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Innovate + Invest

Strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Brazil
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About the program

Guidelines
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The program aims to activate and strengthen the ecosystems of the Northeast and North regions, connecting startups, companies, and investors to generate business and investment.

The first edition is dedicated exclusively to Northeast region, promoting training, connections and access to capital for Up to 15 tech startups with scalable solutions.

Guidelines

1. APPLIED KNOWLEDGE

2. Qualified training and acceleration

3. Connection and access to capital

Selection of participants

Inova+invest will select up to 15 startups from the region, evaluating Innovation and technology, scalability potential, business maturity, and team quality. Applications will be reviewed by the Program team and a panel of evaluators, who will assign scores from 1 to 5 for each criterion. Startups that have already received strategic investment, as well as companies in a more advanced stage, will receive additional points according to the guidelines.

Stage 1 - Registration and evaluation of forms

The process begins with the analysis of application forms by the Inova+Invest team. Pre-qualified startups will be invited to participate in the evaluation panel. The panel will be composed of strategic investors from the target region and other regions of the country, in addition to the Organization's team. The panels will take place virtually between February 23 and 26, 2026. Each company will have up to 5 minutes to present its solution and an additional 10 minutes for questions and answers. Each session will have five evaluators: two representatives from the Organization and three invited investors.

Stage 2 - Online training and mentoring

Companies will have access to mentoring and training to accelerate the validation and closing of contracts.

Step 3 - In-person training

On the eve of Demoday, the Inova+invest program will hold a mandatory in-person pitch training session.

4th Stage - Demoday and investment rounds

The program includes a pitch presentation from each participating company and qualified meetings with strategic investors.

5th Stage - Post-program monitoring and support

Monitoring the results of the companies served.

January 12, 2026

Registration Opening

February 2, 2026

Registration closes.

February 9, 2026

Announcement of startups pre-approved for selection panel.

February 23-27, 2026

Selection committee

March 2, 2026

Announcement of the 15 selected startups

March 2026

Online training and mentoring

April 2026

In-person training

April 2026

Demoday and investment rounds

April 2026 to April 2027

Post-program monitoring and support

Checklist - Is Inova+invest right for you?

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Location

Being a startup from Northeast Brazil

+1200

Meetings with potential clients

Invoicing

Minimum annual turnover of R$500 thousand

11

Companies settled in Brazil

Investment

Interest in attracting investment

73

News hires in Brazil

Organizers

Inova+invest is a joint initiative of ABVCAP and ApexBrasil, with strategic execution by ACE Ventures.
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Participating Companies

Since 2019, the ScaleUp inBrazil program has accelerated companies from various sectors. While not all applicants have been selected, the ScaleUp inBrazil team sincerely appreciates every submission. The program remains committed to supporting companies interested in expanding to Brazil, working closely with our country partners.

Fourth Batch

56 companies registered, 33 advanced to Stage 1, and 16 moved on as finalists. See the list of accelerated companies on the side.

Third Batch

107 registered to the program, 35 joined Stage 1 and 17 went on to be accelerated. See the list of accelerated companies on the side.

Second Batch

62 registered to the program, 16 joined Stage 1 and 10 went on to be accelerated. See the list of accelerated companies on the side.

First Batch

49 registered for the program, 20 joined Stage 1 and 5 went on in the inaugural batch to be accelerated. See the list of accelerated companies on the side.

Ecosystem partners

  • Northeast Bank – Hubine
  • Blue House
  • Cimatec
  • Citta
  • Cordel Ventures
  • Hofa Capital
  • Digital Headlight
  • GoFuture
  • Inventive
  • Lighthouse
  • Nina Hub
  • Rasan Ventures
  • Senai
  • João Pessoa Technology Park
  • Unifacisa
  • Virtus
  • Accelerating Asia
  • Ace
  • Champel Capital
  • Cyber 7
  • EcoLabs
  • Brazilian Embassy in Helsinki
  • German Entrepreneurship Asia
  • Hagihara Industries Inc
  • Innocact VC
  • Innovation as a Service
  • Israel Innovation Institute
  • IT FARM
  • J Startup
  • Kanematsu Amerido do Sul
  • Kyoto-icap
  • Maverick Ventures Israel
  • Mindset Ventures
  • Origin
  • Padang & Co's
  • Pearl Cohen
  • SG Innovate
  • SG Tech
  • Sojitz
  • The DeserTech an Climate Innovation Institute
  • Tokyo Innovation Base
  • Trendlines
  • TSI – Technology Seed Incubation
  • Universal Materials Incubator
ABVCAP
ABVCAP, the Brazilian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, aims to foster the development of private equity activity in Brazil, as well as the growth of companies, thus contributing to the country's economic development.
ApexBrasil
ApexBrasil - the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency - has several trade promotion initiatives to support Brazilian companies at international trade fairs and events, as well as providing services to foreign visitors who are buyers or investors.
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ACE ventures
ACE – winner of the bid to operate the Inova+invest program in this first edition. ACE is an early-stage investor that supports exceptional entrepreneurs in developing innovative businesses. With over 150 investments made, 35 exits, and more than 4,000 entrepreneurs impacted.
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SPX Capital
Founded in 2010, SPX Capital is one of the largest asset managers in Brazil, with approximately R$60 billion in assets under management and more than 270 professionals of 18 nationalities across six international offices. The Private Equity vertical began in 2021 with the acquisition of The Carlyle Group's operations in Brazil, led by Carlyle partners who have worked together for over 17 years and have invested more than R$7.8 billion in the country since 2008. SPX Private Equity has R$2.7 billion in assets under management, four funds, and six portfolio companies.
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TMF Group
TMF is a leading provider of administrative and fiduciary services, helping clients invest and operate safely around the world. Our clients operate primarily in Private Equity, Venture Capital, Corporate Venture, Search Fund, Real Estate, Credit, and Debt. Among them are more than 601 T3T of the Fortune Global 500 companies. With teams in more than 87 countries, including 40 in Brazil alone, where we currently have over BRL 40 billion AuA, we offer local expertise with a global structure. Our tailored solutions generate value and operational efficiency for our clients, who are asset managers.
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Warburg Pincus
Warburg Pincus is a global private equity firm focused on high-growth companies. Founded in 1966, it has over US$1,400 billion in assets under management and an active portfolio of over 230 companies across various sectors and regions. It has invested in over 1,000 companies through private equity, real estate, and capital solutions strategies. It is headquartered in New York and has a global presence, including an office in São Paulo.
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