ADE SAMPA

What ADE SAMPA does

ADE SAMPA (Agência São Paulo de Desenvolvimento) is a municipal autarquia of the City of São Paulo, established by Lei Municipal 15.838/2013 and operating under the Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Trabalho (SMDET). The agency delivers free entrepreneurship support services to individual microentrepreneurs (MEI), nascent entrepreneurs, peripheral-neighborhood businesses, and technology startups through approximately 50 service points distributed across São Paulo, supplemented by five TEIA collaborative workspaces in peripheral zones (Taipas, Parelheiros, Centro, Santo Amaro, and Cidade Tiradentes). Its service portfolio spans business formalization assistance, free entrepreneurship training (Fábrica de Negócios), technology startup acceleration (VAI TEC, currently in its 11th edition, providing R$45–50k grants to up to 25 businesses per cycle, with 300+ startups accelerated cumulatively), green-tech incubation (Green Sampa/Hub Green Sampa with 19 startups), coworking and audiovisual production infrastructure (TEIA, Sampa Cast, Sampa Estúdio), and specialized support for the games industry (HUB Sampa Games). Underlying technology includes the Gestão Sampa free business management SaaS platform, the Observatório MEI data dashboard aggregating microentrepreneur statistics by geography and CNAE, the SAADE spatial data analysis system, and urban-tech infrastructure under the Smart Sampa initiative (IoT sensors, robotics, drones, and a city intelligence center at Palácio dos Correios).

The agency's business model is non-commercial: ADE SAMPA is funded through the São Paulo municipal treasury and provides all services free of charge to entrepreneurs. Revenue derives from public policy execution and government budget allocation rather than user fees or commercial sales. Distribution combines physical service points, online scheduling (app.adesampa.com.br), partner referral channels (SEBRAE-SP, Banco do Povo, SMDET), and digital tools (Mercado Azul marketplace, Negocia Sampa/BEC public procurement access, NFSe issuance guides). Microcredit is intermediated through partnerships with Banco do Povo and guarantees from Sociedade Garantidora de Crédito (SGC) under the PMAE regulatory framework established by Lei Municipal 18.064/2023. Customer segments are diverse and long-tail, spanning MEI microentrepreneurs, SMBs in food service, agriculture, cultural production, and technology, with no individual paying customer concentration; the structural counterpart is high concentration of funding dependency on a single municipal government sponsor.

Name

ADE SAMPA

Legal name

Agência São Paulo de Desenvolvimento

Website

https://adesampa.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ADE SAMPA is the São Paulo municipal development agency providing free entrepreneurship support services, including business formalization, training, coworking, tech acceleration grants, and microcredit access, to microentrepreneurs and startups across approximately 50 service points citywide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: Funded by municipal government budget as a public development agency. Services are provided free of charge to entrepreneurs.
2. Public Policy Execution: Implements public policies for entrepreneurship development, economic diversification, and local development funded through municipal treasury.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ADE SAMPA is a municipal development agency that delivers free entrepreneurship support services to micro and small entrepreneurs in São Paulo. Core offerings include personalized business counseling and MEI formalization at 50+ service points, the VAI TEC technology startup acceleration program (R$45,000–50,000 grants), Green Sampa sustainability startup hub, TEIA coworking spaces in peripheral neighborhoods, Fábrica de Negócios training courses, and the Gestão Sampa free business management platform. Services are funded by the São Paulo municipal budget and delivered free of charge.

Product overview

ADE SAMPA (Agência São Paulo de Desenvolvimento) is a municipal development agency of the City of São Paulo operating a portfolio of interconnected programs and spaces supporting microentrepreneurs, small businesses, and innovative startups. The core offerings include VAI TEC (technology business acceleration with financial contribution and mentorship), Green Sampa (green technology hub and acceleration), TEIA (collaborative coworking spaces in peripheral neighborhoods), Fábrica de Negócios (entrepreneurship management courses), and Sampa Cast/Sampa Estúdio (audiovisual and podcast production studios). Supporting infrastructure includes Gestão Sampa (free business management software), Cred Sampa/PMAE (microcredit and financial products), Ferramentas de Apoio digital tools suite (Mercado Azul, NFSe, BEC integration), Observatório MEI (data dashboard for MEI statistics), and Smart Sampa (urban technology hub with IoT, robotics, and AI at Palácio dos Correios). The HUB Sampa Games provides specialized support for the video game industry. Together these programs form a comprehensive ecosystem from ideation and formalization through acceleration, financing, and market access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TEIA: Collaborative workspace program for entrepreneurs providing office infrastructure, mentorship, and networking opportunities in São Paulo's peripheral neighborhoods.
• VAI TEC
• Sampa Cast
• Gestão Sampa
• Green Sampa
• Fábrica de Negócios
• CredSampa
• Observatório MEI

Products and services

• VAI TEC Acceleration Program
• Green Sampa / Hub Green Sampa
• TEIA Collaborative Workspaces
• Fábrica de Negócios

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ innovative businesses accelerated through VAI TEC program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability12 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• SMDET (Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Trabalho)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMDET is the parent municipal secretariat overseeing ADE SAMPA. The agency implements public policies for entrepreneurship development and economic diversification in coordination with SMDET guidelines and funding.
• SEBRAE-SPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Mercado Azul platform - a business marketplace connecting small businesses with procurement opportunities. ADE SAMPA and SEBRAE-SP work together on public procurement programs.
• FuturizemajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMentoring and acceleration support for Green Sampa program startups. Futurize conducts mentorship sessions and guides sustainable business development.
• Instituto GRÃOSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable waste management startup participating in Green Sampa acceleration, focusing on circular economy and solid waste solutions.
• Hub Green SampamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen innovation hub and business incubator supporting sustainable startups with workspace, mentorship, and market connections for one year.
• Specialists and Mentors NetworkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCredenciamento of specialists from various knowledge areas for future mentorship and consulting roles in ADE SAMPA programs and projects.
• Govtech Portal de Compras PúblicasmajorTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for public procurement platform that tracks and makes government purchasing opportunities from municipal, state, and federal levels available to small businesses.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SEBRAE: Brazil's main national small business support service, providing training, formalization, credit access, and consulting to micro and small entrepreneurs. Closest functional peer to ADE SAMPA, but operates at national scale via SEBRAE-SP rather than municipal mandate.
• Porto Digital: Tech hub and innovation ecosystem in Recife with government backing, supporting tech startups and digital economy. Comparable to ADE SAMPA as a government-anchored tech entrepreneurship support organization, though privately-held rather than municipal agency.
• NYC Department of Small Business Services: New York City's municipal agency providing free services to small businesses including training, financing access, and regulatory navigation. Closest international functional analog to ADE SAMPA's municipal mandate for entrepreneur support.
• InovAtiva Brasil: Brazilian federal startup acceleration program connecting early-stage companies with mentors, investors, and corporates. Comparable to ADE SAMPA's VAI TEC program in providing structured acceleration to startups.

Broad incumbents

• BNDES: Brazilian National Development Bank, financing infrastructure, industry, and innovation. Not a direct entrepreneur-services peer, but comparable as a public-sector development finance institution whose mandate overlaps with economic development objectives.
• Finep: Federal innovation financing agency supporting startups, R&D, and tech-based businesses in Brazil. Comparable to ADE SAMPA in supporting innovation ecosystems but at federal scale and focused on capital deployment rather than service delivery.

Others

• FAPESP: São Paulo Research Foundation, a major public funder of research and innovation in São Paulo state. Adjacent peer in São Paulo's innovation ecosystem, supporting academic and applied research rather than direct entrepreneur services.

Regional players

• Agência Curitiba de Desenvolvimento: Municipal economic development agency of Curitiba serving a similar role to ADE SAMPA in a different Brazilian city. Directly comparable in function (municipal entrepreneur support) but operates in a separate geography without direct competition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/adesampa
• Facebookfacebook.com/adesampaoficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adesampa
• Instagraminstagram.com/adesampa/?hl=pt-br
• TikToktiktok.com/@adesampa
• Xx.com/adesampa_sp

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ADE SAMPA