Cheers takes another step towards consolidation as a national reference in innovation focused on the young public. The 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. The goal is ambitious: to reach 40 Brazilian cities in the coming years.
The Cheers Benefits Club is an exclusive benefits program focused on students, offering discounts and promotions at various establishments in Curitiba such as bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes, and pubs. In addition, subscribers get discounts on event ticket purchases through the Cheers app and priority access at selected events, avoiding lines and participating in exclusive drawings, such as credit, partner combos, and tickets for parties.
But Cheers’ purpose goes beyond entertainment. The curation of partners 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, a company co-founder.
Founded in 2018, Cheers emerged with the proposal to make the daily lives of students and academic entities easier, initially with the digitization of tickets for university events. The innovative model replaced old paper tickets with digital tickets with QR Codes, streamlining access control and reducing environmental impact. Over time, the platform evolved to offer the young public something more, becoming a hub for bars, clubs, producers, and entities.
Beyond management technology, the startup strengthened its positioning 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 on big brands like Nike, Natura, and AliExpress.
“The operation is simple: the student accesses the Cheers app, checks if their city is already on the list, and if it is, can subscribe to the club for R$ 9.90 per month. This gives access to VIP entry to parties, two-for-one drinks, snack combos, and cashback on products from major brands,” explains Gabriel Russo, CEO of Cheers.
With more than 40 active partnerships in Curitiba, the company now takes its model to new squares with the proposal of bringing students closer to a more accessible, fun, and well-connected university life.
The expansion follows a promising scenario for the sector: according to the 2023 Higher Education Census, released by MEC and Inep, Brazil has reached the highest number of enrollments in higher education in nine years, with more than 9.9 million students. This growth reinforces the potential of a market that moves billions of reais annually, composed of a demanding, digital audience thirsty for practical solutions.
In just five years, Cheers already has impressive numbers: over five thousand partners, 2 million active users, 6.3 million tickets sold, half a million products marketed, and more than 1.8 million app downloads. All this with a lean team of 40 professionals spread across six states.
