CRM&BONUS Raises Over R$280 Million to Accelerate Its Global Expansion Plans and Consolidate Its Position as the Leading Giftback Platform in Brazil

SÃO PAULO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CRM&BONUS, the first and only full service giftback platform in the world, today announced it has raised over R$280 million, which values the company at R$1 billion. The round was led by the SoftBank Latin America Fund, Riverwood Capital, Igah Ventures and Volpe Capital.

Founded in 2018 by Alexandre Zolko (CEO), Luiz Fernando Dias Guedes (COO) and Eduardo Luis dos Santos Vieira (CTO), CRM&BONUS is a platform that allows real-time control of giftback delivery to consumers, making it possible to measure the increases in billing and customer retention. The creation of the platform enabled TVZ / MyShoes, a fashion company founded and owned by Zolko’s family, to measure sales growth of around 15%. These results encouraged the founders to expand the operation of the platform.

Quickly, CRM&BONUS revolutionized the giftback market in Brazil. Currently, the solution serves more than 12,000 physical stores and e-commerce companies in Brazil and Portugal, with renowned clients such as Ambev, Arezzo, Vivara, Itaú, Adidas, L’Occitane, Alpagartas, MadeiraMadeira, Grupo Soma and Chilli Beans. The company aims to increase the sale and profit of any store owner in the world, regardless of the size and segment, from 5% to 20%, over the course of three months. If the growth target is not reached, nothing is charged to the store owner; however, 98% of retailers achieve the result.

Zolko, Founder and CEO of CRM&BONUS, said, “We have a real opportunity to expand our platform and methodology globally to help hundreds of thousands of stores sell more and profit faster. Our primary focus will be on the team and the product, as we intend to quickly bring the CRMPAY component to Brazil, enabling our 15 modules to service stores, such as bars and restaurants, with an addressable market of more than 1 million businesses in Brazil.”

Zolko added, “We plan to use the proceeds to accelerate our growth across Brazil and expand internationally in 2022, including opening offices in at least five new countries, with a particular focus on the USA and Europe.”

Alex Szapiro, Operating Partner and Head of Brazil at the SoftBank Latin America Fund, said, “We’re excited to lead this round in a company that has a high level of innovation as CRM&BONUS. The quality of the platform is the materialization of Zolko’s entrepreneurial vision and his team’s dedication that goes beyond Brazil’s and Latin America’s borders. The company has the potential for outsized growth globally by addressing sales issues across hundreds of thousands of businesses, at a low cost and an excellent ROI.”

Francisco Alvarez-Demalde, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Riverwood Capital, said, “We are impressed with Zolko and the CRM&BONUS team for their vision and execution in building one of the leading loyalty and giftback platforms in Brazil. Bootstrapped until now and with a fanatic focus on customer success, CRM&BONUS has built a scalable and easy to adopt software solution for retailers, merchants and brands to foster purchaser loyalty, understand and engage with consumers, and improve recurrency, driving more revenues and better service.”

Joaquim Lima, Partner at Riverwood Capital, said, “CRM&BONUS has an incredible giftback technology and offering with broad appeal for any size retailer in any location. I look forward to working alongside Zolko on the Board and supporting the entire team on their scalability journey as CRM&BONUS reinforces its positioning as the dominant loyalty platform.”

About CRM&BONUS

CRM&BONUS is the first and only full service giftback platform in the world. It is a complete software and consultancy with 15 modules, such as Authenticated Loyalty, Member Get Member (MGM), Relationship Rules, Mass Reactivations, B2B Bonus, NPS and others. No setup is needed and the company offers 90 days money back guarantee in case the retailer does not increase sales and profit, regardless of size and segment, from 5% to 20%. Through the giftback tool and consultancy, it’s applied bonus and rewards campaigns for the brand's customers. Currently, with renowned clients such as Ambev, Arezzo, Vivara, Itaú, Adidas, L’Occitane, Alpagartas and Chilli Beans.

About SoftBank

The SoftBank Group invests in breakthrough technology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. The SoftBank Group is comprised of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984), an investment holding company that includes stakes in telecommunications, internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology providers; the SoftBank Vision Funds, which are investing more than US$135 billion to help extraordinary entrepreneurs transform industries and shape new ones; the US$5 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund, the largest venture fund in that region; the newly-launched US$3 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund II; and the SB Opportunity Fund, a US$100 million fund dedicated to investing in enterprises founded by entrepreneurs of color in the U.S. To learn more, please visit https://group.softbank/en.

About Riverwood Capital

Riverwood Capital invests in high-growth companies in the technology and technology-enabled industries. Riverwood offers a unique combination of operational, strategic, technology, and financial insight to portfolio companies that typically need growth capital and expertise to scale on a global basis. The firm seeks to invest in established businesses with a proven technology and business model, and the proper fit in terms of culture and values, in both minority and control situations. Riverwood has offices in Menlo Park, CA; New York, NY; São Paulo, Brazil; and Miami, FL.