The evolution of technology has created an increasingly data-driven society, home to new business models that would not have been viable before. Bruno Henriques, COO of iFood and CEO of iFood Pago, believes that businesses must use technology and information to generate value for society. — This is what we do with iFood Pago — says Henriques, asserting that iFood’s fintech uses restaurant data to direct credit offers towards expansion and improvement investments. In two years, 2.8 billion reais of credit were granted to entrepreneurs. — We know how the service is, if customers come back, if they like the experience and we use this information to help entrepreneurs and expand our ecosystem. Another data tool applied by iFood to businesses is Maquinona, a machine that, in addition to receiving payments in restaurants, generates data for the entrepreneur about the business itself and customer behavior. — Through this, we help restaurants go through digital transformation and know their consumers better — he says. Ana Carparelli, general manager of Uber Direct in Brazil, notes that today we live in what is called the convenience economy: — It is a culture in which everything is just a click away, and we are not just talking about messages or news. It has also changed relationships with consumers and mobility. According to her, it all depends on data and technology, which is reflected in logistics: — Uber Direct is a last-mile delivery service, which serves businesses that need to meet this demand for a frictionless consumer experience. Carparelli notes that delivery and logistics applications must take into account business sustainability, which includes environmental, social and economic aspects. Among the measures adopted by Uber and Uber Direct are plans to increase the participation of electric vehicles and bicycles on the platform. — But this movement must also be supported by society, with investments in urban infrastructure for these modes. iFood follows the same path. The company wants to put 40,000 electric bikes on the streets for delivery people in the coming years, half of them by 2027. — This will help delivery people have access to sustainable vehicles, with cheap rental to access the platform — explains Henriques. Regarding proposals to regulate delivery and mobility platforms, Henriques and Carparelli say they defend advances in social protection for service providers. But they emphasize that legislation cannot restrict the market. — We want progress in social protection, it is necessary. But a Datafolha survey shows that 75% of platform drivers and delivery people prefer flexibility, Carparelli points out. Henriques shares this opinion and emphasizes that legislation must take it into account: — It is necessary to broaden rights, but flexibility for workers and legal certainty for the sector must be maintained, so as not to slow down investments.
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