Innovative startups from Brazil go business hunting in Toronto
Eighteen Brazilian startups are taking part in a marathon of presentations directed at investment banks, universities, and business groups, in Toronto, as part of an initiative dubbed StartOut Brasil, aimed at attracting investment and partnerships for Brazilian companies with technological programs.
The event started on June 23 and participating companies attended over 120 business meetings in the Canadian city and forged ties with 30 institutions, among them the innovation laboratory of Johnson&Jonhson, MaRs Discovery District, Science Discovery Zone, of the University of Ryerson, and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Presentations are slated to end Friday (Jun 28).
“The goal of this mission is to make entrepreneurs better understand the way the market operates, the business culture, the theses of local investors, the different kinds of funding available in the local market, and how access to these funds is granted, in addition to learning about the ways to settle in the country, should they decide to come and make business here, as well as a dive into the country’s innovation ecosystem, which has stood out in the global landscape, said Apex-Brasil Coordinator for Internationalization Paula Gomes.
StartOut Brasil was devised by Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), in partnership with the Ministries of Foreign Relations and Economy, the National Association of Promoters of Innovative Enterprises, and the Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Enterprises (Sebrae). In past events, the program was hosted by Buenos Aires, Paris, Berlin, Miami, Lisbon, and Santiago. Over 60 percent of Brazilian companies taking part in StartOut Brasil make some sort of deal or partnership.
Business
In Toronto, the 18 startups joined a pitch presentation contest. The three winners were Portal Telemedicina (best presentation), Key2Enable (best innovation), and Rio Analytics (best local market adherence). The Brazilian firms attending the event stand out in the development of solutions in artificial intelligence, health care, financial services, and agricultural technology, and food production.
Key2Enable is opening up a branch in Chile, as a result of the previous StartOut, in Santiago. The company has been active since 2009, and also has a subsidiary in the US, founded last year. Its flagship is a keyboard with 11 big, colorful buttons, with a distance from each other and sensitive to the touch. The sequence in which these buttons are pressed is equivalent to pressing a key on a regular keyboard, which enables people with disabilities to communicate more efficiently, without accidentally touching the keys. For those who can only move their eyes, communication is made possible by the connection between the keyboard and a blink detector, which can be attached to any pair of glasses.
Another company at the event, Filho sem Fila, with active business in the US and Canada, developed an app helping students—and teachers—when parents and guardians arrive at school to pick up the children. The younger students are escorted to the school gates so be collected.
In health care, StartOut showcased company MSC Med, which developed a program for people with an overactive bladder and patients with health issues linked to ingesting medication orally. The firm designed a technological solution that prevents nausia by introducing the medication directly into the user’s bladder.
Toronto
Toronto, the city selected to host this year’s StartOut Brasil, is located in the Kitchener-Waterloo region of Ontario, the world’s second area with the highest number of startups per capita. Seven of the planet’s ten biggest tech companies conduct research and development in Ontario.
