Departamento de Informática PUC-Rio

What Departamento de Informática PUC-Rio does

Departamento de Informática (DI) is the computer science department of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), a private Catholic university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in late 1967 and operating from March 1968, it is among the oldest CS departments in the country and hosts the first master's program in Computer Science/Informatics in Brazil. The department serves three primary customer segments: undergraduate students pursuing degrees in Computer Science (Ciência da Computação) and Computer Engineering (Engenharia de Computação), graduate students pursuing Master's and Doctoral degrees, and practicing professionals enrolling in postgraduate specialization courses, most recently Cybersecurity Compliance.

The department's core technology stack is its physical and academic infrastructure: 13 self-sustainable thematic laboratories, 600+ computers across LAB-DI (faculty research), LAB-GRAD (undergraduate instruction), LAB-POS (graduate research), and additional teaching facilities, plus web hosting services for course pages, academic events, and personal academic pages. Research output is anchored by thematic labs such as TecGraf and ICAD, supported by funding from CNPq, CAPES, FINEP, and FUNTEC, and intermediated by Fundação Padre Leonel Franca (FPLF). Distribution is entirely community-led: the vestibular entrance exam for undergraduates, dedicated application cycles for graduate programs, and extension/specialization courses marketed through PUC-Rio's institutional channels and active social media presence (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube).

The business model is non-commercial academic operations. Revenue comes from undergraduate and graduate tuition, government research grants, and industry technology-transfer projects brokered via FPLF. The department does not generate commercial revenue, and specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. As a department within a private university, DI has no independent ownership structure and no subsidiaries; it does, however, host spin-off companies and a startup incubator presence (Instituto Gênesis). The graduate program received the maximum CAPES grade 7 in the 2021-2024 evaluation, and the department has maintained continuous research output at top-tier venues including ICML 2025 (spotlight) and ICLR 2026.

Name

Departamento de Informática PUC-Rio

Legal name

Departamento de Informática - PUC-Rio (Departamento de Informática da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro)

Website

https://inf.puc-rio.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Departamento de Informática is the computer science department of PUC-Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, founded in 1967, offering undergraduate and graduate programs in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, operating 13 thematic research laboratories, and producing internationally recognized AI research output.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Computer Science

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Information Security, Privacy & IT Governance (CISSP CPE, Privacy CE) (EDAAALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) & Security Management (EDAOAIAG), Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Platforms (BPAEAPAA)

Keywords

• Computer science education
• Graduate research programs
• Technology transfer
• Academic computing labs
• Cybersecurity training

Headquarters

HQ city

Rio de Janeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition fees, as well as specialization and extension course fees.
2. Research Grants: Funding from government agencies including CNPq, CAPES, FINEP, and FUNTEC for research projects and graduate programs.
3. Technology Transfer and Projects: Revenue from technology development projects with industry partners conducted through thematic laboratories, intermediated by Fundação Padre Leonel Franca.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Departamento de Informática PUC-Rio is an academic department of PUC-Rio that delivers undergraduate programs in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, a CAPES Grade 7-rated Master's and Doctorate program in Computer Science, and postgraduate specialization/extension courses (including a new Cybersecurity Compliance program). It sustains research through 13 thematic laboratories (e.g., TecGraf, ICAD) that conduct industry-partnered projects and produce spin-off startups via the Instituto Gênesis incubator.

Product overview

Departamento de Informática PUC-Rio is an academic department offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and research services. The core offerings include undergraduate programs in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, and a CAPES-rated-excellence graduate program (Master's and Doctorate) with note 7. The department operates thematic research laboratories (such as TecGraf and ICAD), teaching infrastructure (LAB-GRAD for undergraduates, LAB-POS for graduates, and LAB-DI for general research), and provides web hosting services for courses, events, and personal pages. A new postgraduate specialization in Cybersecurity Compliance is being launched in 2025. The department also supports technology entrepreneurship through the Instituto Gênesis incubator and hosts academic conferences including the WER Workshop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Graduação em Ciência da Computação (Undergraduate Computer Science Program) Undergraduate program (Bachelor's degree) in Computer Science offered at PUC-Rio, providing comprehensive education in algorithms, programming, data structures, and computing theory for prospective students admitted via the national Vestibular entrance exam.
• Graduação em Engenharia de Computação (Undergraduate Computer Engineering Program) Undergraduate program (Bachelor's degree) in Computer Engineering combining hardware and software disciplines with focus on embedded systems and digital systems design, for prospective students admitted via the Vestibular exam.
• Programa de Pós-Graduação (Master's and Doctorate in Computer Science) Graduate program offering Master's and Doctoral degrees in Computer Science, awarded CAPES Grade 7 (maximum concept) in the 2021-2024 evaluation for national and international excellence. Students pursue research in AI, software engineering, computer graphics, and other computing areas.
• Curso de Pós-graduação em Compliance de Cibersegurança (Cybersecurity Compliance Specialization) Postgraduate specialization course in Cybersecurity Compliance, covering ISO 31000 risk management standards and regulatory frameworks, designed for professionals seeking certification in cybersecurity compliance.
• Laboratórios Temáticos de Pesquisa (Thematic Research Laboratories) 13 self-sustaining research laboratories including ICAD and TecGraf that conduct industry partnership projects in areas like computer graphics and software development, generating technology transfer and spin-off startups.

Quantifiable outcome

• CAPES Grade 7 (maximum) in 2021-2024 evaluation for Graduate Program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• ACM/IFIP/USENIXflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Hosted Middleware 2003, an ACM/IFIP/USENIX International Middleware Conference, demonstrating international academic collaboration in distributed systems research.
• Springer VerlagcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Proceedings of Middleware 2003 conference published online by Springer Verlag, demonstrating international academic publication partnerships.
• Ibero-American Requirements Engineering CommunityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998The WER (Workshop on Requirements Engineering) has been organized since 1998 to consolidate the Ibero-American research community in Requirements Engineering. The workshop is hosted in rotation across different countries and institutions.
• Instituto Gênesis (PUC-Rio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe department participates in the Instituto Gênesis startup incubator, recognized as one of the best in Brazil, facilitating spin-off creation from research projects.
• Fundação Padre Leonel Franca (FPLF)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFPLF serves as a non-profit foundation to intermediary research projects between faculty members, PUC-Rio, and companies, enabling funding flows and project management.
• CNPq, CAPES, FINEPcoreOthersMajor government research funding agencies that support the graduate programs and research projects, providing financial resources for faculty and student research activities.
• Cisco SystemsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCisco Systems was a sponsor for the 1st VoIP Seminar at PUC-Rio (2005), indicating industry partnership in networking and telecommunications education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dipucrio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/dipucrio
• Facebookfacebook.com/dipucrio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dipucrio
• Instagraminstagram.com/dipucrio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Departamento de Informática PUC-Rio