What Planeta Informática does

Planeta Informática LTDA, founded in 1991 in Campinas, Brazil, by former CPqD Telebrás researchers, is a privately held hardware and embedded-software company specializing in secure payment technology for public transportation, vending machines, and industrial automation. Its core product is the VSAM (Virtualization Secure Access Module), a remotely updatable pluggable smart card that adds EMV Level 1/2 and CC EAL5+ certified payment processing to existing validators without requiring software changes on the host device, via a proprietary "interception method" backed by a 25,000-line VLIB library. The portfolio spans EMV contactless readers (SCR916, RC700), vending cashless controllers (CCV700, CCV760), mobility IoT devices (IOT100), validator retrofit kits (CRV100), secure transaction servers (HSM950), and supporting software (AIPA, SMS, VM Manager, CPR100, VSAM SDK).

The company monetizes through hardware device sales (readers, terminals, SAM modules), software licensing (per device or per installation, typically multi-year contracts for VM Manager and AIPA), professional services for integration, and ongoing support/maintenance subscriptions. Distribution is primarily direct enterprise sales to transit authorities and vending operators, supplemented by channel partnerships with payment processors (Littlepay, Mercado Pago), payment networks (Visa, Mastercard), and technology integrators (Infineon, Famoco, AdvanIDe). The company has executed deployments in Brazil, Dominican Republic, Peru, Argentina, and Greece. The strategic narrative centers on enabling open-loop payments (Visa, Mastercard, Apple/Google/Samsung Pay) on legacy closed-loop transit infrastructure across Latin America and selected international markets.

With 35 employees and 200,000+ devices deployed supporting 30 million daily users, Planeta operates a lean, high-leverage model with no disclosed external funding. Strategic milestones include the 2019 Visa partnership that catalyzed the VSAM roadmap, the 2021 EMV 3.0 SCR916 reader launch, and a steady sequence of new transit deployments (Athens, Lima, Buenos Aires) through 2024–2026.

Name

Planeta Informática

Legal name

Planeta Informática LTDA

Website

https://planeta.inf.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Planeta Informática is a Brazilian hardware and embedded-software company, founded in 1991, that sells VSAM secure payment modules, EMV contactless readers, and vending/transit fare-collection systems to public transportation operators, vending companies, and industrial automation clients across Latin America, Greece, and the Caribbean.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secure Payment Technology and Hardware

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Computer Communications Equipment (3576)

akta.pro primary industry

Open-Loop EMV Contactless Fare Payments (THAIAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alternative Payments & Digital Wallet Acceptance (A2A, RTP, wallets) (THALAHAH), EMV Chip, Magstripe & PIN Debit Acceptance (FSAMADAG)

Keywords

• EMV payment terminals
• Secure access modules
• Contactless payment technology
• Transit fare collection
• Vending payment systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Campinas

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Device Sales: Sale of smart card readers (SCR916, RC700), payment terminals (CCV700, CCV760), VSAM modules, IoT devices (IOT100), and HSM950 secure transaction servers. Hardware includes EMV-certified readers, SAM modules, and vending machine payment systems.
2. Software Licensing: Licensing of VM Manager software for vending machine management, SMS (SAM Management System), AIPA payment application, and VSAM SDK. Licensing is typically per device or per installation.
3. Professional Services: Implementation support, consulting, training, and technical support services. Includes configuration services, integration assistance, and system deployment support.
4. Support and Maintenance: Ongoing technical support, software updates, and maintenance services for deployed systems. Support is accessible through the Freshdesk portal (pisuporte.freshdesk.com).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Planeta Informática designs, manufactures, and sells secure payment hardware (VSAM security modules, EMV-certified card readers, vending cashless payment controllers, IoT mobility devices, validator retrofit kits, and card personalization machines) along with associated software (VM Manager, SMS for SAM fleet management, AIPA EMV payment application, VLIB library). The company's offerings enable transit operators, toll road operators, vending machine companies, and industrial automation clients to accept contactless EMV bank cards, mobile wallets, and closed-loop proprietary cards on existing and new validation infrastructure.

Product overview

Planeta Informática offers a unified product portfolio centered on payment technology and smart card systems. The core offering revolves around VSAM (Virtualization Secure Access Module), a hardware security module supporting both open-loop (bank cards) and closed-loop (proprietary) EMV payments in transit and vending environments. The hardware lineup includes card readers (SCR916 EMV Level 1 reader, RC700 USB smartcard reader), vending payment systems (CCV760, CCV700 cashless payment controllers), mobility payment device (IOT100), and validator retrofit kit (CRV100). Supporting software includes VM Manager for vending machine configuration, SMS for SAM fleet management, CPR100 for card personalization, and AIPA EMV payment application. The VSAM SDK provides development tools. Together, these products form an integrated ecosystem for secure payment acceptance across transportation, vending, and access control applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VSAM: Virtualization Secure Access Module - advanced SAM supporting both open-loop and closed-loop payments with EMV L2 kernel for contactless EMV transactions
• AIPA
• SCR916
• RC700
• CCV760
• CCV700
• HSM950
• VM Manager
• IOT100
• CRV100
• LM800
• SMS
• VSAM SDK
• CPR100

Products and services

• VSAM (Virtualization Secure Access Module) A secure access module (SAM) in pluggable smart card form factor that enhances security and cryptographic performance in payment terminals for contactless EMV cards. Supports both open-loop and closed-loop payments with EMV L2 kernel optimized for Visa Online Deferred transactions. Features remote updatability and supports multiple EMV kernels.
• VSAM SDK (System Development Kit)

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ devices deployed across South America supporting 30 million daily users
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LittlepaycoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Partnership for Peru's first open payments solution in public transportation. Littlepay serves as the payment processor while Planeta Informática provides VSAM technology for EMV integration into existing transit fare collection systems.
• VisacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Strategic collaboration since 2019 for expanding open-loop payment acceptance in public transportation mobility. VSAM solution certified as Visa Ready MTT for contactless EMV transit payments. Partnership enables transit operators to accept Visa contactless payments alongside proprietary closed-loop cards.
• OSPT AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Planeta Informática joined the OSPT Alliance (Open Standard for Public Transport) in 2013, supporting open standards for secure fare collection in public transportation. The company values open standard approaches for global interoperability.
• Bus OASA (Athens)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAthens public transport operator using VSAM technology for contactless payment acceptance on airport express bus lines since April 2024.
• MetrôRiocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRio de Janeiro metro operator using VSAM technology for payment system in production since April 2019.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Conduent Transportation: US-based transit fare collection operator (formerly Xerox/ACS) running large-scale fare systems in North America and Europe. Overlaps with Planeta in EMV open-loop fare collection.
• Vix Technology: Australia-headquartered transit payments specialist providing validators and open-loop contactless EMV solutions. Comparable product scope and customer base to Planeta's transit focus.
• Scheidt & Bachmann: German specialist in transit fare collection systems (Fare Collection by Scheidt & Bachmann) with validators and SAM-based payment modules sold globally. Competes head-to-head with VSAM in open-loop transit deployments.
• Cubic Transportation Systems: Large US-based incumbent supplying fare collection systems, validators, and back-office platforms to transit operators worldwide. Directly competes with Planeta in transit fare payment infrastructure.
• INIT (Innovations in Transportation): German supplier of integrated fare collection systems, validators, and e-ticketing platforms for public transit. Competes with Planeta in the EMV open-loop fare acceptance market.

Others

• Infineon Technologies: Semiconductor supplier providing security chips used in SAM modules. Listed as a Planeta technology partner; not a direct competitor but an enabling supplier in the same ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Littlepay: UK payment processor specializing in transit open-loop acceptance; listed as a Planeta partner (Peru Bus AEMUS). Competes at the payment-processor layer where Planeta sells hardware.
• Masabi: UK-based mobile ticketing platform for public transit with a SaaS-only approach. Adjacent rather than directly competing with Planeta's hardware-centric SAM model, but pushes the same open-loop outcome.

Broad incumbents

• IDEMIA: Global secure identity and payment solutions provider offering smart cards, SAM modules, and transit solutions. Overlaps with Planeta's smart card and payment security portfolio at greater scale.
• Thales Transportation: Large diversified rail and transit solutions vendor with fare collection hardware and software. Overlaps with Planeta in transit payments but as part of a much broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-BHVgtTAcl64qlwL_AeVvw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Planetainformatica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planeta-inform%C3%A1tica

Compliance3 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 Planeta Informática