A recent survey by Asaas reveals that more than half of Brazilian companies fail to surpass two years, with Individual Microentrepreneurs (MEIs) facing the greatest challenges: 79% shut down their activities within this period. The research, based on the Business Map and Federal Revenue data, shows that only 56% of limited companies survive between 12 and 34 months in Brazil.
The analysis conducted by the fintech was based on the Business Map published by the Federal Government in the last quarter of 2023 and data from the Federal Revenue regarding the opening and closing of companies, from the first registered in Brazil (CNPJ 0001) to the most recent. The methodology used by Asaas allowed the identification of survival patterns, performance by size, region, and sector.
Among the data collected in 2023, individual microentrepreneurs (MEIs) were the most vulnerable category, with 79% closing their activities, while microenterprises accounted for 18% of closures. The Southeast region accounted for 50% of bankruptcies, followed by the South (19%) and Northeast (17%).
Piero Contezini, co-founder and president of Asaas, emphasizes that high interest rates have contributed to this challenging scenario for SMEs. "With the high Selic rate, access to credit becomes a challenge, especially for micro-entrepreneurs. This affects not only consumption but also increases the bankruptcy rate," he explains.
As the economic landscape becomes more challenging, it is crucial for companies to adopt innovative technologies. The analysis conducted by Asaas also identified that, in the same period analyzed, the survival rate of companies that used the fintech's financial management solutions, between 12 and 34 months, reached 78%.
“Implementing financial management solutions, such as automation, is a path worth exploring. Automation helps reduce errors and allows managers to focus even more on business planning and strategy. Before automation, an employee spent around 18 days per month on the collections process. Today, this time can be reduced to just 5 minutes per day,” he adds.
With 14 years of history, Asaas is one of the main fintechs in Brazil, accumulating more than 2.3 million accounts created and growth of over 100% per year in the last five years.
