Haroldo Jacobovicz: Adapting Technology Solutions to Brazilian Market Needs
Despite his civil engineering background from the Federal University of Paraná, Haroldo Jacobovicz has spent his career developing technology-focused businesses tailored to Brazilian conditions. His unexpected professional shift away from traditional engineering—a field deeply connected to his family through his father, a university professor and practicing engineer, and his mother, who was among Paraná’s first female civil engineers—reflects his ability to recognize opportunity in emerging sectors.
The 1980s marked the beginning of his technology ventures, when digital systems were still gaining acceptance in Brazil. As a student attentive to global developments through newspapers and magazines, Haroldo Jacobovicz identified potential applications before they became mainstream. This forward-looking approach led him to form Microsystem with three technically-skilled colleagues while still completing his university education.
This first business offered computerized inventory management and point-of-sale solutions to retail operations—stores, pharmacies, and supermarkets. Though the venture lasted only two years due to limited market adoption readiness, it provided crucial insights about timing that would influence his subsequent business decisions.
After this initial experience, Haroldo Jacobovicz joined multinational oil company Esso (now Exxon Mobil), where he progressed through analytical positions that relied on computer-processed data. Economic pressures during Brazil’s Cruzado Plan price controls, combined with personal considerations, eventually led him back to Paraná where he served as an advisor to the Technical Director at Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant.
His four years in this public sector role revealed how governmental procurement requirements complicated technology implementation. This understanding prompted his next venture: Minauro, which offered four-year computer rental agreements with equipment updates and maintenance services. This model addressed the specific needs of government agencies struggling with asset acquisition rules, securing contracts throughout Brazil’s southern and southeastern regions.
Building on this success, Jacobovicz expanded into software through strategic acquisitions of companies specializing in public administration systems. This created the e-Governe Group, which continues to provide digital solutions to Brazilian municipalities. Seeking to serve corporate clients, he established Horizons Telecom in 2010 in collaboration with former Anatel president Renato Guerreiro, developing this operation into a significant telecommunications provider before selling to investors in 2021.
That same year, Jacobovicz launched Arlequim Technologies, focusing on computer virtualization services. This company improves performance of existing hardware for business, government, and individual users, including gaming enthusiasts. By enhancing capabilities of available equipment rather than requiring new purchases, this approach makes advanced computing accessible across different market segments.
Each of these ventures demonstrates Jacobovicz’s pattern of identifying specific gaps in Brazil’s technology landscape and developing tailored solutions. His how understanding local constraints—whether market readiness, bureaucratic requirements, or economic limitations—can lead to business models that effectively address practical needs while expanding digital access. This approach has allowed him to build successful technology companies that respond to Brazilian conditions while bringing practical benefits to organizations and individuals.