The Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments, in conjunction with the Ministry of Economy of Brazil, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sebrae (Brazilian Service of Support for Micro and Small Enterprises), and Anprotec (National Association of Entities Promoting Innovation), recently announced the debut of the Startup Outreach Brazil Program, now with a new brand.
In the last six years, the Startup Outreach Brazil has selected high-growth Brazilian startups to receive personalized internationalization support. The program has successfully introduced Brazilian startups into various innovation ecosystems around the world that are growing in importance and prominence. Unveiled during the most recent session of the program in Chicago, the brand renewal represents the mission of Startup Outreach Brazil to educate the venture capital community about the innovative young companies emerging in Brazil, while also providing training and support to participating entrepreneurs to better understand how to conduct business abroad.
In the last decade, Brazil’s startup sector has captured the attention of the global investment community and experienced incredible growth. Specifically, more than 22,300 startups have been launched in Brazil since 2015, and 30 startups have reached “unicorn” status since 2018, representing companies valued at over $1 billion. As a result, Brazil has become the largest startup economy in Latin America and attracted $9.43 billion in funding rounds just in 2021.
During the Startup Outreach Brazil Chicago last month, ApexBrasil and its partners brought together 15 notable Brazilian startups for an intensive one-week business program, which included pitch refinement for the local market, meetings with active investors, networking with potential clients and business partners, and much more.
Since its founding in 2017, the Startup Outreach Brazil Program has held 14 editions in nine different countries, directly supporting 216 unique startups, some of which have participated in multiple cycles of Startup Outreach in different cities around the world. The startups that participated in Startup Outreach Brazil secured total investments with a combined value of over $24 million in the markets to which ApexBrasil and its partners introduced them, attracting more than 150 global investors to Brazil’s startup ecosystem.