Instituto Acorde

What Instituto Acorde does

Instituto Acorde is a Brazilian non-profit civil society organization (Organização da Sociedade Civil sem fins lucrativos) founded in 1988 in São Carlos, São Paulo, originally registered as Associação de Capacitação, Orientação e Desenvolvimento do Excepcional (ACORDE). The organization provides a multidisciplinary continuum of services for children, adolescents, and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism, including specialized education, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social assistance, vocational training, and family support. Services are delivered through owned physical infrastructure: a headquarters on Victorio Bonucci, a therapy center (CAT – Centro de Assistências e Terapias) on Rua José Luiz Olaio, two inclusive residences, and one therapeutic residence, enabling a 24/7 residential and outpatient care model. The organization reports 605 directly served beneficiaries and 23,041 total attendances across 12 service lines, with 850+ families reached per its 2025 anniversary report.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than commercial. There are no beneficiary fees; revenue streams include individual donations (online portal, PIX, recurring contributions), corporate CSR programs (most prominently Volkswagen's "Uma Hora para o Futuro," active 13+ years, and Havan's "Troco Solidário"), and a partnership with the Prefeitura de São Carlos for institutional support. Smaller recurring partners include SESC Mesa Brasil (food), Bella Capri (campaign donations over 11 years), Wizard (inclusion initiatives), and IFSP São Carlos (student engagement). Technology plays a supporting role: the website (institutoacorde.org.br) hosts a 91+ page educational blog, digital donations are processed through doe.institutoacorde.org.br, and the Handtalk partnership provides assistive communication tooling for accessibility. There is no software product, no API, and no mobile app.

Go-to-market is community-led: beneficiaries are reached via word-of-mouth, referrals, partnerships with local government and schools, and active organic social media on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The organization is currently executing a physical expansion (Nova ACORDE, announced August 2021) financed by a dedicated "Crescimento e Expansão" fundraising campaign intended to consolidate services and eliminate the existing waiting list. Leadership is provided by President Alexandre Matias and Executive Manager Nice Amato. As of 2025 the combined collaborator and volunteer headcount stands at 72.

Name

Instituto Acorde

Legal name

ACORDE - Associação de Capacitação, Orientação e Desenvolvimento do Excepcional

Website

https://institutoacorde.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Instituto Acorde is a São Carlos, Brazil-based non-profit founded in 1988 that delivers specialized education, therapy, residential care, and family support to 605+ beneficiaries with intellectual disabilities and autism, funded by donations, corporate CSR programs, and municipal partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Special Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Technology (AT) & AAC Services (EDAJAKAF), Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Disability support services
• Autism therapeutic care
• Inclusive residential care
• Vocational training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

São Carlos

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Receives donations from individuals through online platforms, PIX transfers, and recurring monthly contributions. Donors can contribute via the organization's website donation portal.
2. Corporate Donations and CSR Programs: Corporate partners and companies support through social responsibility programs. Examples include Volkswagen's 'Uma Hora para o Futuro' program and Havan's 'Troco Solidário' campaign.
3. Government Partnerships: Works with municipal government of São Carlos for operational support and funding through public social service agreements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Instituto Acorde is a nonprofit civil society organization that provides specialized education, therapeutic services (speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy), inclusive and therapeutic residential care, autonomy workshops, vocational training, and family support to children, youth, and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism in São Carlos, Brazil. Services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries and funded through donations, corporate social responsibility programs, and municipal government partnerships.

Product overview

Instituto Acorde is a non-profit civil society organization (Organização da Sociedade Civil sem fins lucrativos) founded in 1988, providing an integrated portfolio of services for people with intellectual disabilities and autism. The organization operates a specialized school, two inclusive residences, one therapeutic residence, and a therapy center (CAT), offering health services (speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy), educational programs, autonomy workshops, vocational training, family support, and an educational blog. The organization serves over 850 families in São Carlos, SP, with a team of multidisciplinary professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Educação Especializada (Specialized Education) Specialized school providing education for children, youth, and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism, including literacy programs for adults. Delivered at Instituto Acorde's headquarters in São Carlos, Brazil, for beneficiaries enrolled through the organization.
• Residências Inclusivas (Inclusive Residences) Two inclusive residences providing housing and 24/7 support for young people and adults with disabilities, promoting autonomy and independent living. Offered to enrolled beneficiaries and their families in São Carlos.
• Residência Terapêutica (Therapeutic Residence) Therapeutic residence providing specialized care and support services for individuals with intellectual disabilities requiring intensive therapeutic support.
• Serviços de Saúde (Fonoaudiologia, Terapia Ocupacional, Fisioterapia) Health services including speech-language pathology (fonoaudiologia), occupational therapy (terapia ocupacional), and physical therapy (fisioterapia) to support the development and autonomy of beneficiaries with intellectual disabilities and autism.
• Oficinas de Autonomia e Inserção Profissional (Autonomy Workshops and Vocational Training) Autonomy workshops and vocational training programs that prepare individuals with disabilities for the labor market through skills development and work insertion pathways.
• CAT – Centro de Assistências e Terapias (Center for Assistance and Therapies) Therapy center located at Rua José Luiz Olaio, 290, Jd. Ricetti, São Carlos, providing therapeutic services for beneficiaries of Instituto Acorde and additional community assistance programs.
• Apoio e Suporte às Famílias (Family Support Services) Family support services providing guidance, assistance, and resources to families and caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism, including support to more than 850 families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 605 beneficiaries directly served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prefeitura de São CarloscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partnership providing institutional support and collaboration for social programs serving people with disabilities in São Carlos.
• SESC Mesa BrasilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood donation program partnership helping to source food supplies for beneficiaries.
• WizardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnglish language school partner supporting inclusion initiatives.
• Bella CapriminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRestaurant contributing to the 'Bella Ajuda' campaign, having donated over 220 pizzas and completing 11 years of partnership supporting the institution.
• IFSP São CarlosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Institute of Education partnership through student extension activities, bringing engineering students for technical visits and promoting social awareness.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Handtalk: Brazilian assistive technology startup providing sign language translation and AAC solutions. Listed as a partner of Instituto Acorde and directly relevant as an enabler of the accessibility and communication services Acorde delivers to beneficiaries.

Direct peers

• AMA (Associação de Amigos do Autista): Brazilian nonprofit focused specifically on autism spectrum disorder, offering diagnosis, therapy, education, and family support. Highly comparable to a core segment of Instituto Acorde's beneficiary population (individuals with TEA) and similar service architecture.
• Associação Pestalozzi de São Carlos: Local São Carlos nonprofit serving people with intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities through education, therapy, and social assistance. Most direct local competitor to Instituto Acorde, offering a similar integrated service model in the same city.

Emerging players

• Fundação Dorina Nowill: Brazilian nonprofit serving people with visual impairment, providing educational, rehabilitation, and assistive technology services. Comparable in operating a specialized education + assistive technology model and reliance on donations, but focused on a different disability segment.
• Instituto PENSI: Brazilian pediatric research and education nonprofit focused on child development and special needs. Comparable in child-development focus and educational content production, but oriented to research and clinical knowledge dissemination rather than direct service delivery.
• Instituto Olga Kos de Inclusão Cultural: São Paulo-based nonprofit focused on cultural and social inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities. Comparable in promoting autonomy and inclusion, but more concentrated on cultural programming rather than the full multidisciplinary service stack of Acorde.

Broad incumbents

• Instituto Jô Clemente: São Paulo-based nonprofit dedicated to people with intellectual disabilities, providing health diagnostics, education, and social inclusion services. Comparable mission and service mix to Instituto Acorde, including assistive technology and family support, but at a larger metro scale.
• APAE Brasil (Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais): National federation of nonprofit associations serving people with intellectual disabilities across Brazil. Directly comparable to Instituto Acorde in mission (specialized education and inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities), but operates at a vastly larger, federated scale covering thousands of municipalities.
• AACD (Associação de Assistência à Criança Deficiente): Large Brazilian nonprofit providing rehabilitation, orthopedic, and educational services to people with physical and intellectual disabilities. Comparable in offering multidisciplinary therapy and educational services, but operates at significantly greater scale with hospital-grade infrastructure.

Regional players

• Clínica Reviver: Brazilian therapy and rehabilitation clinics serving children with developmental disabilities, including autism. Comparable in offering multidisciplinary therapy (speech, occupational, physical) services, but operates as a private clinical model rather than a donation-funded nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuxT0kmy2ythCleeTcB6_pw
• Facebookfacebook.com/institutoacorde
• Instagraminstagram.com/institutoacorde
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institutoacorde

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Instituto Acorde