Area served Brazil Total assets R$996.087 million Founder Nércio Fernandes | Net income R$63.818 Number of employees 2.5 thousands Headquarters Brazil Founded 1985 | |
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Number of locations Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Belo Horizonte (MG), Recife (PE), Porto Alegre (RS), Joinville (SC), Bauru (SP), Cascavel (PR), Bebedouro (SP), Blumenau (SC), Uberlândia (MG), Florianópolis (SC) and Manaus (AM) Stock price LINX3 (BVMF) R$ 16.45 0.00 (0.00%)17 Mar, 5:08 PM GMT-3 - Disclaimer Subsidiaries Formata Data Business Profiles | ||
Linx is a Brazilian management software company and the largest software house in retail management systems in Latin America. According to the American technology consulting firm IDC, Linx retains 32% of the retail management software in Brazil.
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History
Linx was founded in 1985 by São Paulo native, Nércio Fernandes. At age 22, Nércio dropped out of college, leaving his studies in Civil Engineering to invest in his own business in the micro-computing field. He and his partners gave the company its first name: Microserv Comércio & Consultoria Ltda.
A few years after its inauguration, the company was serving small businesses in the regions of Brás and Bom Retiro in São Paulo, when MicroMalhas was created – a software geared towards fashion retail. In 1990, the software was renamed Linx, and later became Linx ERP – the group's flagship software, geared towards different retail segments. Linx Logística, a unit specialized in internal logistics, was created in 2000. With a more complex structure, and with the parallel operation of Linx Sistemas, Linx Logística and Linx Telecom – created to focus on the outsourcing of connectivity and telecommunication options for retail – the creation of a holding company was necessary in order to unify the business units. In 2004, LMI S.A. emerged, and later was renamed Linx S.A.
In 2009, Linx received the contribution of BNDESPar to accomplish acquisitions with the objective of expanding the group's operations.
With the group's expansion, a business division called Linx Prevenção de Perdas was created to minimize losses related to materials, opportunities, time and capital in several of its clients’ market verticals.
Linx relocated in 2011 to a 10-story commercial building in the city of São Paulo. Also in 2011, Linx sealed a partnership and received an investment from General Atlantic – an American private equity fund.
In 2013, Linx adhered to Novo Mercado, a segment of Bovespa that establishes transparency and governance standards through the IPO shares at BM&F.
In the following year, Linx reached R$331.3 million in gross operational revenue, which represented a 27.9% increase compared to 2013.
At its 30th anniversary, in 2015, the company presented a new brand and positioning with the slogan Software that Drives Retail created by FutureBrand, agency responsible for the campaign.
Mergers and acquisitions
In 2008, Linx acquired Quadrant Informática Ltda. for R$39.9 million.
In 2009, Linx Sistemas bought Formata Data Business, located in Belo Horizonte, MG, CSI Comércio Soluções Inteligentes Ltda. for R$41.1 million, and Intercommerce Retail Software for R$13.6 million.
A year later in 2010, the company also bought CNP Engenharia de Sistemas S.A. for R$16 million, and Dia System Informática Ltda. for R$13.8 million.
In 2011, Linx purchased Custom Business Solutions Ltda., valued at R$4.7 million, Spress Informática S.A. for R$29.8 million and Microvix Software S.A. for R$42.8 million.
In 2012, Linx Sistemas acquired Compacta Informática Ltda. for R$46.2 million.
Also in 2012, the company signed a contract for the transfer of technology with Bitix Consultoria em Tecnologia da Informação Ltda. for R$683,000.
In 2013, Linx Sistemas e Consultoria Ltda. signed a Shares Sale and Purchase Contract with the holders of the entire share capital of Direção Processamento de Dados Ltda. estimated at R$26.5 million. In the same year, the company bought Seller Corp Ltda. for R$10.1 million, Opus Software Comércio e Representações Ltda. for R$9 million, Ionics Informática e Automação Ltda. for R$12 million, and LZT Soluções em Informática Ltda. for R$30.5 million.
In 2014, Linx acquired companies such as Rezende Sistemas Ltda., Net4Biz for R$49.9 million, Big Sistemas for R$38.7 million and Softpharma for R$65 million.
In 2015, Linx acquired NEEMU and Chaordic for R$55.98 million.
Instituto Ayrton Senna
In partnership with Instituto Ayrton Senna, Linx supports the implementation of the project called Política de Aprendizagem Escolar – "School Learning Policy" that presents educational solutions directed at literacy, such as Se Liga, and at the acceleration of learning for elementary school students in the city of Recife and surrounding area, such as Acelera.
Movimento Arredondar
Linx closed a partnership with Movimento Arredondar – “Round-It-Up Movement”, allowing commercial establishments that use Linx POS, Linx Microvix and Linx Degust systems to offer their consumers the option to round up the cents in their purchases for donation. All proceeds go to selected social organizations that work in favor of UN’s eight objectives for the millennium.
Junior Achievement
Linx reformulated the program by Junior Achievement called Mini-Company, and created Mini-Company by Linx. Mini-Company by Linx provides sophomore students the opportunity to experience economy and business through the operation of a student-run company. The project includes a digital management tool and a virtual community for students and alumni.
Cultural incentives
In 2012, Linx supported the exhibit entitled São Paulo: um novo olhar sobre a história, which portrayed the city through the history of retail commerce and its influence in the urban transformations of the 19th century. The exhibit was featured at the Sé station in São Paulos’s subway for 45 days.
Linx also sponsored the book Vitrinas: História, arte e consumo em São Paulo by Sylvia Demetresco, in 2015, which was sent to all of the company’s clients as a holiday gift.