Apontador

About Apontador

Apontador operates as a seasoned player in Brazil's digital mapping and local search market, having been established in 2000. The company, founded by Rafael Siqueira, originated as an online listing platform for local businesses and services. In a significant 2008 milestone, Apontador merged with its primary competitor, MapLink, to form the LBS Local holding group, a move designed to consolidate their market position and unify technological development. While the brands remained distinct, the fusion aimed to leverage Apontador's strength in urban data and MapLink's expertise in highway and route information. The company secured a notable $15 million in a Series A funding round on September 25, 2014, led by Movile.

The core of Apontador's business is connecting consumers with local establishments. Its platform serves as a comprehensive directory for a wide array of businesses, including pharmacies, restaurants, automotive services, and pet shops across Brazil's main cities. For consumers, it is a free-to-use search engine and mobile application where they can find business information, read and post reviews, and access promotional offers. The business model generates revenue primarily from its small and medium-sized enterprise clients. Through a premium service called Apontador+, businesses can pay for enhanced visibility on the platform. This feature places them at the top of search results, allowing the use of specific keywords to attract customers who are actively making purchasing decisions. This B2B focus is further demonstrated by its evolution into a data provider; since 2021, Apontador supplies local business data to major technology platforms such as Apple Maps, Amazon Alexa, and Microsoft Bing.

The company has expanded its service offerings through strategic acquisitions and partnerships. It acquired Acessozero in 2012 and made a corporate asset purchase from Clube da Entrega in 2018. More recently, in 2023, Apontador partnered with NerdMonster, a digital multipresence and local marketing platform, to offer a more complete solution for businesses aiming to improve their online footprint. This strategy allows Apontador to provide personalized pages and increased relevance for its clients across major search and mapping ecosystems, thereby creating value for its B2B customers.