The presence of women in leadership positions within the Brazilian innovation ecosystem is advancing, especially in strategic areas such as startups focused on socio-environmental impact and deep techs. Data from the Observatório Sebrae Startups indicate that women already represent 21% of leadership in startups aimed at socio-environmental impact. In deep techs — companies based on science and advanced technology — participation is even more significant: 43% of projects approved in the Sebrae Catalisa ICT program are led by women, a percentage that remains high until the final stages of the initiative.
The information was released by Sebrae and is included in a survey by the Observatório Sebrae Startups. Despite the performance in more specialized segments, the overall landscape still shows lower participation of women in the Brazilian startups universe. According to data updated in February 2026 from the Plataforma Sebrae Startups, they represent 18% of registered ventures — equivalent to 4,282 businesses with female presence in the corporate structure. The index is similar to that identified by the Associação Brasileira de Startups (ABStartups), which recorded 19% of female founders in 2024.
In the assessment of Fernanda Zambon, analyst at the Sebrae Nacional Innovation Unit, the numbers indicate that the growth of female leadership in the sector depends on structured incentive initiatives.
“When there is an organized support environment, with training, mentoring, and market connections, female participation grows and is sustained,” she states.
According to the analyst, the challenge now is to advance toward a deeper transformation in the innovation ecosystem. “We are still below an ideal representation framework in the foundation and formal partnership of startups. It’s not enough to expand entry into the ecosystem; it’s necessary to ensure permanence, access to capital, strategic networks, and conditions to advance scaling,” points out Fernanda Zambon.
Another relevant data point from the survey shows that 61% of startups led by women are in early development stages, between ideation and validation. Although this profile is similar to that observed in the set of Brazilian startups, the transition to traction and growth phases is usually more difficult, especially in a more restrictive macroeconomic environment and in the face of historical barriers related to access to investments.
For Sebrae, expanding the female presence in the innovation ecosystem also has a direct impact on economic development. “Startups with gender diversity present better governance and long-term performance indicators. Expanding this participation is a strategy for sustainable economic development,” emphasizes Fernanda Zambon.
Businesses Led by Women Gain Ground
In practice, this advancement is already translating into high-impact initiatives led by entrepreneurs in different regions of the country. An example is T-Access, a startup based in Recife (PE), created to develop solutions focused on digital accessibility. The company works on platform evaluation, training, and development of inclusive technologies, after identifying difficulties faced by people with visual impairments in using software and digital environments.
The startup’s founder, Tarciana Katter, says the idea arose from tests conducted with screen readers. “When we started using screen readers in tests, we realized there was a universe we couldn’t see. That’s when we understood that there needed to be real concern for inclusion,” she says.
For the entrepreneur, female leadership contributes to broadening the view of the impacts of innovative businesses. “Women have a very strong active listening, able to look at people and the business at the same time. We think about impact, the team’s psychological safety, and the transformation we want to generate,” she highlights.
Another example comes from the climate technology sector. The startup Compensei, based in São Luís (MA), was founded by Vilena Silva after more than two decades of work in corporate environmental management and applied research in sustainability. The company developed a digital platform that simplifies the measurement, monitoring, reduction, and compensation of carbon emissions.
The solution was created based on internationally recognized standards, such as the GHG Protocol and ABNT PR 2060, with the aim of making the climate agenda more accessible also for small businesses.
“I always believed that sustainability couldn’t be restricted to large corporations. What drives the Brazilian economy are small businesses, and they need to be included in this agenda,” says Vilena.
The entrepreneur also highlights the importance of bringing scientific knowledge closer to the production sector. “Science needs to leave the laboratory and reach companies, territories, public policies. And we, women from academia, have full capacity to make that bridge,” she concludes.
Source: brasil247.com