Smart Break

What Smart Break does

Smart Break is a Brazilian autonomous retail startup founded in 2018 by Rodrigo Colás and Ana, headquartered in São Paulo, that installs and operates unmanned micro-markets inside residential condominiums, corporate offices, and hotels across São Paulo, Greater São Paulo, and Campinas. The company pioneered the "Honest Market" (escolheu, pegou e pagou) model in Brazil, running 700+ stores that operate 24/7 with no on-site staff. Store sizes range from 4m² to 140m²+, fitted with computer-vision-enabled self-checkout, IoT-connected refrigeration with Bluetooth/app-controlled age-verification locks (validating 18+ via CPF against the Brazilian Receita Federal database), AI-assisted 24/7 CCTV monitoring backed by a 15-person operations team, in-store totem payment kiosks, and a proprietary iOS/Android mobile app for scanning, payment (PIX, credit/debit, meal vouchers), and loyalty engagement.

The business model is asset-heavy and 100% company-owned: Smart Break installs and operates stores at zero cost to the host property and generates revenue from retail product sales on a 900+ SKU assortment sourced from major CPG brands (Ambev, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Danone, Lacta, Sadia, Hellmann's, Red Bull, Unilever). A monthly revenue-share rebate is paid to the condominium or corporate host to offset energy costs and provide additional income, effectively aligning the host as a distribution partner. Go-to-market runs through a field sales team targeting síndicos and corporate facilities managers (with a stated minimum of 100 apartments or 100+ employees), supported by digital lead capture, paid search, content marketing, and an active Smart Club WhatsApp loyalty community.

The company is venture-backed, having raised a R$ 5.5 million seed round in November 2021 (Anjos do Brasil, Columbia Alumni Angels) and a R$ 36 million Series A in December 2022 led by Headline with participation from UVC Investimentos (Grupo Ultra's venture fund). Smart Break employs over 100 people, serves 250,000+ consumers, and operates a 1,000 m²+ distribution center in the Brooklin area of São Paulo with plans for a second facility nearby. The company does not franchise; all stores are operated directly.

Name

Smart Break

Legal name

Smart Break Brasil

Website

https://smartbreakbrasil.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Smart Break installs and operates 24/7 autonomous mini-markets inside residential condominiums and corporate offices across São Paulo, Brazil, serving residents and employees via self-checkout mobile app and retail revenue-share with property owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autonomous Micro-Market Retail

SIC

Retail-Convenience Stores (5412)

akta.pro primary industry

Automated/Unattended Convenience Stores (Smart/Checkout-Free) (CRAHABAK)

Keywords

• Autonomous micro markets
• Self-checkout convenience stores
• Unattended retail solutions
• Condominium minimarket services
• Corporate office pantry retail

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Transaction Revenue (Take Rate): Smart Break installs and operates 100% company-owned stores inside condominiums and corporate offices at zero cost to the host property. Revenue is generated from retail product sales to end consumers (residents/employees). The company retains the majority of sales revenue, sharing a portion with the condominium as a monthly rebate to cover energy costs and generate incremental income.
2. Revenue Share with Condominiums: Condominiums receive a monthly percentage of the store's monthly sales revenue, which is designed to cover all energy costs and provide additional income for the property management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Smart Break installs and operates 100% company-owned autonomous mini-markets inside residential condominiums and corporate offices in São Paulo and Greater São Paulo, functioning 24/7 with no on-site staff. Customers (residents and employees) select products on a 'chose, took, and paid' (Honest Market) basis, checking out via the proprietary iOS/Android mobile app or an in-store self-checkout totem, choosing from more than 900 SKUs across food, beverages, snacks, hygiene, and household items. The company installs stores at zero cost to the property and shares a portion of monthly sales revenue with the condominium.

Product overview

Smart Break operates an autonomous minimarket platform consisting of physical 24/7 stores installed in residential condominiums and corporate offices, paired with a native mobile application for self-checkout shopping. The company pioneered the Honest Market model in Brazil, where customers select products using a 'escolheu, pegou e pagou' (chose, took, and paid) approach. Core offerings include: (1) Smart Break Autonomous Minimarket - the main product delivering 900+ products through company-owned stores in spaces ranging from 4m² to 100m²+; (2) Smart Break Mobile Application - enabling app-based shopping, age verification for alcohol purchases, and saved payment methods; and (3) Smart Club - a WhatsApp-based loyalty program delivering exclusive promotions. The company also provides store inauguration events (Smart Day) and operates totem self-checkout terminals for in-store payments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Break Autonomous Minimarket Fully autonomous 24/7 self-service minimarkets installed in residential condominiums and corporate offices, operating on the Honest Market model ('escolheu, pegou e pagou' - chose, took, and paid) with no on-site staff. Each store offers more than 900 products from major CPG brands, with sizes ranging from 4m² to 140m²+ and a 7-day inauguration timeline from contract signing.
• Smart Break Mobile Application Proprietary iOS and Android shopping app enabling self-checkout purchases, alcohol refrigerator age verification via CPF validation against the Brazilian Receita Federal database, saved payment cards, QR-code-based store check-in, and access to exclusive promotions and the Smart Club loyalty program.
• Smart Club Loyalty Program WhatsApp-based closed community loyalty program offering members exclusive promotions, early access to new products, and discount notifications. Separate Smart Club communities exist for condominium residents and corporate employees, and the program complies with Brazil's LGPD privacy law.
• Totem Self-Checkout In-store self-checkout kiosk available in every Smart Break store, enabling customers to scan and pay for products without needing the mobile app. Supports credit/debit cards, meal vouchers (Sodexo, Alelo), and PIX instant payments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Brazilian citizens spend an average of 127 minutes/day commuting, with 144 minutes/day in the Southeast region (Summit Mobilidade Urbana 2021)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and supporting.

• AmbevminorOthersAmbev is listed as a partner brand on the Smart Club loyalty platform, indicating a commercial supply/partnership relationship for beverage products available in Smart Break stores.
• Red BullminorOthersRed Bull is listed as a partner brand on the Smart Club loyalty platform, indicating a commercial supply/partnership relationship for energy drink products available in Smart Break stores.
• LactaminorOthersLacta (Mondelez International) is listed as a partner brand on the Smart Club loyalty platform, indicating a commercial supply relationship for chocolate and confectionery products in Smart Break stores.
• SadiaminorOthersSadia (BRF) is listed as a partner brand on the Smart Club loyalty platform, indicating a commercial supply relationship for refrigerated and processed food products in Smart Break stores.
• DanoneminorOthersDanone is listed as a partner brand on the Smart Club loyalty platform, indicating a commercial supply relationship for dairy, water, and specialized nutrition products in Smart Break stores.
• NestléminorOthersNestlé is listed as a partner brand on the Smart Club loyalty platform, indicating a commercial supply relationship for various Nestlé products (coffee, cereals, confectionery, ice cream) available in Smart Break stores.
• Coca-ColaminorOthersCoca-Cola is listed as a partner brand on the Smart Club loyalty platform, indicating a commercial supply relationship for Coca-Cola beverages available in Smart Break stores.
• Hellmann's (Unilever)minorOthersHellmann's (Unilever) is listed as a partner brand on the Smart Club loyalty platform, indicating a commercial supply relationship for mayonnaise, ketchup, and condiment products available in Smart Break stores.
• YokiminorOthersYoki is listed as a partner brand on the Smart Club loyalty platform, indicating a commercial supply relationship for instant foods, snacks, and convenience products in Smart Break stores.
• UnileverminorOthersUnilever is listed as a partner brand on the Smart Club loyalty platform, indicating a commercial supply relationship for household and personal care products available in Smart Break stores.
• Pedro Caribé (Architect)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning architect Pedro Caribé collaborated with Smart Break to develop the company's modular furniture concept. In August 2021, Caribé presented the store design at CIDAD3 during São Paulo Design Week, discussing the design, performance, functionality, and viability of this unique modular system made from sustainable recomposed wood panels.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Standard Cognition: Provider of autonomous, computer-vision-powered checkout technology for retailers. Directly comparable as a technology peer building the underlying autonomous-store stack that Smart Break also relies on.
• AiFi: AI-powered autonomous retail platform enabling checkout-free stores for retailers worldwide. Comparable to Smart Break in deploying unattended, sensor-driven retail experiences at scale.
• Trigo: Computer-vision company retrofitting grocery stores into autonomous checkout-free environments. Closely aligned with Smart Break's autonomous in-building grocery model, particularly for corporate and residential deployments.
• Zippin: Checkout-free technology vendor for convenience stores, sports venues, and corporate cafeterias. Comparable to Smart Break in offering autonomous store solutions including for unattended workplace retail.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Go (Amazon Fresh): Amazon's autonomous checkout-free convenience and grocery format. A global benchmark for the autonomous convenience model Smart Break operates in, with vastly greater capital and technology resources.
• 7-Eleven (Brazil operations): Global convenience-store chain with a presence in Brazil. Competes with Smart Break for on-the-go grocery and snack purchases, although via staffed storefronts rather than autonomous in-building retail.
• Carrefour Brasil: Largest grocery retailer in Brazil, including proximity and express formats. Indirect overlap with Smart Break's convenience mission, though it serves planned shopping trips rather than in-building impulse and daily-needs purchases.
• OXXO: Latin American small-box convenience chain operated by FEMSA, expanding across Brazil. Comparable to Smart Break as a small-format convenience operator, though staff-served rather than autonomous.

Emerging players

• BingoBox: China-based operator of unmanned convenience stores. Conceptually comparable to Smart Break as a pioneer of unattended in-building retail, though operating in a very different market context.

Regional players

• Minuto Pão de Açúcar: Brazilian convenience-store format from Grupo Pão de Açúcar. Regional competitor serving the same urban, on-the-go grocery and snack demand that Smart Break addresses inside buildings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SmartBreakBrasil/?locale=pt_BR
• LinkedInbr.linkedin.com/company/smartbreakbrasil
• Instagraminstagram.com/smart.break
• TikToktiktok.com/@smartbreakbrasil

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smart Break