Inaitec

What Inaitec does

Inaitec (Instituto de Apoio à Inovação, Incubação e Tecnologia) is a private non-profit innovation institute founded in 2010 and headquartered in Palhoça, Santa Catarina, Brazil, within the Pedra Branca Technology Park — described as the first smart city in Brazil and the first City Lab in Latin America. The organization operates as a technology hub and startup incubator, delivering a structured entrepreneur journey that moves from acceleration (Acelera Pedra Branca) to incubation (Programa de Incubação) to internationalization (PEIEX, Globaliza INAITEC, Softlanding, international missions to Silicon Valley, Barcelona, and Dubai), supplemented by talent and employment services (Banco de Talentos, Emprega Palhoça) and an ideation platform (Hub de Ideias). Co-founded by Pedra Branca Empreendimentos Imobiliários, the Municipal Government of Palhoça, ACIP, UNISUL, and SEBRAE-SC, Inaitec provides physical coworking infrastructure, mentorship, investor introductions, and stacked technology partnerships (IBM Cloud credits up to $120,000, HubSpot discounts up to 90%, Zendesk, Zoho, Miro, Carta), using the Pedra Branca urban environment as a real-world testing laboratory for smart-city products and services.

The institute's business model is non-commercial: programs are offered free of charge or subsidized to incubated companies, with operations funded through a mix of public grants (FAPESC, ApexBrasil, municipal government), founding-partner contributions (UNISUL, ACIP, SEBRAE-SC), and in-kind corporate sponsorships. Inaitec has supported over 500 companies since 2010, with cumulative ecosystem impact of R$2.5 billion in revenue, 8,000+ jobs, and 2,380 active CNPJs, plus an international footprint spanning 24 Brazilian states and 3 continents through portfolio startups. Portfolio alumni include Zedia (AI for media/TV reaching 25 million people monthly), Oktopus (IoT for ISPs across 3 continents), Blue World (water sustainability for Burger King operator ZAMP), dualBASE (2025 Global Hydromet Excellence Awards winner), and VHL Sistemas (acquired by Canadian Valsoft). The organization runs a 6-person core team and is governed by an executive director (Diego Chierighini), an operations director (Tamiko Yamada), and a president (Marcelo Gomes).

Name

Inaitec

Legal name

Instituto de Apoio à Inovação, Incubação e Tecnologia

Website

https://inaitec.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Inaitec is a Brazilian non-profit innovation institute founded in 2010 that runs startup incubation, acceleration, and internationalization programs within the Pedra Branca smart city in Palhoça, Santa Catarina, supporting early-stage technology companies with infrastructure, mentorship, and global market access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation and Innovation Hub Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Business acceleration programs
• Technology innovation hub
• Smart city development
• Export qualification programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Palhoça

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Non-profit Institute Operations: INAITEC is a private non-profit entity (entidade de natureza privada sem fins lucrativos) that operates through partnerships with government, universities, and private companies to support innovation and entrepreneurship without generating direct revenue from incubated companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Inaitec is a private non-profit innovation institute that operates as a business incubator and technology park manager within the Pedra Branca smart city in Palhoça, Santa Catarina, Brazil. It provides startup incubation, acceleration programs (Acelera Pedra Branca), internationalization services (PEIEX, Globaliza INAITEC, international missions to Dubai, Silicon Valley, and Barcelona), and access to a real-world smart city testing environment for early-stage companies. Services are offered free or subsidized through public-private partnerships.

Product overview

Inaitec is an innovation hub and technology park (Instituto de Apoio à Inovação, Incubação e Tecnologia) that operates as a comprehensive ecosystem for startups and innovative companies. The portfolio consists of acceleration programs (Acelera Pedra Branca), incubation services (Programa de Incubação), internationalization initiatives (PEIEX, Globaliza INAITEC, softlanding program), talent solutions (Banco de Talentos, Emprega Palhoça), ideation platforms (Hub de Ideias), and international missions (Dubai, Silicon Valley, Barcelona). The hub connects technology, innovation, and infrastructure to promote the development of cities and innovative businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Acelera Pedra Branca: Startup acceleration program focused on businesses developing products and services for smart cities.
• Hub de Ideias
• Emprega Palhoça
• Globaliza INAITEC

Products and services

• Acelera Pedra Branca Startup acceleration program offering mentorship, coworking space, networking, capital access, and infrastructure for early-stage companies over a 3-month intensive period, with access to a R$5 million investment fund for qualifying startups.
• Programa de Incubação (Incubation Program) Business incubation program providing physical infrastructure (coworking spaces, meeting rooms, auditoriums), operational and managerial support for startups to develop and validate their products and services within the Pedra Branca smart city.
• PEIEX (Programa de Qualificação para Exportação) Export qualification program in partnership with ApexBrasil that prepares companies for international markets through diagnostics, training, and export planning.
• Emprega Palhoça Employment platform connecting job opportunities with professionals in the Palhoça region.
• Hub de Ideias Channel for researchers, entrepreneurs, and startups to contribute business proposals that drive innovation for cities.
• Missão Internacional Barcelona International mission program connecting companies with the European innovation ecosystem in Barcelona, including visits to 22@ district, SmartCity Expo, and DFactory.
• Missão Internacional Vale do Silício International mission program providing immersion in the world's largest innovation ecosystem in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Missão Internacional Dubai International mission connecting startups with global innovation markets, including participation in GITEX and Expand North Star events.
• Banco de Talentos Talent database connecting qualified professionals with companies seeking candidates aligned with their culture and business objectives.
• Programa Softlanding 5-month program for foreign startups seeking to explore the Brazilian market, offering customer access, market support, workshops, cultural immersion, and investor connections.
• Globaliza INAITEC Internationalization program providing diagnosis, training, consulting, and access to international business networks for export preparation.
• Impulse INAITEC Startup support program providing technical, strategic, and structural assistance for business development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Startups mentored achieved over R$100 million in accumulated revenue
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 22@ Barcelona HubminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Catalan innovation hub partnership for knowledge exchange and European market connection as part of Barcelona international mission program.
• Prefeitura Municipal de PalhoçacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Municipal government of Palhoça, one of the founding partners of INAITEC. Provides institutional support and policy framework for innovation initiatives.
• Pedra Branca Empreendimentos ImobiliárioscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Real estate developer of the Pedra Branca smart city project, co-founder of INAITEC and provider of the physical location for the technology park.
• UNISUL (Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010University that initiated the Pedra Branca project in 1998 and remains a key academic partner providing research collaboration and talent pipeline.
• ACIP (Associação Comercial Industrial de Palhoça)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Commercial and industrial association of Palhoça, founding partner providing business network access and commercial expertise.
• Sebrae-SCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Sebrae Santa Catarina, responsible for designing the business plan for INAITEC and providing ongoing support for small business development.
• ApexBrasil (Agência Brasileira de Promoção de Exportações e Investimentos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the PEIEX program (Export Qualification Program) and international missions including GITEX Dubai and other export-focused initiatives.
• Anchor Companies (American Burrs, dualBASE, Flex, Betha Sistemas, Olsen, Impact Hub, First S.A, H. Strattner)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLarge companies located near INAITEC providing potential partnership, mentorship, and business opportunities for incubated startups.
• General AssemblyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partner for technology and business skills training supporting startup development and internationalization efforts.
• Asociación ConectaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish association partner for international business connections and European market access facilitation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inaitec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Inaitec