Call will remain open until 09/25 and R$ 9.7 million will be invested
The Minister of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications, Gilberto Kassab, announced this Thursday (10th) a call for bids worth R$ 9.7 million to select 50 projects by nascent technology-based companies, with acceleration in 2017 and 2018. startup should receive up to R$ 200 thousand in grants from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). The recently launched public call is open until September 25th. The resources come from the MCTIC budget.
"We are entering the third cycle of a program that has been very successful. And now, in this new phase, with the experience accumulated in the previous ones, Brazil will certainly reap more results, like the generation of jobs and wealth. Here, with the selection of these projects, we will have the opportunity to confirm once again the Brazilian vocation for innovation", said Kassab. "This government is fully aware that, to overcome the difficulties we are experiencing, it is necessary to invest in the future. And to invest in the future is to invest in innovation. The resources seem modest, but they are very significant, very expressive within the current situation".
For the MCTIC Secretary for Information Technology Policy, Maximiliano Martinh, the ecosystem supported by the program has the capacity to carry out an anti-cyclical movement in the face of the crisis. "While several companies face difficulties, startups have grown and competed in the most varied sectors. They create digital businesses and new ways of producing and relating economically", he pointed out. "The sector advances quickly, and today the country already has more than 4,500 startups, 300 incubators, 25 programs and 40 accelerators."
Created by MCTIC in November 2012, Start-Up Brasil brings together a group of actors in favor of technology-based business initiatives. The program aims to support innovative solutions in software, hardware and information technology (IT) services. "It also helps to develop a digital entrepreneurship ecosystem. Before the launch, we had mapped three accelerators. Today, the country has more than 40", compared Martinhão. "There's still a lot to be done to improve the regulatory environment, to reduce barriers to increased investment."
According to Martinão, there is an effort to combine federal government initiatives in support of technology-based start-ups. "We believe that there is room for all the programs that operate today in the startups ecosystem. And more than that: the articulation between them is important", defended the secretary, when listing complementary measures of the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services (MDIC ), the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep) and the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES).
"The MDIC has a program that takes care of the initial stage of startups, still at the time of ideas. This is articulated with Start-Up Brasil, responsible for the acceleration phase. Then, Finep can enter into the execution of growth plans, stage post-acceleration. And we are already talking with the BNDES to induce the internationalization of our startups", outlined the secretary. "We have been carrying out this dialogue with all those responsible for these programs to lead to a more coordinated and assertive performance."
So far, from the contribution of R$ 34.7 million from MCTIC, Start-Up Brasil leveraged approximately R$ 103 million in private investments and generated more than 1,200 direct jobs. The program has already carried out two acceleration cycles, from 2013 to 2015, when there was support for 183 startups, distributed across four groups and coming from 17 states and 13 countries. The support included IT research projects linked to various segments, such as education, health, agribusiness, biotechnology, retail and logistics.
"We are entering the third cycle of a program that has been very successful. And now, in this new phase, with the experience accumulated in the previous ones, Brazil will certainly reap more results, like the generation of jobs and wealth. Here, with the selection of these projects, we will have the opportunity to confirm once again the Brazilian vocation for innovation", said Kassab. "This government is fully aware that, to overcome the difficulties we are experiencing, it is necessary to invest in the future. And to invest in the future is to invest in innovation. The resources seem modest, but they are very significant, very expressive within the current situation".
For the MCTIC Secretary for Information Technology Policy, Maximiliano Martinh, the ecosystem supported by the program has the capacity to carry out an anti-cyclical movement in the face of the crisis. "While several companies face difficulties, startups have grown and competed in the most varied sectors. They create digital businesses and new ways of producing and relating economically", he pointed out. "The sector advances quickly, and today the country already has more than 4,500 startups, 300 incubators, 25 programs and 40 accelerators."
Created by MCTIC in November 2012, Start-Up Brasil brings together a group of actors in favor of technology-based business initiatives. The program aims to support innovative solutions in software, hardware and information technology (IT) services. "It also helps to develop a digital entrepreneurship ecosystem. Before the launch, we had mapped three accelerators. Today, the country has more than 40", compared Martinhão. "There's still a lot to be done to improve the regulatory environment, to reduce barriers to increased investment."
According to Martinão, there is an effort to combine federal government initiatives in support of technology-based start-ups. "We believe that there is room for all the programs that operate today in the startups ecosystem. And more than that: the articulation between them is important", defended the secretary, when listing complementary measures of the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services (MDIC ), the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep) and the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES).
"The MDIC has a program that takes care of the initial stage of startups, still at the time of ideas. This is articulated with Start-Up Brasil, responsible for the acceleration phase. Then, Finep can enter into the execution of growth plans, stage post-acceleration. And we are already talking with the BNDES to induce the internationalization of our startups", outlined the secretary. "We have been carrying out this dialogue with all those responsible for these programs to lead to a more coordinated and assertive performance."
So far, from the contribution of R$ 34.7 million from MCTIC, Start-Up Brasil leveraged approximately R$ 103 million in private investments and generated more than 1,200 direct jobs. The program has already carried out two acceleration cycles, from 2013 to 2015, when there was support for 183 startups, distributed across four groups and coming from 17 states and 13 countries. The support included IT research projects linked to various segments, such as education, health, agribusiness, biotechnology, retail and logistics.
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