Website www.movile.com/en/ Founded 1998 Type of business Private | Headquarters Campinas Number of employees 500 | |
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Industry Internet
Computer software
Telecoms equipment Subsidiaries iFood.com Agência de Restaurantes Online S.A., Rapiddo, Movile International Inc | ||
Movile is a Brazilian IT company founded in 1998. It is active in mobile and entertainment services in Latin America.
Contents
Background
Movile was founded in 1998 by two former Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) students, in the city of Campinas. The start-up Intraweb was organized through the university's corporate incubator. The initial purpose was to create corporate intranets.
Intraweb was absorbed by the 'GoWap' website, the first company to receive a capital contribution by 'Rio Bravo Investimentos'. This was the birth of 'GoWapCorp', a company that dedicated its efforts to the field of corporate market data solutions by mean of cell phones.
'GoWapCorp' was the subject of a capital outlay by 'Rio Bravo' and changed its name to 'Compera'. The episode of the recent young Unicamp graduates that created important companies in the market was the subject of a press report.
The company decided to change its business model, shifting from software to service provision. Focus was transferred from the corporate market to concessionaires end customers, with services such as cell phone video, games and music.
'Compera' announced its merger with 'nTime', a cell phone service company in Rio de Janeiro, giving rise to 'ComperanTime'.
'MIH Holdings', from the Naspers South African media group, acquired the interest held by 'Rio Bravo' in 'ComperanTime'. and became the company's minority shareholder.
'ComperanTime' announced its merger with 'Yavox'. Following these discussions, Yavox became ComperanTime's wholly owned subsidiary, but both companies and their respective trade marks were to go on existing separately for several months more.
Following an extended market research period, 'ComperanTimeYavox' decided to change its name and is now known as 'Movile'. Jointly with this new trade mark, a change in strategy also took place. Movile's key focus turned to digital inclusion by means of mobile services in emerging countries. During that same year Movile and 'Cyclelogic' disclosed the merger of their operations in Latin America. By means of this market movement, Movile expanded its activities in Latin America.
Movile opened its first offices in the United States (in Silicon Valley, California) and concentrated its business strategy on that country's Latino market.
It invested in the startup 'iFood' and broadened the scope and number of orders by creating a smartphone application.
PlayKids app release – considered to be the "Children Netflix".
The PlayKids app stood out during the year at Apple Store and Google Play.
In 2012 and 2013 the company was part of Brazil's best IT and Telecomm companies to work in. A survey held by the Great Place to Work Institute institute jointly with Computerworld magazine.
New investment from Movile in iFood.
PlayKids arrives in 24 countries: Spain, France, USA, Australia, UK, Canada, among others
Movile's new investment in iFood app generates the purchase of the competitor Central Delivery
Movile and Accelerator 21212 invest R$1.15 million in Superplayer.
Movile raises $55 million from Innova Capital Jorge Paulo Lemann and FINEP.