Koerich Lab

What Koerich Lab does

Koerich Lab (KLab) is the dedicated technology and innovation laboratory of Koerich Group (Lojas Koerich), a retail company headquartered in Biguaçu, Santa Catarina, Brazil. KLab develops and maintains proprietary technology solutions for the parent group's retail and fintech verticals, while also operating an open innovation program and a venture capital vehicle (Koan Venture) targeting early-stage startups in retailtech and fintech.

KLab's product portfolio comprises five proprietary solutions built internally or in close partnership: Inspira K (a tablet-based sales and customer service system deployed across the Lojas Koerich retail network since 2013), KAB (a credit card application co-developed with Kredilig in 2020 and evolved into a standalone consumer financial product in 2022), Kplace (an e-commerce marketplace launched in 2022), K.Pay (an internally developed payment gateway integrating with marketplaces and financial operators), and Koan Venture (the corporate venture capital initiative launched in 2022). The technical stack spans Docker, Flutter, React, Vue.js, AngularJS, Java, Node.js, Python, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and GitHub, reflecting a multi-stack development environment with no disclosed specialization.

KLab operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koerich with a sales-led B2B approach combined with a community-led open innovation platform. The primary revenue mechanics flow from internal technology development services delivered to Lojas Koerich, complemented by venture investment activity through Koan Venture (with one disclosed investment in Voa Logistics/Voa Delivery in November 2022). Customer concentration is effectively centered on the parent retail group, with Kredilig as a notable co-development partner. No public pricing, headcount, or external revenue figures are disclosed, and the entity functions more as a captive innovation arm than a stand-alone commercial software vendor.

Name

Koerich Lab

Legal name

Koerich Lab

Website

https://klab.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Koerich Lab is the technology and innovation laboratory of Koerich Group, developing proprietary retail and fintech solutions for the parent company while operating an open innovation program and venture capital vehicle targeting retailtech and fintech startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Biguaçu

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technology Development Services: Develops and maintains technology solutions for Koerich retail and fintech operations, including Inspira K sales system, K.Pay payment gateway, Kplace marketplace, and KAB credit card.
2. Venture Capital Investments: Koan Venture invests financial capital and smart money (strategic guidance, decision-making support) in early-stage startups aligned with retail and fintech opportunities.
3. Open Innovation Partnerships: Provides innovation ecosystem where startups can validate solutions within Koerich's operational environment in exchange for potential commercial integration.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Koerich Lab (KLab) is the in-house technology and innovation laboratory of Grupo Koerich, developing and supporting software platforms for retail and fintech operations including the Inspira K tablet-based sales system, K.Pay payment gateway, Kplace online marketplace, and the KAB credit card product. The lab also operates an open innovation program and the Koan Venture capital arm investing in early-stage retailtech and fintech startups.

Product overview

Koerich Lab operates as the technology and innovation laboratory of Koerich, developing and supporting solutions for retail and fintech verticals. The product portfolio includes: Inspira K (tablet-based retail sales system), KAB (financial services product), Kplace (e-commerce marketplace), Koan Venture (venture capital arm), and K.Pay (payment gateway). These products work together to serve Koerich's retail operations and financial services while also investing in the broader innovation ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Koan Venture: Venture capital initiative launched in 2022 as the investment vehicle of Koerich, focused on early-stage startups in retailtech and fintech sectors.
• Inspira K
• KAB
• Kplace
• K.Pay

Products and services

• Inspira K Tablet-based sales and customer service system deployed across the Lojas Koerich retail network, enabling salespeople to access information or complete transactions from any point in the store without using a fixed service center.
• KAB Credit card and financial product offering fair credit alternatives for consumers to achieve dreams and goals without bureaucracy, developed in partnership with Kredilig.
• Kplace Online marketplace platform connecting third-party sellers with buyers as part of Koerich's digital commerce expansion, expanding product assortment and adding new sellers to the online sales channel.
• Koan Venture Venture capital arm investing financial capital and smart money (strategic guidance, decision-making support) in early-stage startups whose solutions align with retail and fintech business opportunities at Koerich.
• K.Pay Internally developed payment gateway providing multiple payment methods with integration capabilities for marketplaces, financial operators, and applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Inspira K modernized sales system across entire Lojas Koerich retail network
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KrediligcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Developed KAB credit card application in partnership with Kredilig financial services company. This collaboration led to the 2022 launch of KAB as a standalone financial product offering accessible credit without bureaucracy.
• SEBRAE-SCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting innovation ecosystem in Santa Catarina. Displayed as partner logo on KLab website.
• Startup SCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanta Catarina startup ecosystem association. Displayed as partner logo on KLab website indicating membership and ecosystem participation.
• ACATEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of Technology Companies of Santa Catarina. KLab holds membership (2024 associated company seal) indicating participation in regional tech ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Totvs: Largest Brazilian enterprise software company offering ERP, POS, and retail management solutions. Comparable to KLab's Inspira K retail systems build as an established retail-tech vendor with a multi-stack offering to Brazilian merchants.
• Stone Co. Major Brazilian payments and banking technology company. Comparable to KLab's K.Pay payment gateway and KAB credit card ambitions, representing the scaled incumbent KLab would compete with if it externalized its fintech products beyond the Koerich retail chain.
• Magalu (Magazine Luiza) Innovation / MagaluPay: Brazilian retail incumbent that built an in-house technology and fintech stack including MagaluPay payments, marketplace, and credit products. Directly comparable to KLab as a corporate retail innovation lab building vertically integrated commerce technology for a captive retail chain.
• Linx (now Stone / Stefanini): Brazilian retail management software provider offering POS, ERP, and commerce solutions. Comparable to KLab's Inspira K tablet-based sales system as it addresses the same in-store retail technology layer for Brazilian retailers.
• Mercado Pago: Fintech arm of Mercado Livre dominating Brazilian online payments and credit. Comparable to K.Pay and Kplace as a full-stack commerce and payments platform, representing the scale benchmark KLab would need to approach if externalizing products.
• PagSeguro / PagBank: Brazilian payment gateway and digital banking provider. Comparable to K.Pay as a competitor in the Brazilian SMB payment gateway space, with the difference that PagSeguro operates at national scale while K.Pay is captive to the Koerich ecosystem.

Direct peers

• VTEX: Brazilian-headquartered enterprise commerce platform providing marketplace, OMS, and storefront technology to retailers. Comparable to KLab's Kplace marketplace build and overall retail-tech stack, though VTEX operates at vastly larger scale and sells externally across Latin America.
• Grupo Boticário Innovation Lab: Corporate innovation arm of a major Brazilian retail group that builds proprietary technology, runs corporate VC, and manages open innovation programs. Closely comparable to KLab's hybrid model of in-house product development plus startup investing tied to a parent retail brand.

Others

• ACE Cortex (Corteva Accelerator) / Corporate VC peers: Comparison anchor for the Koan Venture corporate VC and open innovation function — Brazilian corporate venture arms tied to retail/consumer groups (e.g., Grupo Votorantim, Bradesco, Itaú) operate similar startup-investment-plus-corporate-validation models and represent the peer set for the VC arm of the business.

Emerging players

• Nubank (Corporate Development / Open Innovation): Brazilian digital bank with credit card and payment products. Comparable to KAB and K.Pay at the financial product layer; differs in that Nubank is a standalone fintech whereas KLab is a captive retail innovation lab.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCF95bmRB2J195_xFjPa4f0Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/koerich-lab
• Instagraminstagram.com/koerichlab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Koerich Lab