Businesses born online: strategy or counter-market trends?

While many companies are resuming in-person operations, a new wave of entrepreneurs is going in the opposite direction: choosing to be born entirely digital. Far from being a contradiction, this decision is informed by the changing lifestyles and the technological transformation of small Brazilian businesses.

According to Sebrae's research, 76% of micro and small entrepreneurs will use computers in their activities in 2025, the highest rate in a decade and six percentage points higher than in 2022. Furthermore, 47% already use management software and applications, a 20 percentage point increase since 2018. These figures reveal that digitalization has gone from being a trend to becoming a strategic pillar of competitiveness.

While the general market is still flirting with the hybrid model, it's in this scenario that models like Spaceclass, a franchise network specializing in language learning, founded in 2022, emerge. Completely digital and offering live classes, the company was founded with the goal of redefining English learning in Brazil. With a conversation-focused methodology and an algorithm that connects students with similar professional profiles and areas of interest, the brand aims to achieve fluency in up to three years.

Less costs, more time

The online format proved to be not only viable, but scalable: in 2024, Spaceclass became a franchise, today it has 37 units and plans to end 2025 with 100 franchisees inside and outside Brazil. 

"The 100% digital model allows us to grow without geographical barriers, offering standardization and quality, cutting costs, and keeping up with the way people already relate to technology and education in their daily lives," highlights Raphael Brito, CEO and founding partner of Spaceclass.

Businesses born digitally achieve greater time optimization and agility in adapting to new tools, in addition to reducing fixed costs such as space rental and a greater possibility of expanding the brand, such as Spaceclass, which has franchisees in seven Brazilian states, as well as the United States and Finland:

"The remote format has become established because it adapts to people's routines, as they already consume information and work online. Flexible schedules and the ability to learn from anywhere significantly increase student engagement. When it comes to learning another language, for example, online learning allows for the creation of personalized classes, bringing together similar profiles and accelerating progress," said the CEO.