Despite receiving traditional engineering training—seven years at Military School followed by civil engineering studies at Federal University of Paraná—Haroldo Jacobovicz charted an unconventional professional course that transformed Brazilian technology markets. While his educational background suggested a future in construction or infrastructure development, Jacobovicz instead gravitated toward the emerging possibilities of information technology during the early 1980s.
Family influence might have reinforced traditional career expectations. As the firstborn of four children to Alfredo, who combined civil engineering practice with academic teaching, and Sarita, who distinguished herself as among Paraná’s pioneering female engineers, Jacobovicz could easily have followed established professional patterns. Yet his intellectual curiosity led him toward unexplored technological frontiers.
This curiosity manifested in his consuming reading habits, particularly newspapers and periodicals that provided global perspectives on technological developments. This information gathering practice became a cornerstone of his business intelligence approach, supplying insights that guided his entrepreneurial decisions throughout his career.
Jacobovicz’s first business venture began before completing his university studies, when he recruited three technically skilled friends to establish Microsystem. Their company aimed to transform retail operations through computerized inventory management and point-of-sale systems for local merchants, pharmacies and markets. Though the venture concluded after two years because Brazilian businesses weren’t yet prepared to embrace digital transformation, it demonstrated Jacobovicz’s capacity to envision technological applications ahead of market readiness.
After this initial entrepreneurial experience, Jacobovicz entered the corporate world at Esso (later Exxon Mobil), where he distinguished himself among hundreds of engineering candidates during the selection process. His capabilities enabled rapid advancement from field sales positions to regional market analysis and ultimately to the company’s Brazilian headquarters, where he developed commercial strategies and business initiatives. This experience provided valuable insights into organizational operations and data-driven decision making at enterprise scale.
Economic conditions during Brazil’s Cruzado Plan implementation, along with family considerations, eventually prompted Jacobovicz to return to Paraná. There he joined the prestigious Itaipu Hydroelectric project as an advisor to its Technical Director. This position revealed the unique challenges government entities faced regarding technology adoption, particularly bureaucratic obstacles related to equipment procurement and classification—knowledge that would inform his subsequent business innovations.
After four years observing public sector technology challenges firsthand, Jacobovicz returned to entrepreneurship with Minauro, offering an innovative solution for government agencies: technology leasing contracts spanning four years with hardware upgrades every eighteen months. This approach directly addressed the administrative barriers he had witnessed at Itaipu and proved remarkably successful, securing contracts throughout Brazil’s southern and southeastern regions.
Recognizing opportunities for comprehensive digital government solutions, Jacobovicz expanded beyond hardware through strategic acquisitions of software developers including Consult, Perform, and Sisteplan. This consolidation created the e-Governe Group, which continues providing integrated systems for municipal administration across taxation, finance, administrative processes, healthcare and education management.
In 2010, identifying untapped potential in corporate telecommunications, Jacobovicz founded Horizons Telecom. Developed from the ground up with premium infrastructure and talent, and building upon conceptual foundations from Renato Guerreiro (Anatel’s inaugural president), the company quickly established itself in Brazil’s enterprise connectivity market. Within a decade, it achieved such prominence that it was acquired by a major investment consortium expanding its telecommunications portfolio.
Following this successful exit, Jacobovicz launched Arlequim Technologies in 2021, focusing on virtualization solutions that enhance existing hardware performance without physical replacement. This approach addresses contemporary concerns regarding environmental sustainability and cost efficiency while serving diverse clients across business, government and consumer sectors.
Throughout these ventures spanning hardware, software, telecommunications and virtualization, Jacobovicz has maintained a consistent focus on practical problem-solving through appropriate technology implementation. His career demonstrates how engineering principles—systematic analysis, efficiency optimization, and solution design—can successfully transfer to technology entrepreneurship, creating sustainable business value across multiple sectors.