In the Brazilian startup market, the bootstrap model has gained significant relevance. Characterized as a form of management without external investment, bootstrapping has been widely adopted in the country. According to the Founders Overview report, developed by ACE in conjunction with Bhub and a55 in 2023, 44.6% of Brazilian entrepreneurs structured their businesses without internal investments, using only their own capital. In this context, Unlog, a logistics startup that operates in the bootstrap model, recorded an almost 90% growth in revenue in 2024, more than doubling its Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBTIDA), and the expectation is that revenue will also double this year.
According to Natalia Baranov, Chief Financial Officer of Unlog, the organization is part of a segment of companies that consolidate and grow in the Brazilian market by doing the basics but essential for entrepreneurship, adapting to market changes, innovation, strengthening the team of people, and good financial management. “We realized that, with changes in consumer profile and sectoral changes, we needed technological and operational management updates to meet market needs and increasingly seek innovative solutions. Consumer demand is constant, but in addition to fast delivery at a lower cost, our customer also demands sustainability projects and that their partner or supplier is aligned with their strategy,” she says.
The sharp growth of logtech occurs in opposition to a common phenomenon for many Brazilian startups, the closure of activities due to lack of capital. According to a survey conducted by Distrito for InfoMoney, more than 8,000 businesses closed between January 2015 and September 2024, and only 10% of them received any type of investment. The evolution also follows an intense movement around the transportation and logistics segment since, according to the Brazilian Association of Infrastructure and Basic Industries (Abdib), the private sector is expected to invest R$124.3 billion in the sector between 2022 and 2026. Within this heated market, Unlog stands out with the offer of services and products, such as delivery management, last-mile logistics, fleet management, stock and cargo, and on-demand delivery for large and small customers from various sectors.
“With the need for growth and a scenario of rising interest rates and consequently external capital costs, we trimmed expenses that were not part of the operation to increase cash, invested in technology solutions with routing and storage systems, and strengthened the training of operational personnel. Thanks to this strategic approach, we were able to improve our service and ensure the significant results achieved last year,” concludes Baranov. This year, the startup aims to strategically invest in key points such as cost efficiency, scalability, national service, and strategic management of internal capital, aiming to achieve double the revenue and a further two percentage points in its EBITDA result compared to 2024.
