CITS

What CITS does

CITS (Centro Internacional de Tecnologia de Software) is a private Brazilian ICT (Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia) institution founded in June 1992 in Curitiba, Paraná, that integrates education, research, development, and commercial technology services. It operates five R&D technology pillars — Hardware & Mechanics, Digital Manufacturing, Mobile & Cloud, Free Technologies/Linux, and Embedded Systems — and maintains three in-house physical testing laboratories covering approximately 256m² (EMC, mechanical/electrical/life-cycle, and RF). CITS was the first R&D institution in Brazil to obtain CMMI Level 2 (2008) and Level 3 (2009) certifications, and currently runs two operational units in Curitiba (headquarters, CATI/MCTI-accredited) and Manaus (CAPDA/MDIC-accredited since 2009 for the Zona Franca de Manaus), with additional regional offices opened in São José dos Campos (SP) and Joinville (SC) in 2015.

The company serves enterprise and public-sector clients across Manufacturing, Banking, Utilities, Telecom, Retail, Healthcare, and Government verticals, delivering custom R&D projects, embedded systems and firmware, mobile/cloud applications, and digital manufacturing simulations. Documented products and solutions include the Dashboard for government utilities (Government of Paraná/Copel/Compagás/Sanar integration), the Smart Dev PIN ATM encryption device, ATM Drivers, MntSys (maintenance management), ProdMgr (productivity monitoring), LogTran (logistics), Manufatura Digital (manufacturing simulation), Mobile & Cloud, Tecnologias Livres (Linux Competency Center), Hardware e Mecânica, Sistemas Embarcados, and an LGPD Compliance service.

Revenue is generated almost entirely via professional services: (1) accredited R&D project execution under Lei de Informática, PADIS, and Lei do Bem fiscal incentive programs — where CITS acts as the qualified ICT executor that enables client companies to capture IPI reductions and tax deductions; (2) hardware and software testing and certification in CITS-owned laboratories; (3) digital manufacturing, embedded systems, and mobile/cloud consulting projects; and (4) continued education courses delivered either open-enrollment (e.g., R$ 3,800 per participant for the Advanced EMC course) or as in-company contracts. Distribution is primarily direct enterprise field sales via the two units and government incentive program referrals, supplemented by educational channel partners (Adaptworks, eTecnologia, Fatto, Qualister) for training delivery.

Name

CITS

Legal name

Centro Internacional de Tecnologia de Software

Website

https://cits.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CITS is a Brazilian ICT institution founded in 1992 that delivers accredited R&D services, embedded systems, digital manufacturing, and testing across enterprise and government clients under Lei de Informática and PADIS fiscal incentive programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Curitiba

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. R&D and Innovation Consulting Services: CITS develops PD&I (Research, Development & Innovation) projects for client companies across five technology pillars (Hardware & Mechanics, Digital Manufacturing, Mobile & Cloud, Free Technologies, Embedded Systems). Projects are structured as formal consulting engagements aligned with client business and innovation strategies.
2. Technology Testing and Certification Services: Quality assurance services including hardware testing (EMC, mechanical, electrical, life-cycle, radio frequency) and software testing (white-box, black-box, regression). Conducted in CITS's own laboratory facilities totaling ~256m². These are fee-for-service engagements for companies needing product certification.
3. Continued Education and Training: Corporate training programs and professional/technology courses for the IT sector. Delivered in two formats: open enrollment (public courses subject to minimum enrollment) and in-company (customized closed courses on demand). Revenue is generated through course fees per participant or as a fixed contract for in-company delivery.
4. Government-Accredited R&D Projects (Lei de Informática / PADIS / Lei do Bem): CITS is accredited (CATI/MCTI and CAPDA/MDIC) to execute R&D projects under Brazilian government fiscal incentive programs: Lei de Informática (up to 95% IPI reduction), PADIS (semiconductor/display industry incentives), and Lei do Bem (corporate R&D tax deductions). Companies contract CITS to execute their mandated R&D investment obligations, with CITS serving as the qualified ICT executor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CITS (Centro Internacional de Tecnologia de Software) is a Brazilian R&D institution that develops PD&I (Research, Development & Innovation) projects for enterprise clients across five technology pillars: Hardware & Mechanics, Digital Manufacturing, Mobile & Cloud, Free Technologies/Linux, and Embedded Systems. The organization also operates in-house hardware and software testing laboratories, delivers corporate IT training, and executes government-accredited R&D projects under Brazilian fiscal incentive programs (Lei de Informática, PADIS, Lei do Bem).

Product overview

CITS (Centro Internacional de Tecnologia de Software) is an R&D institution and ICT (Institute of Science and Technology) that operates as a technology services provider rather than a single unified product. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of solutions across multiple service lines: hardware and mechanical development; embedded systems; mobile and cloud solutions; digital manufacturing; free/open technologies through its Linux Competency Center (NCL); technology testing services (hardware and software); and professional education. Key client-facing solutions include the Dashboard for government utilities, various mobile applications (Featured, Meet, Wallet), embedded systems products (Smart Dev PIN, ATM Drivers), and manufacturing management tools (MntSys, ProdMgr, LogTran). Innovation services encompass portfolio management and incentive programs (Lei de Informática, PADIS, Lei do Bem), while education services include corporate training and public courses. The organization maintains two main locations in Brazil (Curitiba and Manaus) and is CMMI certified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hardware Testing and Validation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 700+ R&D projects developed across 24 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IPDEletron (Instituto Tecnológico do Complexo Eletroeletrônico e Tecnologia da Informação)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014CITS became an associate of IPDEletron in 2014 with the goal of promoting technological development and innovation in the electro-electronic sector and IT complex, aiming to improve systemic competitiveness at national and international levels.
• LOM (Lite On Mobile)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Joint development partnership with LOM (Lite On Mobile) that produced an award-winning logistics automation solution for Manaus Eduardo Gomes International Airport. CITS Amazonas provided the technical execution, and the solution won the Infraero Award for Logistics Efficiency in 2012.
• ESI/Tecnalia (European Software Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009International partnership initiated in 2009 between CITS and ESI/Tecnalia, a private research center located in Spain. Multiple joint research and development projects have been conducted through this collaboration, bringing European software engineering methodologies and international project experience to CITS's service offerings.
• Siemens Ltda.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Partnership with Siemens for the construction of CITS's headquarters building (Prédio Phoenix) inaugurated in 1999, located in the Parque de Software de Curitiba. Siemens's involvement provided infrastructure for advanced research and development laboratories, establishing the foundation for CITS's technological capabilities.
• CIC – Cia Industrial de DesenvolvimentominorOthers · 1 January 1997In 1997, CIC – Cia Industrial de Desenvolvimento granted CITS a dedicated area within the Parque de Software de Curitiba for its facilities. This foundational partnership enabled CITS to establish its permanent headquarters in the software park.
• AdaptworksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational partner for continued education and training programs. Adaptworks provides specialized technology training that CITS co-delivers as part of its education portfolio, extending market reach in the corporate IT training segment.
• eTecnologiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational partner for continued education and training programs. eTecnologia collaborates with CITS in delivering technology courses, expanding reach in the corporate training market.
• FattominorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational partner for continued education and training programs. Fatto works with CITS in co-delivering IT training courses, extending market reach in the corporate training segment.
• QualisterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational partner for continued education and training programs. Qualister collaborates with CITS in delivering technology and quality assurance training courses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Accenture Brazil: Accenture is a global professional services firm with a large Brazilian presence offering consulting, technology, and operations services. It competes with CITS for enterprise R&D and digital transformation budgets, particularly with large Brazilian manufacturers and utilities.
• Stefanini: Stefanini is a major Brazilian-founded global IT services and consulting firm offering software development, testing, and infrastructure services. Overlaps with CITS in software testing, embedded systems, and enterprise IT consulting, though at much larger scale.
• Bureau Veritas Brazil: Bureau Veritas is a global TIC company with Brazilian operations providing testing, inspection, and certification services. Adjacent competitor to CITS in hardware testing and certification, though focused more on industry and infrastructure verticals than technology R&D.
• TÜV Rheinland Brazil: TÜV Rheinland is a global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) company with Brazilian operations. It competes with CITS's hardware testing laboratories (EMC, mechanical, RF) for certification testing revenue, particularly for ANATEL, INMETRO, and international compliance requirements.
• CI&T: CI&T is a large Brazilian digital transformation and IT services firm serving enterprise clients with software development, cloud, and AI services. While broader in scale and less focused on R&D-credit-driven projects, it competes with CITS in mobile/cloud and enterprise software development.

Direct peers

• CPqD: CPqD is one of Brazil's largest private R&D centers in telecommunications and IT, offering applied research, software development, and testing services. Comparable to CITS in R&D service delivery, though with a heavier telecom specialization and larger scale.
• INDT (Instituto de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico): INDT is a Brazilian R&D institute originally founded as Instituto Nokia de Tecnologia, located in Manaus and Brasília. It is highly comparable to CITS Amazonas in particular, given shared Manaus geography, ICT accreditation, and R&D project execution under Brazilian fiscal incentive programs.
• Instituto Eldorado: Instituto Eldorado is a Campinas-based private ICT institution accredited under Brazilian fiscal incentive programs (similar to CATI/CAPDA model). It conducts software and hardware R&D, embedded systems development, and training, making it a near-direct competitor in CITS's core service market.
• CESAR: CESAR (Centro de Estudos e Sistemas Avançados do Recife) is a Brazilian private non-profit ICT institution focused on R&D, innovation, and technology education. It is the most directly comparable analog to CITS in business model, serving similar enterprise clients with R&D, embedded systems, and training services across Brazil.
• Fundação CERTI: Fundação CERTI is a Florianópolis-based technology institution providing R&D, product engineering, certification, and tech-based business incubation. Strong overlap with CITS in hardware testing, embedded systems, and innovation management service offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/br.cits
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cits

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CITS