Haroldo Jacobovicz: A Journey from Engineering to Digital Inclusion
The professional development of Haroldo Jacobovicz shows how technical training can lead to unexpected career paths. After completing his education at Military College and earning a civil engineering degree from the Federal University of Paraná, he directed his skills toward information technology during the 1980s—a time when digital systems were just beginning to gain traction in Brazil.
This career direction represented a departure from family tradition. His father combined civil engineering practice with university teaching, while his mother broke gender barriers as one of Paraná’s first female civil engineers. Yet Haroldo Jacobovicz was captivated by technological possibilities, regularly studying news publications to spot applications with business potential.
While still completing his studies, Haroldo Jacobovicz gathered three friends with computer knowledge to establish Microsystem, offering retail businesses computerized inventory and sales management. Though this venture concluded after two years when it became clear that small businesses were not yet prepared for widespread digital adoption, the experience provided valuable market insights.
Seeking to build his professional background, Jacobovicz joined multinational oil company Esso (later Exxon Mobil). Starting in sales, he advanced to analytical positions focused on market assessment using computer-processed data. When Brazil’s Cruzado Plan created economic pressures in the fuel sector, combined with family considerations, he returned to Paraná to work at the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant as an advisor to the Technical Director.
During four years in this public sector role, Jacobovicz observed how governmental procurement processes hindered technology implementation. This realization sparked his next business: Minauro, which offered public agencies four-year computer rental contracts with equipment updates and maintenance. This approach addressed budgetary and regulatory constraints while ensuring access to current technology—a formula that secured numerous government contracts throughout southern and southeastern Brazil.
His technology service portfolio expanded when he acquired software companies focused on public administration systems, creating the e-Governe Group to provide digital solutions for municipal governments. In 2010, Jacobovicz partnered with former Anatel president Renato Guerreiro to establish Horizons Telecom, building this operation into a significant telecommunications provider before selling to investors in early 2021.
That same year, Jacobovicz founded Arlequim Technologies with a mission to make advanced computing capabilities more widely accessible. This company specializes in virtualization services that enhance performance of existing hardware for businesses, government entities, and individual users, including gaming enthusiasts. By improving computing power without requiring equipment replacement, this approach extends digital capabilities across different economic segments.
Throughout these ventures, Jacobovicz has consistently worked to reduce barriers between users and technology benefits. From his first attempt at bringing inventory management systems to small retailers through his current focus on computer virtualization, his career reflects an ongoing commitment to making technological tools more widely available across Brazilian society.