Forget the Hype, Back the Plumbers of Brazil's Tech Revolution
The Real Money Isn't in the Apps
Every so often, a market story comes along that sounds too good to be true. Right now, that story is Brazil. We’re told it’s a digital gold rush, a land of 215 million people suddenly discovering the internet all at once. The temptation, of course, is to go hunting for the next local tech unicorn that’s going to change how Brazilians order a takeaway. To me, that’s a mug’s game.
Why? Because during a gold rush, the smart money isn’t on the frantic prospector with a pan and a prayer. It’s on the chap selling the picks, shovels, and sturdy denim trousers. In Brazil’s digital boom, the real opportunity, I think, lies with the companies laying the groundwork. I’m talking about the unglamorous, utterly essential infrastructure that makes the whole show possible. The data centres, the fibre optic cables, the mobile towers. The digital plumbing, if you will.