Instituto Update
Instituto Update is a Brazilian women-led non-profit that produces research, training platforms, and transnational networks to strengthen political participation of diverse women across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSão Paulo, Brazil
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Instituto Update does
Instituto Update is a Brazilian women-led nonprofit civil society organization (organização da sociedade civil) founded in 2016, headquartered in São Paulo, with a stated mission to strengthen the political participation of cis and trans, Black, Indigenous, popular, LBTQIA+, and young women in institutional politics across Latin America, the Caribbean, and now Africa. The organization operates as regional democratic infrastructure, producing research, training programs, multimedia content, and convenings for a network of 120+ women's political initiatives spanning 15 countries, as evidenced by the May 2025 Conecta Latinas regional meeting in Recife. Its primary beneficiaries are women leaders and the civil society organizations that support them, with secondary engagement of policymakers and academic researchers.
The organization's product portfolio centers on three interlocking layers: a learning platform (Im.pulsa, originally launched in 2020 and now operating across Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina), a research and data program (+Representatividade electoral studies, Emergência Política mapping of 700+ initiatives in 20 countries, and the 2025 Mulheres em Diálogo research project), and an ecosystem and convening layer (Conecta Latinas as the transnational network, regional events, and the Manifesto de Pernambuco declaration). All content is released under a Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 license. The underlying technology stack is described as an open digital platform with mapping tools, the Midiateca multimedia archive, and online learning infrastructure, with no disclosed AI/ML components. Auxiliary products include the Eleitas audiovisual series (six-country research), Jogo de Cartas podcast (produced with Rádio Novelo and Deezer), Nuestras Cartas web series (with FES-Chile), and the Gabinete de Inovação policy innovation forums.
Instituto Update is funded entirely through institutional grants from foundations including Google.org, Hewlett Foundation, Luminate, Oak Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation, BMW Foundation, Fundação Tide Setubal, the National Endowment for Democracy, and Instituto Clima e Sociedade. All resources, training, and tools are provided free of charge to beneficiaries, with no earned revenue or fee-for-service pricing model. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on newsletters, social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), regional convenings, and partnerships with local organizations including WALPE (Zimbabwe), Nalafem (Kenya), Aúna (Mexico), and FES-Chile for distribution. The organization operates with 13 employees and is led by Executive Director Carol Althaller, with Tania Ramírez serving as Project Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Instituto Update firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Instituto Update
- Legal name
- Instituto Update
- Website
- https://institutoupdate.org.br
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Instituto Update is a Brazilian women-led non-profit that produces research, training platforms, and transnational networks to strengthen political participation of diverse women across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Instituto Update industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civic Engagement and Political Participation Research
- NAICS
- Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electoral Support & Election Observation (BPADAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)
Keywords
Where Instituto Update is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- São Paulo
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Instituto Update business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Institutional Funding: The organization operates primarily through grants and institutional partnerships with foundations and donors. Funders include Google.org, Hewlett Foundation, Luminate, Oak Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and others who support democratic strengthening and women's political participation work.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Instituto Update product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Instituto Update is a women-led nonprofit organization that produces research, multimedia content, political training programs, and network-weaving platforms to strengthen democratic participation and political representation of diverse women (Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, young, cis and trans) across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. Its portfolio includes a free open political-learning platform (Im.pulsa), a transnational network of women leaders (Conecta Latinas), a research series on political representativeness (+Representatividade), and audiovisual productions (Eleitas, Jogo de Cartas, Nuestras Cartas) released under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0.
Product overview
Instituto Update is a women-led organization that acts as a regional platform for political innovation and imagination in the Global South. The organization's portfolio consists of multiple interconnected products and programs: the Conecta Latinas network serves as the overarching platform connecting Black, Indigenous, and LBTIQ+ women across Latin America, Caribbean, and Africa; Im.pulsa provides the technology-enabled political learning platform for diverse women entering institutional politics; +Representatividade is the research and data program investigating representation gaps; Eleitas and related audiovisual products (Jogo de Cartas, Nuestras Cartas) produce multimedia content documenting women's political participation; and the Mapeamento platform provides the interactive mapping infrastructure connecting all initiatives. The organization also runs periodic programs like Gabinete de Inovação and publishes research through Mulheres em Diálogo and Manifesto de Pernambuco. All content is released under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 license.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- +Representatividade: Research series identifying obstacles and opportunities for political representation of marginalized groups in Brazil, investigating non-partisan electoral initiatives, parties, elected officials, civil society leaders, and voters.
- Conecta Latinas
- Im.pulsa
- Mulheres em Diálogo
- Eleitas
- Amefricanas
- Emergência Política
Products and services
- Conecta Latinas Rhizomatic network of Black, Indigenous, and LBTIQ+ women leaders and initiatives committed to deepening democracies in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a bridge to Africa. It creates spaces for collaboration, visibility, and shared political advocacy among diverse women leaders and the organizations that support them.
- Im.pulsa Plural, open and free political learning community and online platform dedicated to helping diverse women enter and remain in Latin American institutional politics. It contributes to political representation and the democratization of political and electoral learning for diverse women.
- Mulheres em Diálogo Narrative-building project that uses research and communication to create shared language for building bridges and advancing a pro-rights agenda among women with different political-ideological identities in Brazil.
- +Representatividade Series of research studies identifying obstacles and opportunities for political representation of marginalized groups in Brazil, investigating the role of non-partisan initiatives, parties, elected officials, civil society leaders, and voters across multiple election cycles.
- Eleitas Study and audiovisual series on the imaginary of Latin American women in power, based on research conducted in 6 countries.
- Jogo de Cartas Podcast investigating the historical participation of women in the 1988 Brazilian Constitution and debating women's role in Brazilian democracy.
- Mapeamento (Mapping Platform) Interactive mapping platform documenting initiatives that strengthen diverse political leadership in Latin America, focusing on Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and LBTQIA+ women, with continental expansion to Africa via the Amefricanas project.
- Gabinete de Inovação Innovation Cabinet - series of forums and working groups bringing together parliamentarians, experts, and civil society to develop innovative public policy proposals, with multiple editions focused on climate, environment, and democracy.
- Nuestras Cartas Webseries by Instituto Update and FES-Chile following the work of women elected to Chile's Constitutional Convention, investigating political innovation processes of the world's first gender-parity constituent assembly.
- Emergência Política Comprehensive research series documenting political emergence and innovation across Latin America, including studies on trends, peripheries, women, and country-specific innovations, accompanied by a multi-country web series.
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% of women support increasing women's presence in Brazilian politics
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Instituto Update
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Instituto Update technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Instituto Update partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- WALPE (Women's Academy for Leadership and Politics)coreZimbabwe-based organization partnering on the Amefricanas project to map and connect women's political leadership initiatives across Africa and Latin America
- Nalafem (Kenya)coreKenyan organization collaborating on the Amefricanas project to strengthen connections between African and Latin American women's political leadership
- Unidas Somos Mais Fortes (Angola)coreAngolan organization partnering on the Amefricanas project to map women's political leadership initiatives in Africa
- Maria Farinha FilmesmajorBrazilian film production company co-producing the Eleitas documentary series on women in politics
- Quebrando o TabumajorBrazilian media production company producing content on political innovation and democracy, partner on Eleitas and other projects
- Spray ContentmajorContent production company as co-producer of the Eleitas series
- Rádio NovelomajorBrazilian podcast production company producing Jogo de Cartas in partnership with Instituto Update
- Instituto IDEAmajorResearch partner conducting quantitative research for the Mulheres em Diálogo project
- Boitempo EditorialmajorBrazilian publisher publishing the Feminismo em Disputa book, part of the Mulheres em Diálogo project lineage
- FES-Chile (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Chile)majorGerman political foundation's Chile office co-producing the Nuestras Cartas web series on the Chilean Constitutional Convention
- Aúna (Mexico)majorMexican organization partnering on training materials for women political leaders, developed based on Im.pulsa content
- QuidminorResearch partner organization listed in the Mulheres em Diálogo project
- Instituto LamparinaminorPartner organization listed in the Mulheres em Diálogo project
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Instituto Update competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Article 19: International freedom of expression organization with strong Latin American presence, working on civic space, press freedom, and marginalized voices. Overlaps with Instituto Update's work on inclusive democracy and political participation, particularly for women and Indigenous communities.
- Fundación Karisma: Colombian civil society organization working on digital rights, gender, and democracy from a regional perspective. Overlaps with Instituto Update on intersection of technology, gender, and democratic participation in Latin America, with similar scale and approach.
Broad incumbents
- International IDEA: Intergovernmental organization supporting democratic processes and electoral integrity globally. Directly comparable to Instituto Update's work on political participation, electoral research, and democracy strengthening, but operating at intergovernmental scale across many more geographies.
- National Democratic Institute (NDI): US-based democracy support organization working on political participation, civic engagement, and inclusion of marginalized groups. Closely comparable in mission and methodology to Instituto Update, with a much larger global footprint and budget.
- International Republican Institute (IRI): US-based organization supporting democratic governance and political party development worldwide. Operates in similar space to Instituto Update on political participation and inclusion, particularly in Latin America, but from a different political orientation.
- Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES): German political foundation affiliated with the Social Democratic Party, already a direct partner of Instituto Update on the Nuestras Cartas webseries in Chile. Operates regional offices across Latin America and Africa with comparable focus on democratic participation, social justice, and political education.
- Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS): German political foundation affiliated with the CDU, with a large Latin American and Africa presence focused on democratic governance, rule of law, and political education. Comparable in regional footprint and democracy-strengthening mandate to Instituto Update.
- CIVICUS: Global civil society alliance tracking civic space and supporting civil society organizations. Comparable to Instituto Update on democracy strengthening and monitoring restrictions on civic space, but operates as a global alliance rather than direct program implementer.
Direct peers
- Fondo de Mujeres del Sur: Latin American feminist fund providing resources to women's rights organizations and movements across the region. Directly comparable to Instituto Update in mission, geography, and target constituency, but operates as a grantmaker rather than direct program implementer.
- Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia: Mexican civil society organization working on gender equity, women's political participation, and democratic governance. Directly comparable to Instituto Update's +Representatividade and Im.pulsa work in Mexico, with overlapping target constituencies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Instituto Update social profiles
Digital presenceInstituto Update financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Instituto Update leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Instituto Update funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Instituto Update M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Instituto Update
What does Instituto Update do?
Instituto Update is a women-led nonprofit organization that produces research, multimedia content, political training programs, and network-weaving platforms to strengthen democratic participation and political representation of diverse women (Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, young, cis and trans) across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. Its portfolio includes a free open political-learning platform (Im.pulsa), a transnational network of women leaders (Conecta Latinas), a research series on political representativeness (+Representatividade), and audiovisual productions (Eleitas, Jogo de Cartas, Nuestras Cartas) released under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0.
Is Instituto Update a public or private company?
Instituto Update is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Instituto Update founded?
Instituto Update was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Instituto Update based?
Instituto Update is headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does Instituto Update make money?
One revenue line is on record: institutional Funding.
Who are Instituto Update's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Article 19 and Fundación Karisma. Broad incumbents are International IDEA, National Democratic Institute (NDI), International Republican Institute (IRI), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and CIVICUS. Direct peers are Fondo de Mujeres del Sur and Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia.
Does Instituto Update have an API?
No public API is recorded for Instituto Update.
What industry is Instituto Update in?
Instituto Update's product category is Civic Engagement and Political Participation Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAGAA, Electoral Support & Election Observation, with a secondary code of EDAAAEAL, Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs. Its NAICS code is 813311 and its SIC code is 8600.