Clairfield advises Locaweb on the acquisition of ConnectPlug

Locaweb is a Brazilian pioneer and leader in IT hosted services. The company serves users ranging from individuals to large corporations through three business verticals:

• Internet, which offers hosting services, domain registration, reseller hosting, solutions for e-mail outsourcing and e-commerce.
• Data center,which offers cloud computing solutions, dedicated servers and secure room, besides specialized IT outsourcing services.
• Communication, focused on offering VoIP telephony through virtual PABX services and a virtual call center.

Locaweb was founded in 1998 and had a successful IPO in 2020. Following its debut on the stock market, company shares soared over 600%. The company has approximately 900 employees. In 2020 Locaweb reported sales of BRL 488 million (USD 86million).

ConnectPlug is a SaaS platform with complete point-of-sale and management systems. With a wide presence in the foodservice segment, the platform offers tools such as integration of orders, self-service platforms and solutions for digital menus and commands that are fully integrated with kitchen management systems.

As a pioneer in cloud-based services, Locaweb was a clear winner in the pandemic as companies moved to cloud-based service offerings. The company was cash-rich following a buoyant performance on the stock market.

More about company strategy: maximize customer base, expand range ofservices, and diversify portfolio. With the acquisition of ConnectPlug, Locaweb, which already has the most complete ecosystem of technology solutions for SMEs and strong presence in the market for foodservice, strengthens its portfolio and enters the important market of technology solutions for the physical trade, and continues to consolidate itself as the best option to digitize companies in Brazil, expanding the possibilities of cross-sell. Thus, Locaweb reaches a new market and expands the ability of the group to offer omnichannel solutions. ConnectPlug allows the retailer to enjoy all the features that a SaaS system delivers, with a vast capacity to issue of invoices from all over Brazil, intelligence reports for the business and the possibility to work offline for cases of more remote internet access.