ACATE inaugurates international branch amid mission of Santa Catarina companies to Canada

The Associação Catarinense de Tecnologia (Catarinense Technology Association – ACATE) has inaugurated an international branch in Toronto, Canada. The entity establishes a presence in the North American country, one of the global centers of innovation, through a support hub for the internationalization of technology companies from the Brazilian and Canadian ecosystems.

The opening ceremony of ACATE’s branch in Canada was celebrated last Friday (21st) in Kitchener, with the presence of authorities: Catherine Fife, member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament, Scott Davey, councilor of Kitchener, Sriram Raman, public affairs advisor for Kitchener’s Economic Development, Alexandre Piana Lemos, Consul General of Brazil in Toronto, Cristina Hori, commercial commissioner of the Canadian Consulate, and representatives of local organizations.

Henrique Bilbao, ACATE’s Vice President of Internationalization, leads the Association’s presence in Canada and highlights that the international hub consolidates ACATE’s role as a global reference. “A few years ago, we chose Canada as the bridge to connect Santa Catarina’s technology businesses abroad. This choice forged partnerships and has evolved to the point where today we are celebrating a historic milestone of expanding opportunities for both Brazilian companies looking to internationalize and for foreigners wishing to invest and create links with Brazil and Santa Catarina.”

The ACATE international hub, a project launched in August 2023 during the Startup Summit in Florianópolis, opens the opportunity for companies based in Canada, whether they are from the country or Brazilian companies in the process of internationalization, to become part of ACATE. This association will provide access to startup development programs, connections, and specific initiatives for global expansion.

Among the actions carried out by ACATE for business internationalization are missions to the world’s leading innovation ecosystems, as well as partnerships with hubs and institutions in countries in South and North America, Europe, and Asia. The initiatives are coordinated by the vice-presidency, linked to the Association’s board, and a Thematic Group, which brings together technology entrepreneurs to strengthen businesses on the international stage.

The branch inauguration took place amid an international mission organized by ACATE to the North American country from June 16 to 23. Around 50 people participated in an exclusive tour through three cities, attending major technology and innovation events, as well as visiting large companies, incubators, accelerators, and trade and business institutions connecting Brazil to Canada.

This was ACATE’s second international mission to the North American country, supported by Harpa Global, Global Startup, CherryTrips, and the Secretariat of International Articulation of the Government of Santa Catarina (SAI/SC). The initiative’s partners included Sebrae/SC, BCCC, Conestoga University, Communitech, Accelerator Centre, Catalyst, and Velocity Incubator.

Global Technology and Innovation Events in Canada

The mission promoted by ACATE to Canada had part of its agenda dedicated to events that drive the global technology and innovation economy. Participants were able to attend and network at the annual Collision and Global Startups conferences, held in Toronto.

On July 17, the Global Startups Conference kicked off the mission’s schedule. The event, with the central theme “Navigating Tomorrow: The Trailblazers of New-Age Tech” explored the latest trends and disruptions in the tech industry, from artificial intelligence to blockchain. Additionally, it discussed how innovations are transforming ways of living, working, connecting, and impacting the future.

The event, organized by Global Startups accelerator at the CBC television channel headquarters, featured speeches from investors, entrepreneurs from different segments, journalists, and representatives of local organizations. The main keynote was delivered by John Ruffolo, founder of Maverix Private Equity, who discussed, among other topics, the reasons for starting to undertake or invest in startups.

From July 17 to 20, the Collision Conference was the meeting point for over 40,000 people involved in the technology and innovation sector from more than 130 countries. At the event, participants of ACATE’s mission had access to the business fair, where nearly two thousand startups, 700 investors, and large market companies gather annually.

Within the event, there was also a moment to promote the connection between the ecosystems of Santa Catarina and Canada, addressing entrepreneurship opportunities. On this occasion, ACATE’s Vice President of Internationalization, Henrique Bilbao, presented an overview of the technology sector in Santa Catarina and the Association’s role in business development.

This edition of the Collision Conference featured notable speakers: Maria Sharapova, former tennis player and entrepreneur, Geoffrey Hinton, cognitive psychologist, computer scientist, and professor at the University of Toronto recognized as the “godfather of AI,” and founders and professionals from leading companies and emerging AI startups like Cohere, Waabi, and Imbue.

Trends Highlighted at Collision Conference Included:

• The evolution of AI with an approach based on human reasoning to move from “learning by imitation,” which currently analyzes large data sets, to “learning from its mistakes without human intervention.”
• Integration of platforms with AI without competing with human content creators.
• The need for governments to force companies to conduct safety experiments to avoid AI threats.
• Bootstrapped startups – After a decline in investments, startups develop independently of venture capital funding.
• Criticisms of startups for their AI launches and inequalities compared to large companies in technology development.
• Implementation of health alerts on social networks, both for significantly harmful products and excessive technology use.

This year, it was also announced that the next edition of the event will be in Vancouver under the Web Summit brand. 

Tour Through the Canadian Ecosystem

In addition to participating in events, the mission’s agenda included visits to three Canadian cities: Toronto, Kitchener, and Waterloo, which host relevant players and organizations in Ontario’s economy and innovation ecosystem.

Mission participants landed in Toronto, Canada’s most populous city with over 2.7 million people and the country’s main financial center. One of the visits in the capital of the province was to the Toronto Stock Exchange, considered one of the world’s top ten in market value and controlled by the TMX group. On this occasion, the group members had the opportunity to close the trading session of Canada’s stock market on Tuesday (18).

The following day, the Santa Catarina delegation was hosted at a cocktail party organized by the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce (BCCC), which facilitated connections between the countries by presenting the organizations involved in the mission and companies. Additionally, along with Lakehouse Immigration and Aird Berlis LLP, delegation members learned more about the legal requirements to expand businesses in the country.

Another agenda in Toronto included a visit to MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation center, with an ecosystem comprising over 1,200 companies. MaRS supports startups, promotes community impact through sustainable and inclusive growth, and supports a new economy. The hub’s mission is reinforced by its activities as a charitable institution. The innovation center’s buildings, now housing over 120 residents, were constructed on the site where insulin was first used on a diabetic patient.

The mission also included visits to other business support spaces, such as the World Trade Centre Toronto, which provides services focused on international trade. In Kitchener and Waterloo, participants visited the innovation hubs Communitech, Accelerator Centre, and Catalyst, offering opportunities for startup and technology company development with workspaces, access to knowledge, talent, and investments, and connection with the community and other ecosystem players.

The Waterloo and Kitchener region boasts a vibrant ecosystem with the second-highest startup density in the world, second only to Silicon Valley, according to Accelerator Centre data. Additionally, the region’s opportunities attract startups, large companies, and a rapidly growing population.

ACATE’s Thematic Group on Internationalization

To learn more about internationalization opportunities for Canada and other countries in Europe, South America, North America, and Asia, join ACATE’s Internationalization GT. The group contributes to strengthening Santa Catarina’s technology companies on the global stage, fostering the exchange of best practices and knowledge on the international expansion process.

Discover more about ACATE Canada and join us on LinkedIn.