The professional development of Haroldo Jacobovicz reveals how technical education can serve as a springboard for technology entrepreneurship. With educational roots in civil engineering at the Federal University of Paraná, preceded by seven years at Military College, he constructed a career that transcended traditional engineering practice by recognizing information technology’s rising significance in Brazil’s business landscape.
His upbringing included strong technical influences—his father combined engineering practice with university teaching, while his mother broke gender barriers as one of the early female civil engineers in Paraná state. Yet when beginning his own career in the 1980s, Jacobovicz gravitated toward digital technologies just as Brazil was taking initial steps toward computerization.
This interest manifested before graduation when Haroldo Jacobovicz formed Microsystem with three technically-skilled colleagues. Their business aimed to digitize inventory management for retail establishments at a time when such practices were uncommon in Brazil. The venture concluded after two years when it became evident that small businesses weren’t prepared to embrace computerization—providing an early lesson about market readiness that would guide future decisions.
Seeking to build professional experience, Jacobovicz secured a position at Esso petroleum company (now Exxon Mobil) where his analytical capabilities distinguished him among hundreds of engineering candidates. Starting in sales, his data-driven approach facilitated rapid advancement to market analysis and eventually to developing commercial strategies at the company’s Brazilian headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.
When economic policies under Brazil’s Cruzado Plan created new pressures in the fuel sector, Haroldo Jacobovicz reassessed his career direction. He accepted a position at the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant as an advisor to the Technical Director, returning to Paraná while gaining exposure to technology implementation processes within large-scale public infrastructure. After four years in this role, Jacobovicz returned to entrepreneurship with sharpened business acumen. He established Minauro, offering equipment rental contracts with maintenance and regular updates—addressing the specific procurement challenges faced by government organizations. This solution gained traction through competitive bids throughout southern and southeastern regions of Brazil.
His technology portfolio expanded when he incorporated software solutions through strategic acquisitions, adding capabilities in financial, administrative, and educational management systems. These moves resulted in the e-Governe Group, which continues serving numerous Brazilian municipalities with digital government applications.
In 2010, Haroldo Jacobovicz entered telecommunications by founding Horizons Telecom, developed with input from the first president of Brazil’s telecommunications regulatory agency. The company focused on corporate connectivity needs, growing into a recognized industry presence before being acquired in 2021.
His most recent venture, Arlequim Technologies, launched in 2021 focusing on virtualization services that optimize computing performance without hardware replacement. This approach addresses both business efficiency requirements and broader technology access concerns by extending the productive lifespan of existing equipment.
Throughout these business initiatives, Haroldo Jacobovicz has consistently applied technical understanding to identify practical solutions across different sectors. His career progression demonstrates how engineering thinking combined with market awareness can create business opportunities that advance technological adoption across various segments of the economy.