Brazilian Tech Companies From Santa Catarina Boost Global Reach Through Canadian Innovation Mission
ACATE's Global Gateway program successfully facilitated the internationalization of 20 Santa Catarina tech companies through a strategic innovation immersion in Ontario, Canada.
- • The Global Gateway program took 20 tech companies from Santa Catarina to Ontario, Canada for a two-week immersion.
- • Participants engaged in workshops, mentoring, pitch sessions, and networking with investors and academic experts.
- • Henrique Bilbao emphasized connecting startups to competitive international markets like Canada.
- • Edtech Stift's CEO established initial contact with nine Canadian educational institutions for partnerships.
Key details
In early November 2025, the Associação Catarinense de Tecnologia (ACATE) completed the Canada edition of its Global Gateway program, taking 20 technology companies from Santa Catarina on a strategic two-week immersion in Ontario's vibrant innovation ecosystem, often dubbed the "Canadian Silicon Valley." This initiative, conducted in partnership with Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (Fapesc), aims to enhance the international presence of these companies by connecting them directly with global innovation hubs.
During the program, participants engaged in workshops, mentoring sessions, technical visits, and pitching events, including interactions with investors, accelerators, and experts from Conestoga College in Kitchener. This deeply immersive experience allowed companies to evaluate the relevance of their business models in the Canadian market and pinpoint opportunities for growth.
Henrique Bilbao, ACATE's Vice President of Internationalization, highlighted the mission's objective of linking startups with highly competitive markets, noting Canada's favorable environment for solution validation and new network access. CEO Davi Pizelman Rost of the edtech company Stift emphasized the value of the program in validating their product's appeal to Canadian educational institutions. Rost revealed that Stift has already initiated discussions with nine private Canadian educational institutions about potential partnerships, signaling early success from the mission.
The Global Gateway mission bolsters ACATE's long-term strategy to position Santa Catarina as a globally connected innovation ecosystem. The initiative concluded with a strategic internationalization plan, developed with technical support from the organizing team, setting the stage for continued expansion of Santa Catarina's tech enterprises beyond Brazilian borders.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.