Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico do Rio

What Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico do Rio does

The Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico do Rio (SMDUE, also referred to as SMDE) is a municipal government department of the Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro, established in 2021 and led by Secretary Osmar Lima with a 46-employee headcount. Its mandate is to digitalize and simplify bureaucracy for economic activities, improve the business environment through increased legal security, and attract new businesses and investments to the city. SMDUE operates through two sub-secretariats — SUBDEI (Economic Development and Innovation) and SUBRAN (Regulation and Business Environment) — and coordinates with affiliated entities including Riotur, Invest.Rio, and CCPar.

SMDUE's core offerings are policy programs rather than commercial products. Flagship initiatives include the Porto Maravalley innovation hub (~10,000 m², housing IMPA Tech and the Claude Impact Lab), the ISS Neutral (ISS Neutro) carbon-credit program (reducing ISS tax from 5% to 2% and allocating up to R$60 million annually in credits through 2030), Sandbox.Rio (regulatory sandbox whose first graduate — electric scooter sharing — received permanent regulation in 2026), and urban revitalization programs (Reviver Centro, Reviver Cultural, Rua da Cerveja). The Observatório Econômico do Rio is the secretariat's data platform, publishing tourism statistics, the Panorama das Startups Cariocas study, and economic bulletins in partnership with IBGE and Firjan. Distribution runs through the Carioca Digital portal, Portal 1746 citizen hotline, and direct sub-secretariat engagement, supplemented by major international events (Web Summit Rio committed through 2030, Rio2C).

The business model is that of a public-sector policy body: SMDE does not generate commercial revenue but manages municipal tax incentives (ISS), allocates capped subsidies (e.g., up to R$192/m² under Reviver Cultural, R$200/m² under Rua da Cerveja), and deploys public-private partnership structures via CCPar. Served segments include businesses and investors, entrepreneurs and startups, and researchers/analysts — with quantifiable outcomes including unemployment falling from 16.4% (Q1 2021) to 5.8% (Q1 2026), startups generating R$5.3 billion in 2025 revenue, and tourism producing R$27.2 billion in economic impact.

Name

Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico do Rio

Legal name

Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Urbano e Econômico

Website

https://smdue.prefeitura.rio

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico do Rio (SMDUE) is a municipal government department of Rio de Janeiro responsible for economic development policy, business environment improvement, investment attraction, and managing programs including Porto Maravalley, ISS Neutro, Sandbox.Rio, and Observatório Econômico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Economic Development

NAICS

Administration of General Economic Programs (92611), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIACAN

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPAIABAM

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/State/Provincial & Regional Government Administration

SECONDARYBPADAEAE

Economic Growth, Livelihoods & Private Sector Development

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• Municipal economic development
• Urban revitalization programs
• Carbon credit incentives
• Innovation hub management
• Regulatory sandbox services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rio de Janeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Municipal Tax Administration: As a government body, the secretariat manages economic policy and tax incentive programs including ISS (Service Tax) collection and the ISS Neutral carbon credit program, directing municipal revenue from tourism, services, and economic activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico do Rio (SMDUE/SMDE) is the municipal government department of Rio de Janeiro responsible for designing and executing the city's economic development policy. Its core work involves digitalizing and simplifying bureaucracy around economic activities, improving the business environment through greater legal security, attracting new businesses and investments, supporting startups and innovation, and administering tax-based incentive programs (ISS reductions, carbon credits). It delivers public programs such as the Porto Maravalley innovation hub, Sandbox.Rio regulatory sandbox, ISS Neutro, and urban revitalization initiatives (Reviver Centro, Reviver Cultural, Rua da Cerveja), rather than selling commercial products.

Product overview

Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico do Rio (SMDUE/SMDE) is a municipal government secretariat responsible for Rio de Janeiro's economic development policy, not a commercial product company. The secretariat's 'offerings' consist primarily of economic development programs, urban revitalization initiatives, and digital public services. Key programs include: Porto Maravalley innovation hub (with IMPA Tech mathematics faculty); ISS Neutro carbon credit program; Sandbox.Rio for testing innovative projects; Reviver Centro/Cultural/Rua da Cerveja urban revitalization initiatives; and the Observatório Econômico do Rio data platform. These programs aim to digitalize bureaucracy, improve the business environment, attract investments, and generate economic growth. The secretariat does not offer commercial products or SaaS offerings but rather implements public policy programs for the city's economic development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Porto Maravalley: Innovation and technology hub located in Rio's port region, housing startups, education institutions, and technology companies.
• ISS Neutral
• Sandbox.Rio
• Reviver Centro
• Observatório Econômico do Rio
• Rua da Cerveja
• Reviver Cultural
• ISS Neutro

Products and services

• Sandbox.Rio Cooperation program between the City Hall and the private sector to test innovative urban projects in controlled regulatory environments before definitive regulation is enacted; the Electric Scooter Sharing System was the first project to receive permanent regulation through municipal decree.
• Porto Maravalley (Maravalley Hub) Approximately 10,000 m² technology and innovation hub in Rio's port region providing acceleration programs, technology events, research facilities, coworking spaces, the IMPA Tech mathematics faculty, and physical space for startups and companies.
• Observatório Econômico do Rio Economic observatory platform publishing studies, economic bulletins, and data on Rio's economy, including the Panorama das Startups Cariocas and Mapeamento da Indústria Criativa reports; provides market data and analysis developed with IBGE, Firjan, and academic partners.
• ISS Neutro (ISS Neutral Program) Municipal carbon credit incentive program reducing the ISS service tax from 5% to 2% for companies in the carbon credit production chain; companies can receive up to R$6 million in tax credits for neutralizing emissions, with R$60 million allocated annually through 2030.
• Reviver Centro Urban revitalization initiative for Rio's downtown area including a 3D monitoring panel for tracking redevelopment; focuses on recovering abandoned properties and improving the central business environment.
• Rua da Cerveja (Beer Street) Craft brewery hub project in downtown Rio connecting vacant properties with brewpubs; provides financial incentives of up to R$200/m² for renovations and up to R$75/m² monthly for operational expenses; project targets 500 jobs and R$222 million in revenue over 4 years.
• Reviver Cultural Cultural revitalization program connecting vacant downtown properties with artistic and cultural establishments; provides municipal funding up to R$192/m² for renovations and up to R$75/m² monthly for expenses; supports galleries, bookstores, studios, theaters, and other cultural venues.
• Programa Municipal de Incentivo a Novas Rotas Aéreas Internacionais Municipal program providing technical/institutional support and financial incentives to airlines for creating new international flight routes; supported GOL Linhas Aéreas in establishing Galeão Airport as an international hub with routes to New York, Lisbon, and Paris.
• Portal 1746 Citizen service hotline (1746) and online portal for questions, services, information, or complaints related to municipal services including business licensing and permits.
• Electric Scooter Sharing System Regulated system for shared electric micromobility integrated with the city's ticketing system (Jaé); companies must meet technical requirements including geolocation, designated pickup/return areas, and safety standards; first Sandbox.Rio project to receive definitive municipal regulation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Unemployment reduced from 16.4% to 5.8% in five years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Anthropic (Claude)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2026AI company behind Claude Impact Lab hackathon hosted at Porto Maravalley. First Brazilian edition of global AI event.
• TaicorminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2026Claude's ambassador in Brazil and co-founder organizing Claude Impact Lab hackathon.
• VisagiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2026Sponsor of Claude Impact Lab hackathon at Porto Maravalley.
• VTEXminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2026E-commerce platform company sponsoring Claude Impact Lab.
• GOL Linhas AéreascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2026Airlines establishing Galeão Airport as international hub with new routes to New York, Lisbon, and Paris. Part of Municipal Program for Promotion of New International Air Routes.
• Firjan (Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Rio de Janeiro)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for creative industry mapping study. Firjan collaborated on 'Mapeamento da Indústria Criativa do Rio de Janeiro' study published in 2026.
• Maravalley (Porto Maravalley Hub)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Innovation hub partnership for startup ecosystem development. Jointly developed 'Panorama das Startups Cariocas' study. Maravalley serves as Rio's technology and innovation center.
• UN-HabitatflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2024United Nations Human Settlements Programme partnered on sustainable urban development seminar 'Rio: Capital of Energy Transition in Cities' and New Urban Agenda development.
• PUC-Rio (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2024Academic partnership through Energy Institute (IEPUC) for energy transition studies and sustainable urban development research.
• Energy Bay River (REB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 April 2024MIT REAP program result managing Porto Maravalley innovation hub operations.
• EletrobrasminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 April 2024Electric utility company sponsoring Porto Maravalley innovation hub.
• ShellminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 April 2024Energy company sponsoring Porto Maravalley innovation hub.
• RioturcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for tourism promotion and major events. Riotur works with SMDE on studies including the Web Summit economic impact analysis and tourism statistics.
• Invest.RiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment promotion agency collaborating on attracting businesses and investments to Rio. Co-develops economic studies and investment opportunity materials.
• CCPar (Companhia Carioca de Parcerias e Investimentos)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCarioca Company of Partnerships and Investments manages implementation of public-private partnership programs including Porto Maravalley, Reviver Cultural, and Sandbox.Rio.
• IMPA (Instituto de Matemática Pura e Aplicada)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned mathematics institute operating IMPA Tech at Porto Maravalley. Provides mathematics education and research, winner of Fields Medal.
• Fecomércio RJcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical Cooperation Agreement for conducting economic studies including tourism research and analysis through IFec RJ.
• IBGEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics providing demographic and economic data for SMDE studies and reports.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie: Public-private partnership supporting Berlin's economic and tech development, including innovation hubs and foreign investment promotion. Comparable as a city-level agency with similar startup ecosystem and investment attraction focus.
• Barcelona Activa: Municipal development agency of Barcelona supporting entrepreneurship, business growth, and innovation. Comparable as a city-level agency with overlapping innovation hub, startup support, and urban revitalization programs.
• NYC Economic Development Corporation: Municipal economic development corporation managing business attraction, real estate development, and industry growth programs for New York City. Directly comparable as a city-level agency driving economic policy, urban revitalization, and investment promotion.
• London & Partners: Official promotional agency for London, focused on attracting foreign investment, students, and tourism. Comparable as a city-level economic development body with similar business attraction, events hosting, and partnership programs.
• Madrid Destino Cultura Turismo y Negocio: Madrid's municipal tourism and economic development entity managing tourism promotion, cultural venues, and economic development. Comparable as a city-level agency combining tourism and economic development missions similar to Rio's structure.
• Invest Atlanta: Official economic development authority for the City of Atlanta, managing business recruitment, real estate development, and minority business support programs. Comparable as a US municipal-level agency with urban revitalization focus.
• Singapore Economic Development Board: Government agency under Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for economic development strategy, investment promotion, and industry development. Comparable as a sophisticated economic development body with global partnership networks.
• Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico de São Paulo: Municipal economic development secretariat of São Paulo, the largest Brazilian city. Directly comparable as a Brazilian municipal-level agency pursuing startup ecosystem development, business environment improvement, and investment attraction.

Broad incumbents

• ApexBrasil (Agência Brasileira de Promoção de Exportações e Investimentos): Brazilian federal trade and investment promotion agency. Comparable at a different level (national vs. municipal) for investment attraction and international promotion activities that intersect with Rio's programs.

Regional players

• InvestSP: São Paulo state's investment promotion agency. Comparable as a sub-national Brazilian agency pursuing foreign direct investment attraction and economic development programs, though operating at state level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Prefeitura_Rio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@desenvolvimento_rio
• Facebookfacebook.com/PrefeituradoRio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smde-rio
• Instagraminstagram.com/desenvolvimento_rio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico do Rio