Acinet

What Acinet does

AciNet - Tecnologias de Informação, Lda. is a privately-held Portuguese IT company founded in 1998 with 100% Portuguese capital, headquartered in Lisbon. The company develops vertical management software for two core niches: Human Resources (temporary work agencies and recruitment/selection firms) and private Education (schools, colleges, nurseries, kindergartens). Its HR product line includes GTT (temporary work management), GRH (payroll/HR), RSP and Ahrnet (recruitment), plus complementary modules (BI, GRP time tracking, BSE statistics, Arquivador document management, IPortalNet, INET web integration). Its education line centers on O Escolinha 4 and ProEscola 4, supplemented by Website Ensino (parent portal), EscolaNet, and a hosted Moodle-based LMS. Adjacent digital services include web design/hosting, webmarketing, ACINET-SMS messaging, AciNet-Backups, and digital archive/certification via Arqnet.

The technology stack is built on Microsoft infrastructure (SQL Server 2000/2005/2008, ASP.Net 2.0, Crystal Reports), with applications delivered as desktop (Access/SQL Server) or web. AciNet monetizes through a mix of perpetual software licenses, subscription/rental modalities (e.g., Escolinha 4 rental), recurring technical support and maintenance contracts, professional services (training, custom development, web design), and channel resale of Microsoft, Dell, and Primavera BSS solutions. It operates a sales-led GTM combining direct sales from Lisbon for enterprise HR accounts with a national and PALOP reseller network for education products. The company is reported as a market leader in Portugal for temporary work and recruitment software and has pursued EU-funded internationalization into Portuguese-speaking Africa and Latin America via a Portugal 2020 project (2017–2020).

Name

Acinet

Legal name

AciNet - Tecnologias de Informação, Lda.

Website

https://acinet.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AciNet is a privately-held Portuguese software company founded in 1998 that develops vertical management software for temporary work agencies, recruitment firms, and private education institutions, distributed via direct sales and a national/PALOP reseller network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vertical Business Software (HR & Education Management)

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B SaaS & Enterprise Personalization (CRM, Sales, Support) (HDAAAGAJ)

Keywords

• HR management software
• School management software
• Temporary work software
• Recruitment and selection software
• Education management systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: Sale of perpetual software licenses for HR and Education management solutions including GTT, GRH, Escolinha, ProEscola, AhrNet, RSP, and related modules.
2. Software Rental/Subscription: Rental versions of software products (e.g., Escolinha 4 available in rental modality) providing ongoing access with maintenance and updates included.
3. Technical Support and Maintenance: Technical assistance services including helpdesk support, software updates, and maintenance contracts for products under 30 days or with active support contracts.
4. Web Services: Website creation, hosting, domain registration, email services, and web marketing services.
5. Training Services: In-person and e-learning training for software products (Escolinha, GTT, Microsoft Office) and professional development courses.
6. Customized Solutions: Customized/personalized versions of software and development of specific solutions for client needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Acinet develops and sells vertical management software for two primary niches: Human Resources (temporary staffing, recruitment and selection, payroll, time tracking) and Education (school administrative, pedagogical, and financial management). The company also delivers complementary digital services including bulk SMS messaging, electronic invoicing and document archiving (Arqnet), Moodle-based e-learning hosting, web design and webmarketing, technical support, and customized software development.

Product overview

AciNet offers a unified platform-plus-modules product architecture centered on HR management and school administration software. The core offerings span two main verticals: (1) HR solutions including GTT for temporary staffing, GRH for payroll/HR management, RSP and Ahrnet for recruitment/selection, along with complementary modules like BSE for statistics, GRP for time tracking, Arquivador for document management, IPortalNet for portals, INET for web integration, and BI for business intelligence; and (2) Education solutions featuring O Escolinha 4 and ProEscola 4 for school management, integrated with Website Ensino for parent portals and EscolaNet/Moodle for e-learning services. The company also provides ancillary digital services including web development, webmarketing, multimedia, design, SMS messaging, and backup services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GTT - Gestão de Trabalho Temporário: Software for managing temporary work companies and recruitment & selection operations.
• O Escolinha
• AHRNET
• Arqnet
• EscolaNet
• Learning Management System (Moodle)
• ACINET-SMS

Products and services

• GTT - Gestão de Trabalho Temporário HR management software for temporary employment agencies covering candidate database management, client consultation, contract management, timesheet processing, invoicing, and legal documentation. Targeted at temporary work companies and staffing firms.
• GRH - Gestão de Recursos Humanos Human resources management software focused on personnel and salary management, handling payroll processing, benefits, deductions, absences, receipt visualization, and internal/legal reporting. Targeted at companies needing payroll and HR management.
• Ahrnet - AciNet Human Resources Next-generation HR software for Recruitment and Selection, featuring improved interface, candidate acquisition processes, and integrated CV collection from company websites. Targeted at specialized recruitment firms.
• O Escolinha 4 School management software for private educational institutions, providing administrative, pedagogical, and financial management tools. Available in rental or customized versions. Targeted at private schools, colleges, nurseries, and educational institutions.
• ProEscola 4 Additional school management software product in the Gen's education management solution line for educational institutions.
• Arqnet - Arquivo Digital Online digital archive portal with three complementary services: Document Archive, Electronic Invoicing, and Document Certification for low-cost document management. Targeted at companies needing digital archiving and compliant invoicing.
• ACINET-SMS SMS messaging platform for mass sending to mobile devices, integrating with GTT, AHRNET, ESCOLINHA, and PROESCOLA for marketing, campaigns, event notifications, and appointment confirmations. Targeted at businesses needing bulk mobile communications.
• AciNet-Backups Online backup service for secure, automatic storage of electronic information with high availability and low cost. Targeted at SMBs needing data protection.
• Moodle LMS Learning Management System platform with hosting on own servers, available in multiple demo configurations, with training and customization services for educational institutions.
• IPortalNet Portal solution integrating with AciNet HR management products, providing online information for clients and employees including client data management and employee self-service.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of technical support requests resolved same day
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MicrosoftcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 7 June 2011AciNet is a Microsoft Authorized Education Reseller, offering educational institutions access to Microsoft software with cost benefits and simplified licensing through the Enrollment for Education Solutions program.
• ESTSetubal/IPS (Escola Superior de Tecnologia de Setúbal)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2011Collaboration protocol signed enabling ESTSetubal students to apply acquired knowledge, improve professional integration, and gain exposure to the labor market through internship opportunities at AciNet.
• Dell (Partner Direct Program)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 April 2010AciNet is a Dell Partner Direct program member, reselling Dell products and solutions in the Portuguese market, specifically designed for small and medium businesses with on-site warranty and quality support.
• Primavera BSScoreTechnology or IntegrationAciNet offers complete Primavera ERP software solutions including consulting, installation, training, and post-sale support. AciNet-SI is the dedicated company for Primavera solutions.
• National Education Partner NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationwide network of authorized resellers for education products covering mainland Portugal, Islands, and PALOP countries. Partners handle implementation, training, and technical support.
• RHNetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAciNet/RHNet handles commercialization and after-sales for HR products (Recursos Humanos) including GTT, GRH, and related solutions.
• Tech Data - PrometheanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Open Day Promethean event where AciNet and its education clients attended the product demonstration event in Lisbon.
• GrenkeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrenke leasing solutions available as payment option for AciNet products and services.
• iPortalMais and ClasusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner products represented at KIDSHOW exhibition alongside AciNet's own products, demonstrating collaborative presence at trade events.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cegid: European cloud HR, payroll, and finance SaaS vendor (formed via the Meta4 acquisition). Competes in the same HR/payroll product category as Acinet but at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• ADP: Global HR services and payroll/HR software incumbent serving businesses of all sizes. Overlaps with Acinet's HR/payroll product suite at the small/mid-market end but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• Bullhorn: Global recruitment and staffing industry software vendor. Directly comparable to Acinet's AhrNet/RSP recruitment software product category, though Bullhorn serves larger staffing firms and is global in scope.
• Sage Group: Global HR, payroll, and accounting software incumbent with strong presence across Iberia and Europe. Provides overlapping HR/payroll capabilities but serves a broader portfolio of verticals and much larger customer segments than Acinet.
• Workday: Enterprise cloud HR and finance SaaS incumbent. Overlaps with Acinet's HR product suite but targets the upper mid-market and enterprise tiers with cloud-native architecture.
• Senior Software (Totvs): HR software vendor in Portuguese-speaking markets (Brazil/Portugal). Competes with Acinet for HR customers across the Lusophone geographies Acinet is targeting via its internationalization project.
• SAP SuccessFactors: Enterprise cloud HR/HCM suite from SAP. Comparable product category (HR software for businesses) but vastly larger scale and enterprise customer focus versus Acinet's mid-market niche.

Direct peers

• PHC Software: Portuguese-headquartered software vendor selling HR, payroll, and accounting/ERP solutions to SMEs in Portugal and Portuguese-speaking markets. Directly comparable in size, geography, and target vertical (HR/payroll) to Acinet.
• Primavera BSS: Portuguese ERP and HR/payroll software vendor targeting SMBs across multiple industries. Operates in the same geographies, customer segments, and product categories as Acinet; Acinet also serves as a Primavera reseller/integrator.
• ETICadata: Portuguese accounting, payroll, and ERP software vendor for SMEs. Comparable by geography (Portugal), business model (on-prem/SaaS vertical business software), and target customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/grupoacinet
• Facebookfacebook.com/grupoacinet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acinet-lda.

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Acinet