Successful entrepreneurs often share one trait: the ability to adjust their approach based on experience. Haroldo Jacobovicz has demonstrated this capacity repeatedly since the 1980s, refining how he identifies opportunities and structures companies to meet the particular demands of different customer segments in Brazil’s technology market.

An Engineering Family in Curitiba

Technical thinking came naturally in the Jacobovicz household. Father Alfredo split his professional life between civil engineering projects and teaching responsibilities at university level. Mother Sarita had carved out her own place in the field during a period when female engineers in Paraná could be counted on two hands. Their eldest son completed military school before studying civil engineering at the Federal University of Paraná, though his interests would ultimately lead elsewhere.

Computing Over Construction

Information technology captured the attention of Haroldo Jacobovicz more than any construction project could. Recognising that computers were beginning to change how businesses operated, he decided to act. With three partners possessing programming skills, he established Microsystem in 1983 during his final university years.

The startup targeted small retailers with promises of automated inventory tracking and computerised sales processing. The service made logical sense, but logic alone could not overcome market reluctance. Brazilian shop owners remained sceptical of computerisation, and after two years without gaining meaningful traction, the company ceased operations.

Absorbing Lessons from Established Institutions

Following Microsystem’s closure, Jacobovicz chose a different path. He joined Esso’s Brazilian operation after a rigorous selection process and gradually moved into strategic roles at the company’s Rio de Janeiro headquarters. Subsequent work advising leadership at Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant exposed him to the distinct rhythms and restrictions of public sector administration.

These experiences taught Haroldo Jacobovicz how decisions actually get made in large organisations—knowledge that would prove more practical than any business theory.

Tailoring Solutions to Customer Realities

Armed with this understanding, Jacobovicz built Minauro around the specific needs of government technology buyers. His leasing arrangements—complete with maintenance provisions and scheduled equipment refreshes—worked within the procurement frameworks that public agencies were required to follow. The model succeeded where his earlier retail-focused venture had not.

Expansion through software company acquisitions created the e-Governe Group, which became a supplier of administrative systems to municipalities nationwide. A separate telecommunications venture, Horizons Telecom, launched in 2010 to serve corporate clients. After building that business over eleven years, Jacobovicz sold it to an investment consortium in early 2021.

Latest Venture in Virtualisation

The Horizons sale preceded the creation of Arlequim Technologies, Jacobovicz’s current company. Operating in the virtualisation space, it delivers software-based performance improvements for computers that might otherwise require replacement. The service appeals to cost-conscious organisations and individuals—including gamers—who want better computing experiences without significant hardware expenditure.

Now decades into his entrepreneurial career, Jacobovicz continues applying the same fundamental lesson: understand what customers actually need and build services that address those requirements directly.