Cheers takes another step towards establishing itself as a national reference in youth-oriented innovation. A startup, born in Curitiba and impacting the lives of students and young people in general through the connection between technology and connectivity, has just announced the expansion of its Benefits Club to Goiânia, Florianópolis, and Campinas. Meta is ambitious: to reach 40 Brazilian cities in the coming years.
The Cheers Benefits Club is an exclusive advantage program focused on students, offering discounts and promotions at various establishments in Curitiba, such as bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes, and pubs. Additionally, subscribers receive a discount on ticket purchase fees for events through the Cheers app and priority access to selected events, avoiding lines and participating in exclusive raffles, such as account balances, partner combos, and party tickets.
But Cheers' purpose goes beyond fun. The partners' curatorship aims to ensure quality in the discounts offered. "Our goal is to transform the university experience in Brazil. We want to deliver a solid network of benefits that combines entertainment, savings, and convenience," says Pedro Viggiano, co-founder of the company.
Founded in 2018, Cheers was created with the aim of making the daily life of students and academic entities easier, initially by digitizing tickets for university events. The innovative model replaced old paper tickets with digital tickets with QR codes, optimizing access control and reducing environmental impact.Over time, the platform evolved to offer young audiences more, becoming a connection point for bars, clubs, production companies, and organizations.
In addition to management technology, the startup strengthened its position as a link between students and a network of exclusive benefits. The Benefits Club, now expanding, connects young people to experiences ranging from parties and bars to discounts at major brands like Nike, Natura, and AliExpress.
"The process is simple: the student accesses the Cheers app, checks if their city is already on the list, and if it is, they can subscribe to the club for R$ 9.90 per month. This grants access to VIP entry at parties, double drinks, snack combos, and cashback on products from major brands," explains Gabriel Russo, CEO of Cheers.
With over 40 active partnerships in Curitiba, the company is now expanding its model to new markets with the goal of bringing students closer to a more accessible, fun, and well-connected university life.
The expansion accompanies a promising outlook for the sector: according to the 2023 Higher Education Census, released by MEC and Inep, Brazil reached the highest number of enrollments in higher education in nine years, with over 9.9 million students. This growth reinforces the potential of a market that moves billions of reais annually, composed of a demanding, digital audience eager for practical solutions.
In just five years, Cheers has already achieved impressive numbers: over five thousand partners, 2 million active users, 6.3 million tickets sold, half a million products sold, and more than 1.8 million app downloads. All of this with a lean team of 40 professionals spread across six states.
