Grupo Gaia

What Grupo Gaia does

Grupo Gaia is a Brazilian impact-investment group headquartered in São Paulo, founded in 2009 by João Paulo Pacifico. Following a 2022 restructuring in which the founder sold the traditional securitization business (Planeta Sec) and donated the company to a nonprofit foundation, Grupo Gaia operates today as a three-divisional NGO structure: Gaia+ (education NGO delivering socio-emotional learning and the See Learning methodology to 8,000+ public school teachers and 160,000+ students), Gaia Impacto (the operating company that structures and places agricultural credit certificates — CRA — and real estate credit certificates — CRI), and Gaia Legado (endowment/heritage fund management, anchored by the Gaia+Bele "Double Impact" fund that links investment returns to donations).

The core technology is impact-investment financial engineering rather than software: Gaia Impacto structures CRA instruments that securitize receivables from MST-affiliated family farming cooperatives (cocoa, dairy, organic rice) and social-housing retrofits, distributing them via a proprietary investment portal and the Bloxs third-party platform to individual impact investors. Underlying capabilities include regulatory structuring with legal partners (TozziniFreire, PLKC), co-funding relationships with BNDES, Fundação Rabobank, and FAMA Investimentos, and impact-monitoring via Power BI dashboards. The "Patrimonial Fund of Double Impact" endowment architecture combines donations with investment returns in a single fund — a novel mechanism in the Brazilian market.

Go-to-market is hybrid: sales-led via the investment portal and email-driven investor notifications; community-led through deep integration with MST and the Sistema B ecosystem; and event-driven through media presence and impact-investing conferences. Disclosed deal volumes include R$10 million for COOPEROESTE (raised in 24 hours), R$10.5 million for CRA Tabôa 2 (900 cocoa producers), R$3.17 million for RS flood reconstruction, and R$17.5 million cumulative across MST cooperative rounds — generating transaction/structuring fees for Gaia Impacto and recurring management fees for Gaia Legado. Quantified social outcomes include 40% average income growth among cocoa producers (44% for women) and 95% lifecycle-impact reduction in retrofitted social housing versus new construction.

Name

Grupo Gaia

Legal name

Grupo Gaia

Website

https://grupogaia.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grupo Gaia is a Brazilian impact-investment group that structures agricultural (CRA) and real estate (CRI) credit certificates for family farming cooperatives and social-housing projects, distributed to individual impact investors through its Gaia Impacto platform and operated alongside education NGO Gaia+ and endowment-fund manager Gaia Legado.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Impact Investment Services (Sustainable Finance / Socially Responsible Investing)

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Values-Based/ESG & Impact-Focused RIAs (FSAAACAK)

Keywords

• Impact investment structuring
• Agricultural credit certificates
• Real estate securities
• Endowment fund management
• Sustainable family farming finance

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Credit Certificates (CRA): Gaia structures and places CRA (Certificado de Recebíveis Agrícolas) instruments for agricultural cooperatives and family farmers. Revenue derived from structuring fees and potentially management fees on the instruments.
2. Real Estate Credit Certificates (CRI): Structured credit instruments for urban regeneration and social housing projects, generating fees from structuring and placement.
3. Endowment Fund Management (Gaia Legado): Management fees from operating endowment funds (Fundos Patrimoniais) that manage donations and investments for long-term social impact. Includes Gaia+Bele and other named funds.
4. NGO Programs and Donations: Gaia+ operates as an NGO receiving donations and grants to fund education programs for children and teachers in public schools. Promoted See Learning methodology reaching 8,000+ teachers.
5. Strategic Investment Participation: Gaia takes equity stakes in startups aligned with its mission, such as Uma Penca (print-on-demand platform), providing strategic governance participation alongside capital deployment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grupo Gaia is a Brazilian impact investment group that structures and places agricultural credit certificates (CRA) and real estate credit certificates (CRI) to channel private capital toward family farming cooperatives, sustainable agriculture (cocoa, rice, dairy), and urban regeneration projects. It operates three interconnected entities: Gaia Impacto (financial structuring of impact investments), Gaia Legado (endowment/patrimonial fund management with a "Double Impact" model combining donations with investments), and Gaia+ (education NGO delivering See Learning socio-emotional programs to public school teachers and vulnerable children). Revenue is generated through structuring and management fees on the financial instruments it issues and distributes to individual and institutional investors.

Product overview

Grupo Gaia is a Brazilian impact investment group operating across three main divisions: Gaia+ (education NGO), Gaia Impacto (impact investment company), and Gaia Legado (heritage fund management). The Gaia Impacto division structures investment products including CRA (Agricultural Credit Notes) for family farming cooperatives and CRI (Real Estate Credit Notes) for urban regeneration. Gaia Legado offers 'Double Impact' endowment funds that combine donations with impact investments. Gaia+ operates as an education NGO providing socio-emotional learning programs. The company operates under a 'compassionate investment' philosophy, seeking balance between risk, return, and positive social/environmental impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gaia+Bele: Patrimonial endowment fund that invests in Gaia Impacto projects and donates to Gaia+ NGO
• Fundo Agricultura Familiar Rio Grande do Sul
• Fundo Patrimonial Joaquim Rosa Cambraia

Products and services

• CRA Cooperativas MST Series Series of Agricultural Credit Notes (CRA) providing working capital and production credit to family farming cooperatives (organic rice, dairy, cocoa, mixed agriculture) affiliated with MST. Investors subscribe to each issuance and cooperatives receive credit bundled with technical assistance; across 9+ rounds, Gaia has placed over R$17.5 million with cooperatives such as COOPEROESTE, COANA, COAPAR, COPERAV, Coopan, and others.
• CRA Tabôa (Sustainable Cocoa) Agricultural Credit Note financing sustainable cabruca cocoa production in Southern Bahia and Pará, structured with technical assistance from Tabôa NGO, BNDES, Instituto Arapyau, Instituto Humanize, Solidaridad, and Fundação Rabobank. CRA Tabôa I financed 184 producers with 40% average income growth; CRA Tabôa II raised R$10.5 million for 900 producers across Bahia and Pará, preserving 3,000 hectares of forest.
• CRI Centro SP 8 (Tebas Building Social Housing Retrofit) Real Estate Credit Note (CRI) financing the low environmental-impact retrofit of an underutilized historic building in São Paulo's center (Tebas Building) into mixed-use space with restaurant and housing. The CRI funds Somauma's retrofit approach that reduces environmental impacts by approximately 95% compared to demolition and new construction, in partnership with Artemísia.
• Gaia+Bele Endowment Fund (Patrimonial Fund of Double Impact) The first Double Impact endowment fund managed by Gaia Legado. The fund invests in Gaia Impacto impact projects while simultaneously donating a portion to Gaia+ NGO, enabling causes to receive capital both from donations and investment returns. Founded in 2022 as part of the restructuring of Grupo Gaia into an NGO structure.
• See Learning Teacher Training and Socio-Emotional Education Program (Gaia+) Education program delivered by the Gaia+ NGO that trains public school teachers nationwide in socio-emotional and ethical learning (See Learning methodology) and provides Social and Emotional Assistance to 80 children in vulnerability in Piracicaba. Program has impacted 160,000+ students and 8,000+ teachers. Targets Brazilian public school teachers and vulnerable children via the Gaia+ Piracicaba headquarters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% average income growth for 184 cocoa producers in first year of CRA Tabôa I
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Din4mocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded affordable housing project with Gaia and MagikJC. Marco Gorini (Co-founder) serves on Gaia's partner council. Collaboration on social housing investment products and urban regeneration projects.
• Tabôa NGOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for sustainable cocoa production in Bahia. Tabôa provides technical assistance to 184+ cocoa producers who receive credit through Gaia's CRA instruments. Roberto Vilela (CEO Tabôa) on Gaia partner council.
• MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaia has structured over R$17.5 million across 9 rounds of CRA for MST cooperatives (COOPEROESTE, COANA, COAPAR, COPERAV, Coopan, and others). Long-term partnership enabling agricultural reform beneficiaries to access credit.
• Instituto ArapyaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-investor and strategic partner in Tabôa CRA operations for sustainable cocoa in Bahia. Contributing to sociobioeconomy development in the region.
• Instituto HumanizecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in Tabôa CRA operations, supporting social and environmental impact measurement alongside Gaia's financial structuring.
• TozziniFreire AdvogadossupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner providing pro-bono or reduced-fee legal support for CRA structuring, ensuring regulatory compliance for agricultural credit instruments.
• SolidaridadsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational civil society organization partner in CRA Tabôa 2, supporting sustainable supply chain development and producer organization.
• Sistema B BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarcel Fukayama (Co-founder Sistema B Brasil) on Gaia partner council. Sistema B provides B Corp certification and ecosystem connections for impact businesses.
• ArtemísiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Certificate of Receivables (CRI) for impact sector with Artemísia. Priscila Martins (Co-Executive Director) on Gaia partner council, collaborating on innovative financial instruments.
• BloxssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInvestment platform partner for distributing CRA Cooperativas MST 9 to retail investors. Enables broader investor base access to agricultural cooperative credit instruments.
• PLKC AdvogadossupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner for Joaquim Rosa Cambraia Fund, supporting land transformation from soybean/cattle monoculture to family farmer settlement with agroecological production.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Sitawi Finanças do Bem: Sitawi is a Brazilian social impact finance organization that structures and places impact financial instruments and advises social enterprises, with overlapping activity to Gaia's CRA/CRI structuring and impact monitoring offerings.
• MOV Investimentos: MOV Investimentos is a Brazilian ESG and impact-focused asset manager offering impact funds to individuals and institutions, directly comparable to Gaia Impacto's distribution-led model for retail impact investors through proprietary platforms.
• Vox Capital: Vox Capital is one of the pioneering Brazilian impact investment managers, deploying venture and growth capital into social and environmental enterprises, with a comparable values-based, ESG-focused RIA model serving Gaia's institutional impact investor base.
• FAMA Investimentos: FAMA Investimentos is a Brazilian independent wealth manager with strong ESG and impact investment capabilities that co-created the FamaGaia Sociobioeconomia Fund with Grupo Gaia, making it both a peer and a strategic distribution partner.

Broad incumbents

• Pátria Investimentos: Pátria is the largest alternative asset manager in Latin America with significant ESG and impact mandates, serving as a broad incumbent that competes for institutional impact capital against Gaia's specialist offerings.
• Banco BNP Paribas Brasil: BNP Paribas Brasil operates a large ESG and sustainable finance franchise including sustainable CRAs in agribusiness, comparable to Gaia Impacto's agricultural credit certificate model but at much larger institutional scale.
• Banco do Brasil (BB) - Agricultural Credit Unit: Banco do Brasil is Brazil's largest agricultural lender through its Agronegócio unit, providing traditional agricultural credit to family farmers that Gaia complements, but at vastly larger scale and with no impact-return overlay.

Regional players

• SP Ventures: SP Ventures is a Brazilian agtech and agribusiness-focused venture capital firm; while focused on equity rather than credit, it overlaps with Gaia in deploying capital into sustainable agricultural value chains in Brazil.

Others

• Anbima (Brazilian Capital Markets Association): Anbima is the Brazilian capital markets industry association that regulates and certifies CRAs and CRIs, providing the regulatory backbone and distribution infrastructure Gaia Impacto relies on to issue its agricultural and real estate credit certificates.

Emerging players

• Bloxs (investment platform): Bloxs is a Brazilian fixed-income investment platform that distributes structured credit instruments including CRAs to retail investors, functioning as a distribution channel and indirect competitor to Gaia Impacto's direct investor portal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=LMxkRO1zi6g
• Instagraminstagram.com/ogrupogaia
• Facebookfacebook.com/ogrupogaia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Grupo Gaia