Brazil is the undisputed leader in Latin American startup ecosystems. It is the only Latin American country included among the top 10 worldwide unicorn marketplaces, with a total of 9 active unicorn firms as of 2022. It is the country with the best global and regional links, home to the busiest and best-connected hubs in South America. Though the Brazilian innovation ecosystem is still in its infancy according to the stage of investments, it is rapidly growing. Entrepreneurship initiatives are emerging and access to entrepreneurial education is becoming increasingly incentivized, including startup accelerator and incubator programs.
In this article, we have compiled a comprehensive list of Brazil's startup incubators and accelerators. They have been subdivided into applicability for startups in their 'ideation', 'launch', or 'growth' stages, so whichever stage you're in, you would be able to find a program that suits you!
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FULL LIST OF STARTUP INCUBATORS AND ACCELERATORS IN BRAZIL
Ideation Stage Startup Incubators in Brazil
Full list of ideation-stage startup incubators in Brazil:
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 2 months
The Funses1 Digital Acceleration is a 100% free online program aimed at projects at the ideation stage. To help founders get their ideas off the ground, the program provides a combination of 200+ hours of recorded lessons, mentoring with market specialists, and online networking events.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: ICT, Creative Economy
Duration: -
Porto Digital is one of the most important technological parks and innovation ecosystems in Brazil. Based in Recife, the park is a collaborative effort between government, academia, and business known as the "Triple Helix" approach; housing enterprises, business incubators, accelerators, development research institutions, and related facilities. They are one of the country's primary innovation hubs for businesses in the software and services sectors of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Creative Economy (EC). They provide various initiatives and programs to support startup development, including entrepreneurship support and incubation.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Life Sciences, Biotechnology
Duration: -
Biominas is a pioneer and specialist in assisting and establishing bio businesses in Brazil. As one of the first incubators, pre-accelerator, and accelerators for the life science and biotechnology sector in the country, they create an environment for innovation and development programs that contribute to the construction of successful bio businesses. Biominas' ability to bring together relevant partners and develop connections between researchers, entrepreneurs, institutions, companies, investors, and governments is their strongest suit.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: -
Seeking to support startups from its very beginnings, AmazonasCap organizes open innovation projects for different contexts and purposes, including hackathons, open innovation programs, business consultancy, and acceleration programs. Their programs are customized to the specific sector and startup to effectively develop their businesses. They also offer an acceleration program that facilitates business development, business planning and pitching, and funding advisory.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic, Creative Economy, Agribusiness, Industrial Innovation
Duration: 3 months - 1 year
Syndreams accelerates startups specializing in the Industrial Innovation, Creative Economy, and Agribusiness sectors. They work with startups from the stage of ideation to those already earning utilizing Lean Startup and Customer Development principles. In their pre-acceleration program, founders will learn how to get their idea down on paper and execute their strategies to begin their first sales. In the acceleration program, startups will prepare for fundraising and investments.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic, Social Impact Technology
Duration: -
InovAtiva is a startup hub with the goal to boost the innovative entrepreneurship ecosystem in Brazil. InovAtiva offers a complete suite of activities and programs for the entire ecosystem, promoting various opportunities for business acceleration, entrepreneur training, and investor/partner connects. This includes programs for startups at various stages, including those that are in the ideation, validation, operation, or traction phases.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Software & Hardware
Duration: -
HARDS is the first Brazilian accelerator to specialize in software and hardware solutions. Their acceleration program aims to bring innovation to the market through training, prototyping infrastructure, financial investment, and access to the market and logistical distribution channels. Their strengths lie in execution and market access - connecting you with partners and mentors from the industry that will support you from prototype to development, certification, first batch, manufacturing, up to pilot.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 3 years
Supera Park is a technology park and innovation hub that facilitate the exchange of knowledge and technologies through the integration of startups, universities, research institutions, and corporations. They offer an incubator program that houses startups and provide the tools to create, develop, and improve companies across the technology, strategy, market entry, and human resources domain. They also provide ample networking opportunities to promote startups' collaboration with Brazilian companies and international firms to further technological advancements.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: -
Inova Unicamp is the science and technology park of The State University of Campinas, one of the top public research universities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. In partnership with the university, they bring together industry and inventors to promote business and science cooperation and develop a profitable and long-lasting collaboration. To encourage startup development, they establish Incamp, their technology-based incubator that facilitates collaborative projects with companies and conducts technology transfer negotiations.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 6 months - 2 years
Nexus Startups is an initiative by São José dos Campos Technology Park, one of the first and largest technology parks and entrepreneurship hubs in Brazil created by the Municipal Government of São José dos Campos and the São Paulo State Government. Nexus offers ventures a series of programs at each stage of maturity, including acceleration and incubation programs for startups from ideation to escalation. The Nexus Lab is offered to early-stage projects to take ideas off the drawing board, whilst the Nexus Growth Tec and Nexus Growth Digital are focused on consolidating the business model.
Launch Stage Startup Incubators and Accelerators in Brazil
Full list of launch stage startup incubators and accelerators in Brazil:
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Social & Environmental Impact
Duration: 4 - 12 months
Quintessa is an impact accelerator catalyzing social and environmental transformations for people and the planet. Their accelerator program is designed to help startups to find a new way of doing business that integrates impact with financial results, ensuring business growth and scaling its impact for thousands of Brazilians. They offer 4 tractions of acceleration for startups at various stages, namely Validation, Go-to-market, Traction, and Scale, which are delivered in a personalized, hands-on approach with a group of highly-qualified mentors.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 6 - 12 months
Baita Accelerator works with technology startups from any field or technology and across all stages of development. From ideation to scale-up, they offer development programs suitable for the entire life cycle of the company. Their validated methodology has been proven to develop innovative, sustainable, and scalable businesses and produced recognized startups in Brazil and abroad, such as Agrosmart and Certus.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Healthcare
Duration: -
Eretz.bio is a platform committed to developing innovative solutions and fostering entrepreneurs transforming healthcare in Brazil. Their ecosystem includes four main initiatives: Startups Incubator, Healthcare Entrepreneurship Promotion, Partnerships and Investments, and Corporate Projects. Their incubator program promotes the development of new technologies through mentoring, training, and validations. Delivered digitally, they facilitate knowledge transfer, partnerships, and connections to industry players and potential customers that transcend geographical barriers.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 3 months
Google for Startups Brazil is an equity-free accelerator targeted at tech startups from seed to growth stage. Through the program, Google experts will share their knowledge of building successful companies, adopting an AI-first methodology, and best practices in leadership. Participants will receive mentoring and access to Google teams which will support them in solving any technical or product challenges their startup may be facing.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 6 months
Active since 1992, Fumsoft is a non-profit scientific and technological institution that is the pioneer in the development of the Information Technology (IT) production chain in Minas Gerais. The Fumsoft Acceleration Program is focused on accelerating technology-based, multisector startups at different stages of maturity. They operate with a proven development methodology based on the concepts of Innovation & Entrepreneurship from Stanford University, Lean Startup, Customer Development, People Analytics, and the CERNE model. Focused on 5 main development axes: Market, Technology, Investor, Management, and Entrepreneur, the program is delivered by market specialists related to each axis and adapted to each startup's needs.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 9 months
With the tagline to #gohard, VENTIUR Accelerator targets and invests in technology-based startups that are operational or pre-operational with MVP on the market. The program involves mentorship and training that cover topics such as traction, funding, team building, go-to-market strategy, sales, marketing, and more. They also host networking events to connect startups with investment funds and attract new rounds, with the accelerator itself investing an average of R$200,000 per startup, which can reach R$1 million with co-investment from their network.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 10 - 12 weeks
Cotidiano offers 9 acceleration programs for innovative businesses across various industries and phases using their Cotidiano methodology. For startups in the discovery, validation, and fundraising phases, the acceleration program will help you get direction in the development of your startup. You'll work with a dedicated accelerator agent to guide your next steps in your startup journey, learn from hours of content by expert speakers, and connect with the community of founders and teams.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: -
Leavening is an accelerator that will meet you where you're at; promoting sustainable growth at every stage of your business. As their name means to ferment, they would like to act as yeast within companies: growing, modifying, and improving businesses from the inside out. They'll analyze your business with a team of specialists, create a strategic plan for growth, and help you execute it through mentoring, networking, fundraising, and talent access.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology, Rolling Focus
Duration: 4 months
Organized by Porto Seguro, the third largest Brazilian insurance and holding company in Brazil, Oxigenio Accelerator is an equity-free program for startups in the traction stage or that have an MVP. Every year, Oxigenio opens a few acceleration cycles with specific themes, providing plenty of opportunities for startups in Brazil across diverse sectors. Through the program, startups are provided resources in the form of mentoring with experienced executives on the market, free consultations and advice, networking opportunities with Porto partners and networks, and workspace in Sao Paulo. The focus of the program lies in open innovation, presenting startups with business opportunities with the different companies of the Porto group to leverage their solution and increase their customer base.
Growth Stage Startup Accelerators in Brazil
Full list of growth stage startup accelerators in Brazil:
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Fintech, Big Data & Analytics, IT & Telecom
Duration: 3months
Darwin Startups invests in and accelerates early-stage startups focusing on the financial market, mainly Fintech, Big Data & Analytics , IT and Telecom. Their acceleration program is tailored to each startup's objectives and challenges, supported by a team of professionals and specialists. The program is run with corporate partners such as B3, RTM, Safra, Sinqia, and Transunion, which provide startups the opportunity to establish partnerships and connect directly to the market.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: FoodTech, Alternative Protein, Sustainable Food Packaging, AgriTech, Food Waste Solutions, Novel Ingredients, Restaurant Tech, Food Delivery & Last Mile Logistics, Food Supply Chain Innovation, FoodTech SaaS
Duration: -
The Brazil Food Tech Program by Brinc.io is a virtual program looking for founders using technology to disrupt the food industry and improve the efficiency and sustainability of the Brazilian food system. They will assist startups in avoiding common obstacles and mistakes as they navigate their next stages of development, in the areas of investor readiness and fundraising, product development, and commercialization. They invest a minimum of $50,000 USD and a maximum of $1,000,000 USD in a SAFE note or equity round for a negotiable percentage.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 1 year
WOW Accelerator is the largest independent accelerator in Brazil, operating with no link to corporations and supported by a group of 300 angel investors in Brazil and abroad. The accelerator is held virtually and is open to any Brazilian startups on the track of validation, traction, and scale-up. The focus of the acceleration program is to help the startup in validating product-market fit and structure the path to growth.
Who is it for: Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 7 months
OBR.GLOBAL is an international business accelerator headquartered in Rio de Janeiro with outposts in Silicon Valley and San Antonio, Texas. Their expertise is in assisting startups to accelerate globally and scale rapidly in foreign markets, with a huge network of contacts in Brazil and other markets, particularly the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia. They offer 3 acceleration programs: Acelera 90x, Velocity Brasil, and Barcelona Ventures which are open year-round and operate on a rolling basis. The programs provide startups with execution and performance platforms to develop cross-border business, increase market traction, and achieve national and international market expansion objectives.
Closing Thoughts on Startup Incubators and Accelerators in Brazil
Home to a large and affluent consumer market, the Brazilian market continues to grow as technology and internet access improve. It is not surprising that Brazil is a hotspot for startups. With 12,000 active startups in the ecosystem as of 2022, they rank among the top five economies with the highest start-up rate in the world. Despite so, Brazilian startups still face some major challenges such as a shortage of talent, hefty tax load, regulatory complexity, and lack of basic infrastructure. Joining a startup incubator or accelerator in Brazil might help startups in navigating the complexities and challenges of building and growing a startup in Brazil.