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AI Odyssey wants to revolutionize customer service and pre-sales with personalized artificial intelligence

Founded in 2024 by three blumenau entrepreneurs, Odyssey AI has arrived in the Brazilian market with the proposal to transform the way companies interact with their customers and leads (potential customers), through intelligent AI-based service agents. More than automating responses, the startup develops platforms with generative artificial intelligence, customized for each business and designed from the beginning to be operated by AI & AI pre-sales, service, SAC, collection and reporting routines.

The Odyssey goes far beyond the already known chatbots, creating intelligent agents perform various functions throughout the customer relationship funnel, by text or voice prequalify sales, answer frequently asked questions, schedule visits or automatically fill out CRM systems, Odyssey assistants act in a fluid, contextualized and humane way.

Among the solutions developed, trained agents are already available for specific sectors:

  • Penelope, expert in care for real estate, acting in sales and leases with automatic scheduling, follow-ups and integration with CRMs.
  • Synthetes, an intelligent assistant facing the data analysis, which generates reports and insights about the client's business, translating complex information into strategic decisions.
  • SDR Odyssey and SAC Odyssey, aimed at pre-sales and customer servicerespectively, helping companies scale their operations with custom AI, activates 24/7.

“Our goal is not just to answer questions. It is to create intelligent flows that save time, increase conversion and elevate the customer experience.Our assistants are even able to automatically fill the CRM, allowing managers to track the progress of each customer in the sales funnel”, explains Felipe Bittencourt, CEO of Odyssey.

The solution is already used by companies from different sectors, such as real estate, vehicle resellers, e-commerces, distributors, health clinics and law firms. This diversity, according to the CEO of the brand, demonstrates the flexibility and applicability of Odyssey agents, which adapt to the needs and language of each market.

Differentials of the Odyssey AI

Still according to Felipe, the great differential of the Odyssey is in its origin: a team with years of experience in critical systems and artificial intelligence applied to real business. This allowed to create an innovative solution, using own technology, with multiagent architecture, Designed to be used by AI from conception, ensuring robustness, scalability and high return on investment (ROI).

“We have not adapted old tools to run with AI. We have created a new platform from the beginning, with AI at the heart of decisions. This allows us to offer smarter solutions, with more empathy, more precision and much more value added”, says Nicolas, cc-founder and product director.

B2B Marketing: we do not sell to those who click, we sell to those who influence and decide

Have you ever thought about why your campaigns are full of “leads”.. and empty of real results?

In B2B marketing, it is easy to fall into the “illusion of” clicks: dashboards beautiful, increasing click-through rates (CTR) and reports with charts on the rise, among other indicators. It seems that everything is going well. But when you pull the “fio of the” conversion, you realize: who clicked is not who decides.

The gulf between a curious lead and a real buyer is wider than many realize, and recent data from Dreamdata, a B2B attribution platform, shows why:

  • The average journey in B2B marketing lasts 320 days (10 months and 2 weeks) from the first touch to the close of the sale.
  • Only 1 in 100 accounts is actively on the market that quarter.
  • 80% buyers already have a supplier in mind before starting the search.

That is, clicking is not deciding, and deciding takes time.

I share three more points that break a lot of market conviction:

1) Ads with thought leaders (Thought Leader Ads) have up to 2.3x more engagement than traditional formats.

2) 1/3 of the target companies get less than 3 impressions in 90 days. That is, we are wasting media where it matters most.

3) The journey between Qualified Marketing Lead (MQL) and Qualified Sales Lead (SQL) takes, on average, 107 days (3 months and 2 weeks). Large companies have 49% longer journeys.

The difference between attention and intention

Clicks mean attention, but attention does not pay the bills.

It is common for companies to celebrate when media campaigns bring a lot of hits or downloads. But when these leads pass to the sales team, frustration begins:

  • “They don't have budget.”
  • “Don't have autonomy.”
  • “Nem know what they're looking for.”

There was a key question missing at the beginning of the strategy: what is the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and who, in fact, signs the contract?

The deception of channel-only campaigns

Another recurring mistake: developing campaigns for “quem navigates”, not for those who decide. This happens when the briefing is centered on generic segmentations, not on decision-making behaviors.

In B2B marketing, the buyer is rarely a single person. There is a committee.There are influencers gatekeepers. And they can all click. But few decide.

According to Dreamdata, the average time between an ad click and the revenue generated is 235 days (almost 8 months). This means that most of those who click do not even participate in the final decision.

What to do differently: sell to the decision maker, not the curious

If you want to sell to those who decide, start like this:

  • Accurately define the ICP: position, sector, digital maturity, real pain.
  • Work on two fronts: Account Based Marketing (ABM) for decision makers through surgical and personalized campaigns; and inbound for influencers through educational and distributed content.
  • Create content that speaks the language of the decision maker: C-Level executives do not want to know how it works.
  • Integrate marketing and sales with clarity of purpose: alignment is more powerful than automation.

The role of marketing is not only to generate clicks. It is to educate the market, position value and attract those who can really say yes. The rest is noise.

Working with B2B marketing is increasingly understanding that we do not sell to those who click, we sell to those who influence and to those who decide. And who decides, often, has been influenced months before the first conversation with sales.

So if your next campaign is designed with who subscribes in mind, not who interacts, you will see the difference in results, sales cycles, and the quality of conversations.

Startup Paranaense wants to transform shopping experience with conversational commerce

In a scenario where trust and proximity are essential to the success of companies, the Vendizap, a startup focused on conversational commerce, has been highlighted for its work to improve the way companies connect with their customers. Founded with the goal of offering a more human and personalized shopping experience, the company has conquered space in the market by recognizing and leveraging WhatsApp as a powerful sales and relationship tool.

According to a Gartner survey conducted in December 2023, 64% of people prefer that companies do not use artificial intelligence tools in their customer service centers and 53% would consider switching to a competitor if they found out that they are being served by AI in the current company. In this context, WhatsApp extrapolates the condition of social network mostly used by Brazilians and becomes a powerful solution for physical and digital business service by strengthening the connection of shopkeepers and sellers with their customers, reinforcing human interaction and making contact operations faster and more effective.

Given this perception, since its creation, the Vendizap it has been dedicated to developing features that meet the specific needs of companies, with flexible and adapted solutions. The platform allows, for example, the completion of orders by WhatsApp, allowing sellers to confirm information before closing sales and buyers ask questions or request budgets in an organized way. “Our goal is to make the buying process more agile and efficient, while strengthening the relationship between sellers and consumers. This contact of shopkeeper and buyer is a differential that has been getting lost on the side of those who sell, but that has made all the difference on the side of those who buy”, he explains Andre Campos, CEO and founder of Vendizap.  

The so-called conversational commerce, which is the company's priority in developing its solutions, has the potential to significantly improve the customer experience. The 2023 Zendesk trends report revealed that 66% of consumers consider a bad interaction with a brand enough to ruin their day, and 60% of them base their purchase decisions on the quality of service. “A good shopping experience, whether physical or digital, is what decides whether the customer will be satisfied and, more than that, whether he will return. Vendizap it is committed to helping businesses offer fast and quality service, ensuring satisfaction and boosting sales of” companies, he says Camps.

In line with the evident trend in the business world that converges to conversational commerce, Vendizap stands out for its tailored functionalities. Through the platform, retailers can assemble their e-commerce in the format of catalogs, optimizing the shopping experience through a more intuitive and practical visualization and service via WhatsApp. According to a survey conducted in 2022 by OmniChat, WhatsApp provides a sales conversion of 9% versus 2% in e-commerce, reaffirming the potential of the network as a powerful sales tool and reinforcing the transformative role of the service offered by the company.

Why is the future of e-commerce in loyalty and what does the repositioning of Mailbiz reveal about it?

For years, the growth of Brazilian e-commerce has been driven by a simple logic: paid traffic enters, orders leave. But this model of constant acquisition and little connected to loyalty is increasingly pressed DO either by the increasing cost of media, either by fragmentation of channels, or by consumer volatility.

The maturity of the market requires a turn of key: from transactional operations to long-term relationships. It is in this context that the rebranding of Mailbiz to Flowbiz draws attention. Not only because it represents a technological evolution, but because it is a reflection of 'and perhaps even a harbinger 'of what lies ahead for the entire sector.

The era of “Flow”: more than automation, relational intelligence

Flowbiz is not just a new name, it is a strategic positioning that embraces what is at the heart of modern e-commerce operations: data intelligence applied to the repurchase journey.

By moving from an email marketing-focused solution to a loyalty-focused CRM and automation platform, the company responds directly to the fastest-growing movement among mature brands: extract more value from the customer base. The logic is now clear: if the CAC does not stop rising, the LTV needs to follow ' and this only happens with strategy, data and recurrence.

In the words of the Partner and Head of Commercial Flowbiz, Lucas Brum: “Flowbiz was born with the purpose of better reflecting everything we have become: a platform that goes beyond email marketing, helping e-commerce to create personalized, profitable and sustainable strategies”.

From acquisition to loyalty consistency

The transformation of performance marketing is no longer a gamble, it is a path of no return. The focus on immediate ROI has given way to a broader view of profitability, where channels such as email, WhatsApp and notification with push gain new relevance 'which will be orchestrated by automated journeys, based on behavior and context.

Flowbiz translated this vision into its soon-to-arrive module, called “Fluxos”. It allows advanced actions of re-engagement, reactivation and personalization based on real data. But more than a functionality, what this change reveals is the rise of a new operating model: CRM performance.

Marketing of the future will require real-time decisions and that starts now, Thiago Pitta, CTO of the company, explains: Flowbiz is building a 360-degree data ecosystem (Customer Data Platform), with modern, scalable infrastructure, prepared for the use of” AI. 

Rebranding as a sign of the market

What have we learned from this change? That we are not talking only about a new brand, but about a new one new mentality. One that understands that the true competitive advantage of e-commerce is not in who attracts more, but in who relates better.

For many, the term “CRM” still sounds like something restricted to large companies or complex operations.But the evolution of technology, combined with the urgency to scale efficiently, is changing that. Companies that once only “wore email” now think about orchestrating full experiences.

Flowbiz may be one of the first to take on this new role clearly, but it certainly won't be the only one.

What does that mean for the market?

  1. Loyalty will be the new acquisition. Soon, the most relevant budgets will not be in the ads, but in the tools that activate and retain the base.
  2. CRM ceases to be support and becomes growth. Marketing teams will need to understand data, behavior, and personalization as much as they understand media.
  3. The game is about lifetime, not about click. Whoever understands this first, will build sustainable advantage while others chase conversion at any cost.

The great transformation, in the end, is not only in technology. It is in the strategy built. Companies that put the customer in the center 'not as a target of campaigns, but as part of a continuous journey 'DO will dominate the new growth cycle of Brazilian e-commerce. Those that still operate with an exclusive focus on acquisition will become increasingly hostages of the algorithm and the unpredictability of traffic.

The future is of those who build brand, relationship and relevance & DO all this with data, automation and purpose. The rebranding of Flowbiz is just another chapter of this change. But the story is being written by everyone who understands that loyalty is the new way to scale.

Bemobi accelerates in payments, revenue grows 18%, adjusted EBITDA expands 22% and breaks record

Bemobi, payment solutions company, which already serves 10 of the 15 largest recurring services companies in the country, reported on Tuesday, 13, to the Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) its financial results for the first quarter of 2025. It was another period of strong growth, both Net Revenue and EBITDA (profit before tax, depreciation and amortization) Adjusted. Payment initiatives have gained traction, with increased penetration in existing customers and addition of 4 new large customers, being the first partner of higher education, the YDUQS from the first electricity distribution area, Inspired and new partners in the first electricity sector. 

“We started 2025 at a strong pace of sustainable growth, supported by the continuous gain in traction in the Payments vertical, in addition to the good performance in Digital Subscriptions.The period also marks our entry into digital payments for the higher education segment in the country and the expansion of opportunities in the Latam region, with the beginning of the operation of the first electric energy distributor outside Brazil”, Pedro Ripper, co-founder and CEO of Bemobi. “All companies of essential recurring services such as telecom, utilities, education and also health will need to update their payment offerings to bring options that manage convenience and better experience for their final customers at the same time as averages of churn 4.

The migration of the old ticket to recurring or installment payments on the credit card, as well as new standards such as Pix Automatic and Open Finance are part of Bemobi's payment solution that has brought improvements in material results to its customers compared to traditional payment solutions adopted so far.

The Bemobi end-to-end payment solution is already used in the “white label” model by 562 companies, including all the main telecom operators in Brazil, such as Vivo, TIM and Claro, most of the largest companies in the utilities sector, such as Energisa, Equatorial, Enel, NeoEnergia, Light and Copel, companies in the education sector, such as Grupo Salta, Inspira, Farias Brito and YDUQS, as well as several internet providers. 

In the first quarter of 2025, the company achieved a record payment volume (TPV) of more than 2.4 billion reais. As a result, Payments revenue expanded by 23% compared to the same period a year earlier. 

Digital Subscriptions solutions had a 26% increase in revenue for the quarter.The number of users with active subscriptions to its application, gaming and communication services reached 25.9 million, up from 5% over the same period last year. 

Between January and March, Bemobi's adjusted net revenue grew 18% over the same period in 2024, reaching 167 million reais. Adjusted EBITDA grew 21.6% and reached 56.5 million reais, the largest in the company's history. Ex-Swap adjusted net income totaled 28 million reais, an expansion of 19.7% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Accounting net profit closed the quarter at 31.3 million reais, up from the same year.513 to the previous period.

Operating cash generation was solid 43 million reais in the quarter, with cash conversion exceeding 76%. Thus, the company closed the quarter with a total cash flow of 520 million reais, even after the disbursement of R$50 million with dividends. 

“Our priority with the use of cash remains to pursue M&As opportunities and execute our new dividend policy.We are comfortable that our cash generation will allow us to combine sustainable growth, both organically and through new M&As (an important part of our strategy), with a more aggressive dividend policy for the 2025 year”, says Ripper. In March, Bemobi approved a new dividend distribution policy, valid until the end of 2025, which provides for distributing an estimated 200 million reais.

From buzz to sales: integrating influencers and media is the key to more effective campaigns

The debate influencers versus paid media has already sold out.In a fragmented digital landscape, with consumers transiting through multiple channels and formats, the choice is no longer OR and it became E. Social networks, video platforms, websites and apps compete for the attention of a dynamic and multifocal audience, demanding more complex and complementary strategies. After all, how to reach a consumer who seeks entertainment on social media, information on specialized portals and immediate solutions in shopping applications?

TODAY's consumer is a multitasker it transits between platforms with different objectives and expectations, and brands need to be present at these different times in an integrated and strategic manner”, says Bruno Almeida, CEO of US Media. The executive argues that the combination of influencers and paid media is fundamental to strengthen the advertising impact at all stages of the consumer funnel.

Data from Matter Communications proves the strength of influencers: 69% of consumers trust their recommendations more than direct messages from brands.However, BrandLovers estimates that R$1.57 billion are wasted annually in Brazil in poorly structured influence campaigns, often by the lack of integration with the media. “It is how to build a house without foundation buzz, but without the media to sustain and direct this buzz, the potential is lost”, explains Almeida.

Orchestrating influence and performance: the key to successContent creators generate empathy, conversations and authentic connections. Paid media, in turn, ensures reach, segmentation and predictability. Almeida reinforces that, when planned in an integrated and complementary way, these fronts are enhanced.“Influencers open the dialogue, and the media sustains it with precise segmentations, making it easier to understand the needs of the media retargeting and intelligent use of data, leading the consumer through the purchase journey from interest to the” conversion. The lack of this continuity, warns the CEO, is one of the main bottlenecks in the performance of digital campaigns.

Investing in hybrid campaigns allows brands to achieve different communication goals in an integrated way. awareness and generate desire for a product, programmatic media drives qualified traffic to the e-commerce“It is like an orchestra, each instrument has its role, and the combination of all creates a perfect” symphony.

Latin America: a promising scenario for integrationWith high digital penetration, strong community culture and openness to experimentation with new platforms and formats, Latin America emerges as a fertile territory for integrated campaigns.“O TikTok, for example, is already the main source of news for 75% of Latin Americans, according to Comscore”, highlights Almeida. “Digital influence permeates consumer decisions, and brands need to be aware of this. We have as a practical example the arrival of TikTok Shop.”

Diversification and measurement: pillars of the campaigns of the futureFor the CEO of US Media, the future of advertising lies in multichannel campaigns, which integrate different platforms, formats and voices. “People circulate between social networks, websites, videos and apps. Brands need to use data and technology to create unified and fluid campaigns, accompanying the consumer on his or her” journey, he says. Diversification is not just about distributing the budget, but rather creating smarter and more relevant campaigns, with adaptive narratives and formats that resonate with the audience on each channel.

“I believe we are at a key moment.The challenge is not to choose between influence or media, but integrate the two intelligently. When this happens, the result is much greater than the sum of the parts, generating campaigns that truly resonate with the public and generate value for the brand. The consumer journey has changed, and brands that do not follow this change will be behind”, concludes Almeida.

Linx launches campaign“Lhar de Dono” with Caito Maia

Linx, specialized in technology for retail, launched the campaign “Olhar de Dono” with Caito Maia, founder of Chilli Beans, as ambassador. The main objective of the initiative is to show how technology can be a strategic ally for the retailer, promoting efficiency, growth and smarter business management. Caito will play an essential role in connecting their experiences to the adoption of technological solutions, acting on the needs of retailers and reflecting on the results.

Starting in April, the campaign is part of Linx's marketing strategy to promote Microvix software and will be broadcast on the company's digital platforms until December 2025. Aimed at small and medium-sized retailers, franchisors and managers in the fashion sector, the initiative reinforces Linx's positioning as a partner in the digitalization of retail and in the search for efficiency and sustainable growth.

The choice of Caito Maia as ambassador reinforces the connection of the campaign with the reality of the Brazilian entrepreneur. Linx customer with Microvix for more than a decade, Caito shares the strategic vision that guides the development of solutions of the company. “Caito comes to add, bringing his successful trajectory and his identification with the small and medium entrepreneur that connects directly with the concept of the campaign Look at Dono’ Reolon, Retail director of Linx.

Throughout the campaign, Caito Maia and Linx experts will visit entrepreneurs, sharing experiences and demonstrating, in practice, how Microvix can transform business management and profitability.“O entrepreneurs need to be aware of innovation and the use of technology to grow. The partnership with Linx allows me to share my experience with thousands of retailers who want to transform their businesses and excel in the” market, says Caito Maia.

As ambassador, Caito will be the protagonist of exclusive content on social networks and will also lead special episodes of the podcast Retail Pod (PDV), from Linx. In these conversations, he will interview entrepreneurs at different stages of growth, addressing the challenges of management and the opportunities brought by technology “Se Stop the Blood Sfria”89 FM Radio will also host a Linx expert to discuss topics such as innovation, data intelligence and strategies for more efficient management.

With the “Olhar campaign of” owner, Linx consolidates its position as a reference in retail solutions, supporting entrepreneurs in the journey of digital transformation and strengthening their businesses.

With revenues of more than R$ 322 million, online SMEs grow 34% on Mother's Day

The purchase flow of the weeks leading up to Mother's Day generated online SMEs in 2025, a turnover of more than R$ 322 million, according to data from Nuvemshop, the leading e-commerce platform in Latin America. This represents an increase of 34% compared to 2024 revenues; at the time, they earned R$ 241 million.

“We have observed, date after date, a huge growth of online retail in Brazil. Mother's Day has always been one of the most important dates of trade, and retailers have taken advantage of the heated market and the strong demand to invest even more in this” channel, comments Luiz Natal, platform development manager at Nuvemshop. “The results reflect the work of SMEs to offer the public creative and varied product options, and the role of Nuvemshop to offer support and structure so that they can focus on their business”, he adds.

This growth was generated through the sale of 4.7 million products, 29% more than the 3.6 million items sold in 2024. Compared to the best-selling segments, Moda had the highest turnover (R$ 108.6 million), followed by Health & Beauty (R$ 31.1 million) and Accessories (R$ 17.7 million).

Souvie, organic cosmetics brand that is part of Nuvemshop Next is a business unit specialized in e-commerce in growth 2, bets on sensitive strategies and connected to the purpose of the company to stand out in online retail and prepared a special campaign for Mother's Day.“Nessa date, we rescue the care that passes from generation to generation. We think of a moment of pause and warmth, which we translate into an action that goes beyond the sale, with progressive discounts and the sending of a lemon grass candle as a toast”, highlights Luiza Torviso, growth manager at Souvie.

As far as payment methods go, Pix remains in the lead, accounting for a total of 49% of all orders, followed by credit card (46%).

The data was extracted by Nuvemshop based on sales from Brazilian retailers during the three weeks leading up to Mother's Day 2025.

Magalu creates support network for women entrepreneurs

Magalu and Luiza Helena Trajano will launch, on May 22, the “Community Seller Women Business Luiza”, a support and development network to boost businesses created or managed by women entrepreneurs. Luiza Helena Trajano, president of the company's Board of Directors, is the ambassador of the community and made the announcement of the project during a press conference at the Arena Magalu in Sao Paulo on Thursday.

“Women, for the most part, have a triple journey: they take care of the house, the children and the business. They are obstinate, but the fact that they have to do everything themselves brings the feeling of loneliness and that things are more difficult”, says Luiza Helena. “The exchange of experiences in this scenario is a way to encourage the growth of companies founded or managed by women. What I want is to share my experience as an entrepreneur and as a woman in this market”. 

A survey conducted by Magalu pointed out that 36% of the sellers that operate in the company's marketplace are companies founded by women and, of the remaining 64%, 19% are managed by one. Currently, the company has more than 360,000 partner retailers on the platform, which means that the network can directly reach at least 198,000 women. However, the community is not restricted only to entrepreneurs who already work in the Magalu marketplace.

The project “Community Seller Women Business Luiza” will promote connection, facilitation and recognition, through benefits for participants who sell in the marketplace.

Interested parties can register for free at the link: https://mulheresdeluiza.com.br/

Tax reform institutes split payment and non-cumulativity; expert guides companies to new scenario

With the tax reform regulated this year and that will begin in force in 2026, Brazil is about to enter a new tax era. One of the pillars of this transformation is the systematic of the “plit payment” or “fractional payment”. But what does it mean, in practice, to divide tax payments directly at source, as provided by the legislation? And how does this connect to the much discussed non-cumulative tax?

For tax expert Lucas Ribeiro, CEO of ROIT, a technology and consulting company that leads the development of solutions for Tax Reform, the moment requires that the “split payment” be understood. “Afinal, is a model that can revolutionize corporate finance”, he considers.

Split payment: the revolution in tax collection

The “split payment” is a mechanism that promises to bring more security and efficiency to the Brazilian tax system. In it, the tax due is segregated at the time of payment and destined directly to the tax authorities, reducing the risks of default and tax evasion. “O “O payment eliminates tax evasion, but requires greater availability of working capital from the” companies, explains Ribeiro.

This model is already used in some European countries, such as Italy and Poland, where it helped to combat tax evasion and improve tax collection, although it works in part of operations.In Brazil, its adoption is accompanied by technological and operational challenges, but promises to change the game for companies and public administrations.

Non-cumulativity: the principle that underpins Brazilian VAT

The non-cumulative taxes, provided by the tax reform, is the guarantee that the tax only focuses on the added value at each stage of the production chain. With the creation, by the reform, of the Dual Value Added Tax (VAT) (which integrates two taxes, CBS, Contribution on Goods and Services, and IBS, Tax on Goods and Services), companies will be able to compensate the credits generated in purchases against sales debts, avoiding the cascade incidence and current cumulativity.

The challenge lies in the practical application of this principle, says Ribeiro. “A non-cumulativity seems simple, but its operationalization requires the basics: buying everything with an invoice and writing them correctly. A major change in culture, processes and systems will be essential.”, he stresses.

The tax officer lists some points that companies will need to master to better take advantage of the achievements of tax reform:

  • Automating tax processes: companies that invest in technology to automate the complete flow of tax bookkeeping and payments will come out ahead.
  • Strategic credit management: knowing how to calculate and use credits efficiently will be essential to maximize profit margins.
  • Contractual adequacy: contracts with suppliers and customers need to be reviewed to reflect changes in rates and payment methods.
  • Team training: understanding the new tax model will be a competitive differentiator. Accounting and finance professionals need to update themselves.

With the “plit payment” and non-cumulativity, Brazil is moving towards a more efficient tax model aligned with international practices. However, implementation will be challenging and will require planning, reliable data and cutting-edge technology. “Whoever master the numbers and understand the inter-lines of this new system will have an undeniable competitive advantage.And this begins now, in 2025, with companies preparing before it is too late”, highlights Ribeiro.

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