São Paulo – Brazilian startups that participated in a mission to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates last week met an environment conducive to business development by companies of their profile. Members of the delegation were impressed with the innovation ecosystems and incentives for startups in the region, according to the International Business analyst of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), Leonardo Machado, one of the executives who accompanied the mission organized by the entity. “These ecosystems receive much government support and produce plenty of innovation and opportunities,” he said. Pictured above, the group at a meeting at the Dubai Future Foundation in the UAE.
Getting to know the environment in both countries for emerging companies was one of the focuses of the mission the ABCC brought to Qatar and the UAE from February 26 and March 2. “The goal was to understand what the countries are producing in terms of innovation and technology, so companies can adapt their solutions,” said Machado. Executives from six Brazilian startups, Coill, Fienile, Orbital, Youdz, Silva Schütz, and EasyHash, and the Brazilian Itaipu Technological Park (PTI-BR), which operate with innovation and technology, participated in the trip.
Entrepreneurs also had the opportunity to network with high-level players in local innovation ecosystems and left the trip with a brand new network of contacts from both public and private sector parties. According to Machado, all participants undertook to stay in touch with the progress of internationalization or soft landing of Brazilian companies in Qatar and the UAE. He said startups were much interested in settling in the region.
On the other hand, products and services offered by Brazilian companies also caught the attention of local stakeholders who chatted with the delegation. Brazilians had the opportunity to present their solutions to potential investors, mentors, and end customers. “The solutions aroused interest,” reported the ABCC executive. About the demo days schedule, Machado highlighted the presence of private firms with sizeable investment portfolios. He stated it was clear to startups it is essential to have a presence in these countries and have local partners for business development.
Startup solutions
The Brazilians presented to local players various creative businesses they are undertaking. Coill is a platform on which small Brazilian rural producers make their property available for adoption by investors interested in preserving the Amazon; Fienile created a pioneer artificial lighting equipment for center pivot irrigation; Orbital provides consultancy and development of digital systems for companies; Youdz offers services to improve travel experiences; law firm Silva Schütz supports startups in their internationalization processes; and EasyHash is a cross-platform asset tokenization service.
The mission was promoted as part of the activities of the ABCC Lab, ABCC’s innovation hub, led by the entity’s head of Consulting, Karen Mizuta. In addition to Leonardo Machado, the startup delegation was accompanied by other ABCC executives, such as the director of the Dubai office, Rafael Solimeo, and the Dubai office Business executive Layal El Ghaddaf.
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Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
