Fiquem Sabendo

What Fiquem Sabendo does

Fiquem Sabendo is a Brazilian nonprofit organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in São Paulo, dedicated to reducing the information asymmetry between society and the Brazilian State. Its work is organized around four axes: Journalism, Advocacy, Education, and Civic Technology. The organization files Access to Information Law (LAI) requests on behalf of journalists and citizens, advocates for stronger transparency legislation, delivers training programs that have reached 3,000+ journalists and citizens across all 27 Brazilian states, and operates a portfolio of civic technology platforms including WikiLAI (an online encyclopedia with 100+ entries on LAI procedures), Agenda Transparente (a federal executive agenda monitoring platform developed through Google News Initiative acceleration), Pensionistas (a pension-data query application), and Queremos Saber (an anonymous LAI request tool maintained with Open Knowledge Brasil). Its investigative projects (Cartão Corporativo, Lobby na Comida, Fiscais do Clima) have generated 1,000+ released databases and been cited in 7,000+ news stories.

The organization's business model is donation- and grant-driven, with all consumer-facing platforms and educational resources provided free of charge. Revenue is assembled from project-based institutional grants (Google News Initiative, US and British Embassies, Fundo Canadá, Ibirapitanga, Serrapilheira, Heinrich Böll, ICFJ/Meta, Internews, Green Accountability, Muckrock, CAF, Instituto Galo da Manhã, Charities Aid Foundation), individual PIX donations (CNPJ 32.344.117/0001-89), and a small services line of paid workshops, courses, and custom reports. Fiquem Sabendo explicitly excludes funding from the Brazilian government, political parties, partisan organizations, and religious institutions as a condition of editorial independence.

Its customer base is distributed and free: 10,000+ professionals in its network (journalists, lawyers, public servants, citizens), 17,000+ newsletter subscribers, 2,000+ media references, and 2,000+ journalists trained through partner programs (notably LAI nas Redações with Abraji). The organization sits on the federal Conselho de Transparência Pública e Combate à Corrupção (CGU), co-leads a coalition of 25+ civil society organizations, and as of October 2024 is a partner in the STF Disinformation Combat Program alongside 117 member organizations. It has received multiple national and international awards, including Sigma Awards finalist recognition in 2021, 2022, and 2024, the Prémio Cláudio Weber Abramo de Jornalismo de Dados, and multiple Prémio Jornalismo-Mosca do Livre.Jor recognitions.

Name

Fiquem Sabendo

Legal name

Fiquem Sabendo

Website

https://fiquemsabendo.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fiquem Sabendo is a Brazilian nonprofit founded in 2018 that files Access to Information Law (LAI) requests, trains journalists and citizens in all 27 states, and operates civic technology platforms (WikiLAI, Agenda Transparente, Queremos Saber) to release public data on government spending, lobbying, pensions, and climate policy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding and Grants: Project-based financing from foundations, institutes, companies, funds and other Brazilian and international organizations. Funding is conditional on total editorial independence.
2. Individual Donations: PIX donations from individual supporters, facilitated through the website. CNPJ: 32.344.117/0001-89
3. Services and Training: Sale of services and products including workshops, courses, and custom reports for organizations and institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fiquem Sabendo is a Brazilian nonprofit organization that facilitates citizens' and journalists' access to public information through Brazil's Access to Information Law (LAI). It operates civic-technology platforms (WikiLAI encyclopedia, Agenda Transparente government agenda monitor, Queremos Saber anonymous request tool, Pensionistas database), produces investigative journalism and a biweekly newsletter with exclusive public data, delivers training programs on information access, and conducts policy advocacy to improve transparency legislation.

Product overview

Fiquem Sabendo is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of transparency tools and civic technology products centered on access to public information in Brazil. The core product suite includes WikiLAI (an encyclopedia/guide for LAI), Agenda Transparente (government agenda monitoring platform), Don't LAI to Me (biweekly newsletter with exclusive data), Pensionistas (pension data application), and Queremos Saber (anonymous information request tool). These are complemented by educational projects like Fiscais do Clima (environmental transparency), Vozes de Impacto (journalist training), LAI para Comunicadores (hyperlocal communicator training), and investigative projects including Cartão Corporativo (government spending exposure) and Lobby na Comida (lobbying monitoring). The organization also provides workshops, courses, and custom training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WikiLAI Online encyclopedia with over 100 entries consolidating knowledge about Brazil's Access to Information Law (LAI), including tutorials, request templates, practical cases, and examples of successful data disclosure. Targeted at journalists, citizens, and public servants seeking to learn how to access public information.
• Agenda Transparente Free platform for monitoring official agendas of Federal Executive authorities, featuring intelligence data on government meetings and lobby activities to identify who influences public policies in Brazil. Targeted at journalists, researchers, and citizens interested in lobbying and government influence.
• Don't LAI to Me Biweekly newsletter distributing exclusive public data and official documents obtained through Access to Information Law requests, with 17,000+ subscribers including journalists and researchers. Targeted at journalists, researchers, and citizens interested in public data.
• Queremos Saber Tool enabling anonymous information requests where users register their request and Fiquem Sabendo files it on their behalf, allowing tracking via a code without providing personal information. Targeted at citizens who fear retaliation when filing LAI requests.
• Pensionistas Application facilitating consultation of government pension data for civil and military servants' dependents, obtained through Fiquem Sabendo's advocacy work. Targeted at journalists, researchers, and citizens interested in government pension transparency.
• Cartão Corporativo (Corporate Card Project) Investigative project that opened the historical series of corporate card spending by former presidents since 2013 and digitized thousands of invoices from the presidential office, used in over 1,200 news stories. Targeted at journalists, researchers, and citizens investigating government spending.
• Lobby na Comida Investigative project analyzing conflicts of interest in the food industry's influence on public policy, using Agenda Transparente to monitor lobbying during tax reform discussions. Targeted at journalists, researchers, and citizens concerned with food policy and lobbying transparency.
• Fiscais do Clima Project strengthening environmental transparency in Brazil by expanding public access to information about financing and policies addressing the climate crisis, combining data journalism, transparency advocacy, and civic education. Targeted at journalists, environmental advocates, community leaders, and citizens.
• LAI nas Redações Training program in partnership with Abraji providing LAI training for journalists, reaching over 2,000 journalists across all 27 Brazilian states. Targeted at professional journalists across all Brazilian states.
• LAI para Comunicadores Training course designed to help hyperlocal communicators use the Access to Information Law, developed in partnership with Abraji with support from the Canada Fund. Targeted at hyperlocal communicators and community journalists.
• Vozes de Impacto Training program that capacitated nearly 300 women communicators and journalists in 2024, with eight scholars receiving financing and mentorship to produce investigations on gender, race, and threats to democracy. Targeted at women communicators and journalists across Brazil.
• Workshops, courses and custom training programs Paid services offering workshops, courses, and custom reports on public information access and transparency for organizations and institutions. Targeted at organizations and institutions seeking training on LAI and transparency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 databases released through LAI requests, leading to 7,000+ news stories
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Abraji (Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for LAI training programs including LAI nas Redações (training 2,000+ journalists) and LAI para Comunicadores (for hyperlocal communicators). Joint advocacy work and co-development of educational materials.
• Open Knowledge BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-maintain the 'Queremos Saber' platform for anonymous LAI requests. Joint work on transparency and open data advocacy.
• InspercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for legal clinics since 2021 analyzing LAI access. Joint report on LGPD impact on LAI requests. Academic collaboration on transparency research.
• Google News InitiativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment of Agenda Transparente platform through GNI acceleration program. 2021 Innovation Challenge winner for journalism sustainability projects.
• Controladoria Geral do Estado de Goiás (CGE-GO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for transparency initiatives and civic education programs in Goiás state.
• International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Accelerating Digital Business program with Meta support. Mentorship programs and community development initiatives.
• InternewscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for LAI training in indigenous territories and Amazon communities. Collaborated on Enraizado na Confiança project for Amazon region.
• MuckrockminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based nonprofit collaboration on information access and records requests. Joint work on Corporate Card project.
• Instituto Vladimir HerzogminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to open historical documents in Brazil, including military documents from the dictatorship period.
• Flora, Matheus e Mangabeira Sociedade de AdvogadosminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal advisory partnership for legal support and counsel.
• Conselho de Transparência Pública e Combate à Corrupção (CGU)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiquem Sabendo holds a seat on this federal advisory council (2-year mandate, renewable) which debates and monitors transparency and anti-corruption policies.
• Fórum Brasileiro de Acesso a Informações PúblicascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 25 civil society organizations working on information access. Fiquem Sabendo leads articulations for right to information.
• Open Government PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for open government and transparency.
• Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in global network for investigative journalism resources and collaboration.
• Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in international media development forum.
• Ajor (Associação de Jornalismo Digital)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in digital journalism association for sector representation.
• Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) - Programa de Combate à DesinformaçãoflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegration into STF's Disinformation Combat Program with 117 member organizations including TSE, Youtube, USP, Intervozes, UNESCO, and OAB Nacional. Focus on democracy protection and reducing disinformation impact.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MuckRock: US-based nonprofit that facilitates public records and FOIA requests. Direct peer because they partner with FS on the Corporate Card project and operate a similar model of providing infrastructure for citizens to file and track information access requests.
• The Intercept Brasil: Brazilian investigative journalism outlet. Direct peer in terms of data-driven accountability reporting, LAI request usage, and serving as a destination outlet that uses government data for high-impact journalism; several team members have published in The Intercept.
• Instituto Vladimir Herzog: Brazilian human rights and press freedom institute. Direct peer because FS partners with them to open historical military documents and they share overlapping audiences around press freedom, transparency, and accountability journalism in Brazil.
• Open Knowledge Brasil: Brazilian nonprofit focused on open data and transparency advocacy. Direct peer because Fiquem Sabendo co-maintains the 'Queremos Saber' platform with them and they operate overlapping missions around LAI access and open government in Brazil.
• Agência Pública: Brazilian investigative journalism nonprofit. Direct peer because it produces similar data-driven accountability reporting, uses LAI requests for investigations, and serves the same audience of journalists and citizens in Brazil.
• Abraji (Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo): Brazilian investigative journalism association. Direct peer because FS partners with Abraji to deliver LAI training to 2,000+ journalists across all 27 states, serving the same audience of investigative reporters and operating in the same accountability journalism space.
• Transparência Internacional Brasil: Brazilian chapter of Transparency International focused on anti-corruption and transparency. Direct peer because it pursues overlapping policy goals in government accountability, even funds Fiquem Sabendo's Corporate Card project, and competes for similar transparency-related grants.

Others

• Open Government Partnership: Multistakeholder initiative promoting government transparency worldwide. Adjacent peer because FS is a member and aligns around open government principles, but OGP is an intergovernmental forum rather than a direct operating peer.

Broad incumbents

• OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project): Global investigative journalism network. Broad incumbent because it operates at much larger scale on cross-border corruption investigations; FS partners with OCCRP for content distribution, indicating overlapping mission but different geographic and operational scope.
• ICFJ (International Center for Journalists): Global journalism development organization. Broad incumbent because it funds and mentors FS through the Meta-backed 'Acelerando Negócios Digitais' program but operates at significantly larger scale across many countries and topics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fiquemsabendo
• Instagraminstagram.com/fiquemsabendo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agenciafiquemsabendo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Fiquem Sabendo