Our Entrepreneurs

Company Snapshot

Automatos has become a well-established player in the Brazilian market for information technology consulting services. Its mission is to take advantage of two major market trends—the increasing dependence on computers to succeed in business and the need to reduce the operational cost in non-core business activities. Automatos addresses these two trends by providing remote and automatic management and administration of mission-critical computers.
Andre, Marcelo, and Agostinho hold degrees from two of the best technical universities in Brazil. The entrepreneurs met during their tenure at IBM where they gained worldwide experience, providing them with the fundamentals to understand the intricacies and key issues of the computer industry. However, it was their passion for technology that motivated the entrepreneurs to identify the niche market that IBM disregarded and come together to start their own company (SOLVO) in 1998. SOLVO provided technological support services complementing hardware projects. A spin off from SOLVO, AUTOMATOS Inc. interfaces with clients through a “Supportal” (portal for technical support) and all services offered are based on the concepts of e-Support and e-Sourcing. These terms relate, on different levels, to the use of the network to support and manage computer equipment (servers and microcomputers), while increasing the productivity of a company’s computer technology departments.

Agostinho, ChiefTechnical Manager, has a solid professional background in Information Technology. Agostinho holds a bachelor degree in electronic engineering from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ). He later worked with IBM-Brazil’s technical pre-sales team for over 11 years and was promoted to the highest position in systems engineering. During his tenure at IBM Brazil, he took part in major UNIX engagements involving large corporations. In addition, he has significant experience in international professional service projects. Agostinho’s experience in complex environment administration makes him stand out as one of the most skilled UNIX technical support professionals in Latin America.

Since 1994, André, Chief Executive Manager, has been involved with the management of IT companies. He founded SOLVO and is credited for having made the strategic decisions that generated the AUTOMATOS’ concept. André worked with IBM-Brazil’s technical pre-sales team for 4 years and at present remains the international commerce director of RioSoft, an organization that represents the software industry in Rio de Janeiro. André holds a bachelor degree in computer science from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).

Marcelo, Sales Manager, has a substantial sales experience in the information technology industry. He worked with IBM-Brazil’s sales team for 6 years, during which he acquired a profound understanding of the telecommunications industry and was promoted to a management position. Marcelo holds a bachelor degree in mathematics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and a Masters degree in system engineering from the same university.

Automatos has grown to have offices in the US, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Thailand and China. Automatos has more than 200 customers in 10 countries and more than 350,000 desktop computers and 15,000 servers are managed globally by the company. Their impressive customer list includes: IBM, General Electric, Souza Cruz, Itau, CSN, Bandeirante Energia, Rhodia, NEC, Banco Santander, Petrobras, TecBan, Natura, Cargil, Brahma, Gigante (México), Bancomer (Mexico), PDVSA (Venezuela) and CANTV (Venezuela). With recent acquisitions, Automatos has grown its client portfolio to over 800, and demonstrated expansion potential in IT consulting services in Brazil.

Endeavor and Automatos (Solvo)

The Entrepreneurs have benefited from a wide range of Global services, from the eMBA and G-Lab program to Immersion Tours, workshops, Entrepreneur Summit, and road shows. Local services have included the PEG program, where Endeavor helped to professionalize the company and re-design the sales process (introducing a sales pipeline, etc.). Endeavor also provided direct financing support, nomination of board members, accelerating US expansion through Endeavor networks (including a major deal), and legal support.

The Entrepreneurs have demonstrated commitment by participating in educational activities, performing 2nd opinion reviews, and serving as panelists.