LARES/UFRJ

What LARES/UFRJ does

LARES (Laboratório de Responsabilidade Social e Sustentabilidade) is a research and extension unit within the Instituto de Economia at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), founded in 2006 and headquartered in the Urca neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. The organization operates as an academic extension unit rather than a commercial company, offering four lato sensu postgraduate MBA programs: Responsabilidade Social e Terceiro Setor; Direito do Terceiro Setor (with emphasis in Law and Management); Economia e Gestão da Sustentabilidade; and Economia e Gestão da Sustentabilidade – Ênfase em Cidades Inteligentes. Content is delivered through a Moodle-based virtual learning environment branded AVA LARES, supplemented by in-person classes at UFRJ facilities. The unit also runs a corporate training line (Treinamento in Company) and four research-project initiatives: Favela Inteligente (smart entrepreneurship in Rocinha), Pontão de Cultura / Economia Viva (network of 50 Pontos de Cultura), Territórios Criativos (creative-economy research), and iCILab (Innovation for Smart Cities Lab).

Revenue is generated through three streams: MBA tuition fees (paid in up to 22 monthly installments), customized in-company sustainability training delivered to corporate clients, and project-based research grants from public agencies including FAPERJ, CNPq, and the Ministry of Culture. Customer segments span graduate-level professionals seeking specialization, third-sector organizations (NGOs, foundations, cooperatives), public-sector managers, and corporate clients purchasing employee upskilling. Distribution is primarily via direct website pre-registration, in-person delivery at UFRJ, and the Moodle-based self-serve platform. Notable strategic partners include UN-Habitat (co-development of the Smart Cities MBA), Fundação COPPETEC (operational and financial management of research projects), and the Rio de Janeiro City Government (designation as Pontão Carioca de Cultura). The organization employs approximately 18 people and shows no external shareholders, venture funding, or PE/VC backing, consistent with its status as a public university research unit.

Name

LARES/UFRJ

Legal name

LARES - Laboratório de Responsabilidade Social e Sustentabilidade do Instituto de Economia da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Website

https://lares.ie.ufrj.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LARES/UFRJ is an academic research laboratory at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro that offers four sustainability and third-sector MBA programs and conducts community development research projects across Rio de Janeiro, serving graduate professionals, NGOs, and government clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional & Executive Education

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAGANAK

Legal & Governance Professional Development

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Professional Development & Training Materials

SECONDARYEDALAMAC

Learning Management Systems (LMS) & Academic Application Support

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/IT Support & Campus Helpdesk Services

SECONDARYBPACANAH

Learning Technology & LMS/LXP Implementation

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Training, Learning & Development Services

Keywords

• Executive education programs
• Sustainability management training
• Third sector governance
• Smart cities education
• Social responsibility courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Rio de Janeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MBA Tuition Fees: Revenue generated from tuition fees for lato sensu specializations including Responsabilidade Social e Terceiro Setor, Economia e Gestão da Sustentabilidade, and MBA em Cidades Inteligentes. Payment options available in up to 22 installments.
2. Corporate Training (Treinamento in Company): Customized in-company training programs for organizations seeking specialized education in sustainability, social responsibility, and related topics.
3. Research Grants and Funding: Project-based funding from government agencies including FAPERJ, CNPq, and Ministry of Culture for specific research initiatives such as Pontão de Cultura, Territórios Criativos, and Favela Inteligente projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LARES/UFRJ is an academic research laboratory that delivers lato sensu postgraduate MBA specializations in social responsibility and third sector management, third sector law, sustainability economics and management, and sustainability management with an emphasis on smart cities. It supplements these degree programs with customized corporate in-company training, a Moodle-based virtual learning environment (AVA LARES), and applied research projects covering creative economy, shared economy, smart favelas, and community cultural development.

Product overview

LARES/UFRJ is a research laboratory at the Instituto de Economia da UFRJ that operates as a multi-product educational and research institution. Its primary offerings consist of four MBA programs (lato sensu postgraduate courses): MBA Responsabilidade Social e Terceiro Setor, MBA em Direito do Terceiro Setor (with law and management emphasis), MBA Economia e Gestão da Sustentabilidade, and MBA Economia e Gestão da Sustentabilidade - Ênfase em Cidades Inteligentes. These are delivered through the Moodle-based AVA LARES virtual learning platform. The institution also conducts four major research/project initiatives: Favela Inteligente (smart favela entrepreneurship), Pontão de Cultura (cultural network strengthening), Territórios Criativos (creative economy research), and iCILab (smart cities innovation laboratory). The product portfolio functions as an integrated system where academic programs provide the theoretical foundation while research projects deliver practical, community-focused applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MBA Responsabilidade Social e Terceiro Setor Lato sensu postgraduate specialization providing a general and strategic view of social responsibility and third sector management processes through administrative, organizational, and legal instruments for developing social responsibility programs and projects. Aimed at professionals working in or aspiring to manage NGOs, foundations, and corporate social responsibility programs.
• MBA em Direito do Terceiro Setor (ênfase em Direito e Gestão) Lato sensu postgraduate specialization promoting knowledge focused on the Third Sector, combining Law, Economics, and Strategic Management of civil society organizations and foundations, with emphasis on legal and economic content integrated with advanced governance practices. Targeted at lawyers, managers, and executives of NGOs, foundations, and civil associations.
• MBA Economia e Gestão da Sustentabilidade Lato sensu postgraduate specialization providing a general and strategic view of socio-environmental management processes through administrative, organizational, and legal instruments for developing corporate sustainability programs and projects. Targeted at managers and professionals responsible for sustainability, ESG, and environmental programs in organizations.
• MBA Economia e Gestão da Sustentabilidade - Ênfase em Cidades Inteligentes Lato sensu postgraduate specialization providing an innovative and strategic overview of processes that enable the emergence and consolidation of Smart Cities — creative, collaborative, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities — along with projects, methods, and tools developed and applied in this direction. Targeted at urban planners, municipal managers, and professionals working on smart city and sustainability initiatives.
• Treinamento in Company (In-Company Corporate Training) Customized in-company training programs delivered to organizations seeking specialized education for their employees in sustainability, social responsibility, ESG, and related topics. Programs are tailored to client objectives and delivered at client premises or through the AVA LARES online platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 Pontos de Cultura supported through Pontão Economia Viva network
• +2 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

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

• Fundação COPPETECcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015LARES partnered with Fundação COPPETEC to establish the Pontão Carioca de Cultura Economia Viva, a network strengthening initiative for Rio de Janeiro's Culture Points. COPPETEC serves as the institutional foundation supporting the operational and financial management of research and extension projects.
• ONU-HabitatflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN-Habitat partnered with the MBA in Smart Cities program, providing international expertise and knowledge exchange. This partnership brings global perspectives on urban development and smart city solutions to LARES students and research initiatives.
• Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro (Secretaria de Cultura)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rio de Janeiro City Government, through its Culture Secretariat, designated LARES in partnership with COPPETEC as a Pontão Carioca de Cultura (Culture Hub) to strengthen the city's Culture Points network through training and mobilization actions.
• UNIRIO (Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNIRIO provided institutional support for the book launch 'Fundações Privadas do Código Civil, Fundações Partidárias e Fundações de Apoio' by Janine Soares and Keller Dornelles Clós, along with LARES/UFRJ and other institutional partners.
• Coletivo Museu Sankofa Rocinha - Memória e HistóriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization collaborating with LARES on the Favela Inteligente project in Rocinha, providing local knowledge and historical context for the smart favela initiative.
• Secretaria de Estado do Ambiente e Sustentabilidade (Seas)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Environmental and Sustainability Secretariat partnering on the I Encontro de Empreendedores da Rocinha event, contributing to sustainable development initiatives in partnership with LARES.
• Instituto Estadual do Ambiente (Inea)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Environmental Institute collaborating on sustainable development projects and entrepreneurship support in Rocinha community.
• Instituto de Responsabilidade Ambiental e Social (IDRAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental and Social Responsibility Institute partnering on sustainable development initiatives in Rio de Janeiro communities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ISE Business School: Brazilian business school specializing in sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and ESG education — closely comparable to LARES' sustainability and third-sector MBA portfolio.
• INSPER: Brazilian business school offering executive MBAs and corporate education programs; comparable to LARES in serving Brazilian professionals seeking postgraduate specialization in management-adjacent fields.
• FIA Business School: Brazilian executive education provider with corporate training and postgraduate programs; comparable to LARES in combining customized in-company training with lato sensu specializations.
• ICLEI South America: International sustainable-cities network active in Brazil; comparable to LARES' iCILab and Smart Cities MBA in serving municipalities and professionals working on urban sustainability.
• PUC-Rio: Major Rio de Janeiro-based private university with extension programs and postgraduate courses; comparable to LARES in combining academic research with executive-style extension offerings in the same city.
• FGV EAESP: Leading Brazilian business school with established sustainability, ESG, and executive MBA programs — directly comparable to LARES in targeting mid-career professionals seeking sustainability and management specializations.
• Fundação COPPETEC: UFRJ-affiliated foundation that already partners with LARES to manage the Pontão Carioca de Cultura; comparable as a university-anchored operational vehicle for research and extension projects in Brazil.
• Ibmec: Brazilian business school network offering executive MBAs and corporate training across multiple cities; comparable to LARES in the postgraduate professional-development segment.
• CEBDS: Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development that convenes companies on ESG and sustainability; comparable to LARES in shaping the Brazilian sustainability-education and third-sector ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• GRI Academy: Global Reporting Initiative's training arm offering sustainability and ESG certification programs worldwide; comparable as a broader incumbent competing for the same ESG-learner audience as LARES' sustainability MBA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LARES.IE.UFRJ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/lares-ufrj
• Instagraminstagram.com/lares.ufrj/?hl=pt-br

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 LARES/UFRJ