Starting a business is one thing; knowing when to exit is another. The career of Haroldo Jacobovicz includes both company launches and strategic departures, offering a view into how entrepreneurs balance building ventures with recognising when circumstances call for new directions.
Technical Heritage
Civil engineering ran deep in the Jacobovicz family of Curitiba. His mother Sarita belonged to a tiny cohort of women who had obtained engineering degrees in Paraná at a time when the profession presented significant barriers to female participation. His father Alfredo pursued both professional practice and university teaching within the same discipline. Naturally, the eldest Jacobovicz child enrolled in civil engineering at the Federal University of Paraná following his years in military education.
Pivoting Toward Technology
Despite his qualifications, Haroldo Jacobovicz never practised as a civil engineer. The growing presence of computers in Brazilian commerce during the early 1980s presented what seemed like a more compelling opportunity. Alongside three collaborators with software development backgrounds, he launched Microsystem in 1983.
Their target market consisted of small businesses—pharmacies, shops, and supermarkets—that could theoretically benefit from computerised stock management and sales tracking. Theoretical benefits, however, failed to translate into actual demand. The company folded after two years, a victim of premature market entry.
Professional Detour Through Large Organisations
The Microsystem experience prompted Jacobovicz to seek broader exposure before attempting entrepreneurship again. At oil company Esso, he advanced through various positions until reaching commercial strategy responsibilities at the Brazilian head office. Work at Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant followed, providing insight into how state enterprises handled technology decisions within bureaucratic constraints.
Both environments offered lessons unavailable to someone operating only within small startups—particularly regarding procurement processes and organisational decision-making patterns.
Returning to Entrepreneurship with Refined Focus
When Haroldo Jacobovicz started his next company, he applied what he had learned. Minauro offered computer leasing services structured specifically for government clients, with contracts accommodating public sector purchasing requirements. This targeted approach found receptive customers across southern and southeastern Brazil.
Subsequent acquisitions of software firms specialising in municipal administration systems led to the formation of the e-Governe Group. In 2010, Jacobovicz moved into telecommunications by establishing Horizons Telecom for corporate customers. That venture operated successfully for over a decade.
Knowing When to Move On
In early 2021, Jacobovicz sold Horizons to an investment group. Rather than viewing this as an endpoint, he treated it as an opportunity to pursue something new. The result was Arlequim Technologies, a virtualisation company launched that same year.
Arlequim’s services aim to extend the functional lifespan of existing computers by improving their performance through software rather than hardware replacement. The company serves businesses, government bodies, and consumers—with particular attention to gamers seeking enhanced capabilities from their current machines.
For Jacobovicz, selling one successful business to start another reflects a straightforward calculation: sometimes the best path forward requires letting go of what you have already built.