Should Northwind Energy Enter Brazil?

Consulting
medium50 min0 submissions
Goldman Sachs
Scenario

Northwind Energy is a renewables company with €1673 M of revenue in its home market of Europe. Growth at home has slowed to low single digits and the board is looking abroad.

Brazil has been identified as the priority candidate. Early desk research suggests:

  • Addressable market of roughly €3985 M, growing 15% a year
  • The largest incumbent holds about 66% share, with a long tail of local players
  • Entry would require an estimated €277 M over three years
  • Regulatory approval takes 9-18 months, and local partnership requirements apply to foreign entrants

The strategy team's paper projects 6% market share within five years. The CFO has asked whether that projection is credible and whether this is the best use of €277 M.

Supporting data

entry

estimated investment m
277
local partnership required
true
projected share year 5 pct
6
regulatory timeline months
9-18

home market

revenue m
1673
growth pct
4

target market

geography
Brazil
market growth pct
15
addressable market m
3985
largest incumbent share pct
66
Your task

Advise the board. Provide:

  1. Analysis — size the opportunity yourself, assess the competitive landscape, and evaluate entry modes.
  2. Risks — what would make this fail, and what you would monitor.
  3. Recommendation — enter or don't. If entering, specify the mode and sequence.

Challenge the 6% share assumption explicitly.

Ready to move forward? Up next: Should Corveta Motors Enter Brazil?Next question
How you'll be graded

100 points, 60% to pass.

  • entry mode20
  • market sizing25
  • recommendation20
  • risk assessment15
  • competitive analysis20
Hint
Reveal suggested structure
  1. Size it independently — bottom-up: population → addressable segment → penetration → frequency → price. Compare against the €3985 M figure.
  2. Attractiveness — growth, fragmentation, margin structure.
  3. Right to win — what does Northwind Energy have that local players don't?
  4. Entry mode — organic, acquisition, joint venture, licensing, against the barriers found.
  5. Economics — revenue at 6% share vs the €277 M investment, with a payback period.
  6. Decide with staged commitments and kill criteria.