beyond inclusion, the company enables deeply personalized banking — built on understanding the psychological drivers that motivate everyone.
Banking in Real Time
According to Jacobi, the acceleration of digital banking during the COVID period permanently reshaped customer habits and expectations.
"Customers no longer want to travel, look for parking, and wait an hour to meet a bank representative", he says. "They expect banking to be accessible, responsive, and immediate. Speed matters, but relevance matters even more. Customers want interactions that happen in real time and reflect their personal context — not generic processes".
"In this environment, banks that respond to customers in real time and anticipate their needs gain a clear competitive advantage”", Jacobi adds.
And it’s not just banks. The embedded finance revolution is turning technology and retail platforms into financial players, payment solutions, credit, and financial services directly into everyday digital experiences.
"Exactly", Jacobi agrees. "Technology giants like Amazon, alongside large retail platforms, are increasingly becoming financial players. Success in this space depends on understanding financial behavior — not just commerce behavior".
"Embedded finance is still at an early stage, but it’s growing fast", Jacobi says. "As financial decisions move into high-volume digital platforms, the rules change. These players now need banking-grade know-how — applied at scale".
From Patented Technology to Global Banking Adoption
Since its founded, Motiv8AI has seen rapid growth, becoming a global pioneer in AI-driven behavioral understanding. With a registered U.S. patent and strategic agreements with several of the largest banks in Latin America, the company is closing information gaps across markets serving hundreds of millions of users.
The company demonstrates how psychology with AI is a technology that powers true personalization in the digital banking era.
Motiv8AI has turned psychology into a proprietary AI technology that brings back the human context lost in digital banking.
Motiv8AI now employs a global team, while its current focus is Latin America, the next targets are clear: expansion into the U.S. and Southeast Asia.
Looking Ahead
"Recently, we signed agreements with several of the largest banks in Latin America, and 2026 will be a year of accelerated expansion into new territories", Jacobi says. "Our pioneering position allows us to scale into multiple markets simultaneously".
He continues, "What differentiates our approach is that we go beneath the surface. We combine traditional signals with a deep understanding of psychology and human motivators — something banks haven’t had before. That consistently translates into better decisions, stronger engagement, and measurable uplift for the institutions we work with".
"As finance expands beyond traditional banking, we’re focused on partnering with banks, retailers, and digital platforms that are becoming financial providers and need this level of behavioral understanding to grow responsibly", he adds.
