Agasus

Voke, formerly known as Agasus, operates as a key player in Brazil's Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) market. The company's business model centers on leasing IT equipment, such as computers, smartphones, and servers, to corporate clients, bundling these rentals with comprehensive support services including logistics, installation, and maintenance. This approach provides a one-stop-shop solution for businesses, allowing them to outsource their IT hardware needs. Voke also generates revenue by selling refurbished, pre-owned equipment, a segment it entered to control the final stage of the equipment's lifecycle and enhance profitability.

The company's current leadership, Co-CEOs Rene Almeida and João Luis Lima, acquired Agasus in May 2019 through their search fund, 220 Capital. Almeida, with a background at McKinsey & Company and an MBA from IE Business School, partnered with his classmate Lima to enter the Brazilian market by acquiring an established company rather than starting a new venture. They identified Agasus, a company founded in 2000 with a strong recurring revenue model and low customer churn, as an ideal acquisition target. When acquired, Agasus had a turnover of BRL 38 million and served customers across 12 states in Brazil.

Under the new leadership, the company embarked on an aggressive growth strategy fueled by mergers and acquisitions. In 2020, they acquired JR1 Informatica to build out their refurbished equipment sales channel. A major milestone occurred in 2021 with the acquisition of Microcity, their largest competitor and a pioneer in Brazil's IT outsourcing market since 1984. This series of acquisitions led to a significant increase in scale and market share, with revenues growing from BRL 80 million in 2020 to BRL 422 million in 2022. Following the integration of these companies, the group rebranded to Voke in early 2023, a name derived from the word "provoke" to signify their focus on driving change in the market. By March 2024, Voke reported a turnover of BRL 540 million and had rented half a million computer units in Brazil.

Keywords: Hardware-as-a-Service, HaaS, IT outsourcing, equipment leasing, refurbished electronics, IT infrastructure, corporate technology, asset lifecycle management, Brazilian market, Rene Almeida, João Luis Lima, Voke, 220 Capital, Microcity, JR1 Informatica, computer rental, server leasing, smartphone leasing, IT support services, corporate hardware solutions