Colibri buys Cannoli to turn restaurant data into repeat sales
What's the deal? Brazilian restaurant-software maker ColibriDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired Cannoli, a customer-relationship platform, for an undisclosed sum. The deal is one of two recent purchases — alongside queue-management firm QnowDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — aimed at building a broader ecosystem for restaurants.
What does Cannoli do? Founded by ex-LinxDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → executive Samuel Carvalho, Cannoli brings CRM, consumer segmentation, campaign automation, loyalty programs, and cashback. It becomes the group's "recompra" (repeat-purchase) layer.
The rationale: The thesis is that Colibri already captures data — from point-of-sale, self-service kiosks, and table tablets — but hasn't used it. Cannoli turns that data into repeat sales, a move Colibri likens to iFood's purchase of CRM Bônus.
Why now? Colibri's system serves more than 15,000 restaurants and was bought by RS Solutions in a deal valued at US$25.6M, completed in September 2024. Chief executive officer Rodrigo Soares says the company has spent a year reorganising support and its 600-plus reseller network, and is now ready to scale.
What's the endgame? Colibri wants an ecosystem centred on the physical dining room, which still accounts for 75% to 80% of restaurant sales, according to industry body Abrasel. Its differentiator is the waiter relationship — using direct contact with diners to build loyalty, recurrence, and bigger tickets.
The numbers: Transaction volume has climbed from about US$7.16B to US$8.7B. Colibri targets US$25.6M in revenue by the end of 2027, double its 2025 figure, with new customer sign-ups "doubling month on month." The target client is a restaurant billing above US$76.7K.
What could go wrong? Colibri faces iFood, which is pushing into physical dining with payment terminals, reservations, and its 2024 purchase of kiosk-software firm Videosoft. Soares frames that expansion as helpful awareness-building rather than a threat: "They are moving the market."
The signal: Brazil's restaurant-tech sector is consolidating as platforms race to own the full operation. Colibri, flush with cash and "muito apetite," signals more deals ahead — a bet that bundling payments, queues, and loyalty can hold ground against iFood's integrated reach.
Read more: startups.com.br
Image credit: PortoBay Trade
