Beyond commercial
success, truly impactful technology entrepreneurs often maintain broader vision
regarding how their innovations can expand access to digital capabilities
across different population segments. Throughout his career spanning multiple
decades and technology generations, Brazilian entrepreneur Haroldo
Jacobovicz has demonstrated consistent commitment to democratizing
technology access through business approaches that balance performance
capabilities with economic considerations.
Early
Recognition of Small Business Potential
Even before completing
his civil engineering studies at the Federal University of Paraná, Haroldo
Jacobovicz recognized how computerization could benefit small retail operations
traditionally excluded from expensive
technology implementations. His first venture, Microsystem, aimed to
provide automated inventory control and cash register systems to “stores,
pharmacies and supermarkets”—businesses typically operating with limited
resources for technology investment.
Though this initiative
proved premature for its target market, closing after two years because
“that market was not yet ready for computerization,” it demonstrated
early recognition that digital technologies offered potential benefits beyond
large corporations and specialized institutions that dominated early computing
implementations. This attention to expanding
technology access beyond elite organizations would characterize
Jacobovicz’s subsequent ventures.
Public Sector
Technology Access
When Haroldo
Jacobovicz returned to entrepreneurship in the 1990s after corporate
experiences at Esso and the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant, he established Minauro
with a business model specifically designed to address technology access
challenges within public sector organizations. The company offered
“four-year contracts with machine replacement every 18 months, including
maintenance” to governmental agencies.
This approach directly
addressed institutional barriers that limited technology access within public
organizations, particularly “the difficulty in adopting computers given
the bureaucracy involved in immobilizing permanent assets.” By structuring
technology provision as a service rather than capital acquisition,
Jacobovicz created implementation pathway enabling public institutions to
access current computing capabilities despite bureaucratic constraints that
might otherwise restrict technology
investments.
Specialized
Public Administration Solutions
Through strategic
acquisitions of companies including Consult, Perform, and Sisteplan, Haroldo
Jacobovicz expanded his business offerings to incorporate specialized software
applications addressing specific public administration requirements. These
moves resulted in the e-Governe Group, providing comprehensive IT solutions
specifically designed for governmental operations.
This development represented
commitment to democratizing access to sophisticated administrative technologies
beyond large private corporations that typically enjoyed earlier access to
advanced business applications. By developing
solutions specifically addressing “tax, financial, administrative,
health and education management” within public contexts, Jacobovicz
enabled governmental organizations to implement digital capabilities comparable
to private sector operations despite different institutional structures and
requirements.
Corporate
Telecommunications Infrastructure
In 2010, Haroldo
Jacobovicz founded Horizons Telecom to serve “the corporate market”
with telecommunications infrastructure services. While focusing on business
clients rather than individual consumers might initially appear inconsistent
with democratization objectives, this approach actually expanded access to
sophisticated telecommunications capabilities beyond largest corporations that
could develop proprietary network infrastructure.
By providing
specialized corporate telecommunications services as external provider rather
than internal capability, Horizons Telecom enabled medium-sized businesses to
access network capabilities previously available primarily to largest
enterprises with resources for extensive internal infrastructure development.
This approach effectively democratized access to business-grade
telecommunications across broader corporate spectrum rather than limiting such
capabilities to elite organizations.
Current
Democratization Focus
Haroldo Jacobovicz’s
most recent venture, Arlequim Technologies founded in 2021, explicitly
articulates democratization objectives within its founding vision. The document
notes that the company was born from “the desire to provide the best of
digital life to the largest number of people, with the best
cost-benefit”—directly stating intention to expand technology access while
maintaining economic feasibility.
The company’s approach
to improving “computing performance of previously limited equipment”
through virtualization technologies directly addresses key barrier to
technology access: the cost of continuous hardware replacement to maintain
current capabilities. By enabling organizations and individuals to boost
“an outdated computer, making its performance compatible with
state-of-the-art equipment” without purchasing new devices, Arlequim
creates pathway for continued digital participation despite resource
limitations.
Addressing
Multiple Market Segments
Particularly notable
in Arlequim Technologies’ approach is its attention to multiple market segments
rather than focusing exclusively on either institutional or individual clients.
The company targets “both the corporate market, as well as the public sector
and the retail market, with a focus on gamers”—indicating recognition that
technology access challenges exist across different user categories requiring
distinct approaches.
The specific mention
of gamers among target markets represents particularly interesting
democratization dimension. Gaming applications typically require substantial
computing resources that quickly exceed capabilities of older hardware,
creating participation barriers for individuals with limited resources for
equipment replacement. By enabling performance enhancement without hardware
replacement, Arlequim addresses access challenges within recreational computing
alongside institutional applications.
Cost-Benefit
Emphasis
Throughout his various
ventures, Haroldo Jacobovicz has consistently emphasized cost-effectiveness
rather than pursuing either lowest-cost approaches that sacrifice performance
or premium implementations affordable only to elite organizations. This
balanced attention to both capability delivery and economic feasibility represents
sophisticated approach to technology democratization beyond simplistic
affordability focus.
The description of
Arlequim Technologies’ mission as providing “the best of digital life to
the largest number of people, with the best cost-benefit” captures this
balanced perspective. Rather than merely reducing costs without regard to
performance or maximizing capabilities without consideration of economic
constraints, this approach seeks optimal balance between digital capabilities
and implementation feasibility across different user contexts.
Environmental
Sustainability Connection
Haroldo Jacobovicz’s
current focus on extending useful life of existing computing equipment through
virtualization technologies connects technology democratization with environmental
sustainability considerations. By reducing
unnecessary hardware replacement while maintaining performance
capabilities, this approach addresses both economic access barriers and environmental
impacts associated with electronic equipment production and disposal.
This connection
between technology democratization and environmental sustainability represents
particularly relevant perspective given increasing awareness of electronic waste
challenges and resource consumption associated with continuous hardware
replacement cycles. By enabling performance improvements without physical
equipment changes, virtualization approaches simultaneously address economic,
access, and environmental considerations.
Broader Social
Impact
The document concludes
with statement regarding Haroldo Jacobovicz’s fundamental motivation: “The
prospect of improving the day-to-day running of companies and people is what
drives Haroldo Jacobovicz. His main goal: to contribute to a better
world.” This articulation reveals how technology democratization connects
with broader social impact objectives beyond commercial success metrics.
By consistently
developing business approaches that expand technology access across different
organizational contexts and user segments, Jacobovicz demonstrates
entrepreneurial vision that encompasses social
benefit alongside commercial viability. This balanced perspective represents
sophisticated understanding of how technology democratization contributes to
broader development objectives beyond digital sector alone.
He
is also at https://instagram.com/institutoharoldojacobovicz