The contribution is in line with the company's diversity and inclusion strategy, which aims to support plural and innovative businesses in the technology area
Positivo Tecnologia, a Brazilian hardware technology and services company, announced an investment of R＄ 3.6 million and became the newest shareholder in the WE Ventures, the first Corporate Venture Capital fund in Latin America 100% dedicated to investing in businesses led by women. In addition to Positivo Tecnologia, other major players support the initiative, including Flex, Grupo Multi, Suzano, Porto Seguro, AgeRio, Magnamed and Grupo Sabin.
The fund, developed by Microsoft Participações in partnership with Sebrae Nacional and M8 Partners, relies on the technical consultancy of Bertha Capital, which aims to lead the gender equality movement in the entrepreneurship sector in Brazil and balance the scenario in world economy. Positivo Tecnologia's first contribution to the fund is part of the Strategy and Innovation unit that was recently implemented in the company to encourage the growth and diversification of innovative businesses, while at the same time strengthening a new moment of transformation for the company.
Credit: WE Ventures website
As a strategic investor, Positivo Tecnologia will also contribute market knowledge to the fund and support it in the process of selecting and developing startups. “The investment in the WE Ventures fund aims to expand diversity in the innovation ecosystem, in addition to fulfilling our purpose of using technology to boost lives and accelerate businesses that are innovative, sustainable and human”, says Leandro Rosa dos Santos, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Positivo Tecnologia.
The application of funds is provided in return for the Law of Information Technology, which grants tax incentives to companies in the technology sector that invest in Research and Development. The federal government uses this mechanism to encourage investments in innovation in the technology sector for Brazilian industries with fundamentally national production. Since 2018, the legislation allows investment in FIPs (Equipment Investment Funds) authorized by the CVM (Securities Commission).
The WE Ventures Fund
With the main thesis aimed at financing women entrepreneurs and promoting access to capital for technology startups with female leadership, the fund offers networking and relationships with the main players in the sector, including the companies that idealized the initiative, the fund's investors and startups. that are part of the WE Ventures ecosystem and WE Impact, the program's Venture Builder.
“Investing in female entrepreneurship contributes to greater equality, generating economic empowerment and quality business. There are several data and studies that prove this. Even so, the flow of investments in startups created by women is much smaller than for male entrepreneurs. Our mission is to change this reality, offering not only financial investment, but also resources and mentoring so that businesses led by women prosper”, explains Franklin Luzes, Vice President of Innovation, Transformation and Startups in the Accelerated Growth Phase at Microsoft Brazil.
Contributions range from R＄ 1 million to R＄ 5 million. To date, WE Ventures has invested in four startups: Pack ID, Mobees, Smarkets and WEImpact. The fund has already received more than 1,200 startups registered and has already raised more than R＄ 60 million.
Marcella Ceva, CIO of WE Ventures, reinforces the importance of encouraging female entrepreneurship in Brazil. “With WE Ventures, we seek to encourage the participation of women in the technology and innovation market, to, at the same time, include women in STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and drive the digital transformation of the country” , explains the CIO.
WE Ventures relies on the technical consultancy of Bertha Capital, responsible for creating a development journey for invested startups. In this way, it is possible to understand the pain of the beneficiary startups and connect them with the other shareholders, promoting cross business within this network that includes, in addition to the WE portfolio, the investees of more than 10 investment funds (FIPs) active in the WE portfolio. Bertha Capital.
According to Márcia Cavalcante, head of Open Innovation at Bertha Capital, the partnership with a large company such as Positivo Tecnologia helps women leaders to assume an increasingly important role in the innovation ecosystem.
“Positivo Tecnologia's commitment to promoting companies that promote diversity and inclusion multiplies the potential for us to promote valuable connections, inserting the lens of gender into this equation. The journey we build together with the corporation never ends in investment; it is much more about investing intelligently, seeking not only to boost these new businesses, but also to lead a real transformation in that production chain”, explains Márcia.
The next step in this new partnership is to define what other characteristics will be sought within the universe of female-led startups, such as the main verticals to be worked on and the identification of the stage of the business.
“Our investment does not end when the financial contribution is made. The startup that becomes part of our innovation ecosystem receives all the necessary support so that it continues to grow and evolve in its main purpose. The selection of initiatives that support the diversity agenda encourages us to continue investing in initiatives that strengthen the role of women in innovative businesses”, concludes Graciete de Lima, responsible for CVC at Positivo Tecnologia.
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