São Paulo – Brazilian startups in sectors including sustainability, human resources, energy, and medical diagnostics presented this Tuesday (2) their innovative concepts to address challenges in different segments of the economy. The startup competition was a part of Brazil Roadshow Expand North Star, an event hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) at the offices of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, which was a supporter of the event.
Four out of the ten participating businesses came out as winners: Woof Smart Pet, in pet health monitoring; Twiggy, in e-commerce platform improvement; IBXX, which harnesses electromagnetic energy out of the air; and Quantis, in bio-inputs manufacturing.
Woof won a trip, a hotel stay, and qualified for a pitch competition during the Expand North Star event next October in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. Quantis won a trip to the Gitex Europe trade show in May 2025. The second- and third-place winners will get stands within ApexBrasil’s area at Dubai’s Expand North Star. Another startup roadshow is set to take place next Thursday (4) in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, with further prizes to be awarded.
Startup pitches are short presentations on what each business is about and what innovations it brings. It’s the first step in winning over investors. During the event, each company had two minutes to introduce themselves to a panel of four judges who picked out the winners. The judges were from the Arab Brazilian Chamber, The Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae), and the company Upload Ventures.
A startup-based innovation ecosystem
In kicking off the meeting, Arab Chamber president Osmar Chohfi said this was “a great opportunity” for Brazilian startups to present and get in touch with prospective investors and government organizations. “There is a great innovation ecosystem in place in the United Arab Emirates, and its results are showing,” he said regarding the Arab country’s relevance as it relates to startups. Chohfi also noted that there are lots of startups in Brazil, many of which originate in universities, whose potential UAE investors can harness.
The event also featured a presentation from Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy Digital Operations director Abdulla AlGaoud on what Dubai has to offer to startups, such as a friendly business environment, the chance of getting investment from public entities, the ability to be in touch with multiple other startups, and global connectivity.
Dubai World Trade Centre Commercial Director Zarki Ackovik delivered a presentation on Expand North Star. Formerly a section of the Gitex technology exhibition, it has since grown into a standalone startup-oriented show, while Gitex remains a hub for established tech companies.
The winners of the São Paulo and Florianópolis pitch contests will pitch their businesses once again at the Supernova Challenge 2024, set to take place during Expand North Star. The two Brazilian startups will be in the Supernova Challenge 2024 semifinals. The ApexBrasil stand at Expand North Star will feature 30 startup businesses. The second- and third-place winners from the São Paulo and Florianópolis events will get their own stands at the show. In addition to entering the Supernova Challenge, the winners of each roadshow will get airline tickets and four-day stays in Dubai.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
