We Are Innovation

What We Are Innovation does

We Are Innovation is an independent, non-profit global network of more than 55 think tanks, foundations, and NGOs, operating from an unspecified primary jurisdiction with a distributed team of approximately 6-7 core staff (including CEO Federico N. Fernández) and at least one presence in Lisbon, Portugal. The organization was launched in March 2022 with the stated goal of creating 'Europe 3.0' and quickly expanded through its Latin American counterpart, the Somos Innovación Network.

Its core activities center on policy research and advocacy for innovation-friendly regulation, harm reduction, and technology adoption. The organization's product portfolio comprises four main offerings: published research and briefing papers (e.g., the TPD Revision and Europe's Innovation Economy review analyzing over 82,000 EU consultation submissions from 138 countries), a podcast hosted by the CEO distributed across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spreaker, Pandora, and Amazon Music, multi-country public opinion surveys (notably a 5,000+ respondent Latin American study), and earned-media coverage generated through outlets such as Newsweek Español, POLITICO, El Cronista, Infobae, and Folha de Sao Paulo. Underlying technology is a content publishing platform (weareinnovation.global) with no disclosed proprietary AI or data systems.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded; no products or services are sold and all research is distributed free of charge. Geographic reach spans more than 30 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, with 2025-2026 partner additions in Zambia, Burundi, Bulgaria, and Brazil. End beneficiaries include national and local governments, policymakers, allied think tanks, researchers, and the general public.

Name

We Are Innovation

Legal name

We Are Innovation

Website

https://weareinnovation.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

We Are Innovation is a non-profit global network of 55+ think tanks, foundations, and NGOs spanning 30+ countries across four continents. It produces policy research, briefing papers, podcasts, and public opinion surveys to advocate for innovation-friendly regulation and technology adoption among governments and civil society.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK), Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

Keywords

• Policy research
• Innovation advocacy
• Think tank network
• Regulatory reform
• Technology policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a non-profit network of think tanks and NGOs, We Are Innovation operates primarily through donations and grants from individuals and institutions who support innovation-promoting policies and research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

We Are Innovation is a global non-profit network of more than 50 think tanks, foundations, and NGOs that produces and disseminates policy research, briefing papers, opinion articles, podcasts, and public opinion surveys on innovation policy, technology regulation, and economic freedom. It serves as a coordinating platform for cross-border advocacy, connecting partner organizations across 30+ countries to influence regulatory reform and promote the adoption of innovative solutions.

Product overview

We Are Innovation is a global policy research network comprising 50+ think tanks, foundations, and NGOs focused on advancing innovation policy and promoting innovative solutions worldwide. The organization operates as a content and research platform offering articles and briefing papers on innovation policy, a podcast series for thought leadership dissemination, public opinion surveys on technology attitudes, and media coverage of innovation developments. The portfolio is unified by a mission to drive progress through innovation advocacy across four continents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Articles and Briefing Papers Research publications including policy analysis, briefing papers, and opinion pieces on innovation policy, technology regulation, economic growth, and global affairs. Distributed free of charge to governments, partner organizations, and the general public.
• The We Are Innovation Podcast Podcast series hosted by CEO Federico N. Fernández featuring discussions on innovation, technology, venture capital, and entrepreneurship with industry experts and thought leaders. Distributed across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spreaker, Pandora, and Amazon Music.
• Surveys and Opinion Polls Public opinion research and surveys on attitudes toward innovation, digitalization, and technology adoption across various regions, including the 5,000+ respondent Latin American innovation survey across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.
• Media Reports and News Coverage News releases and media coverage on innovation policy developments, partner announcements, and global innovation ecosystem updates, distributed through the organization's website and partner channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 82,000 public consultation submissions analyzed in TPD Revision briefing paper, with submissions from 138 countries and academic input from 43 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Burundi PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026We Are Innovation continued African expansion with a new member in Burundi, growing the network's presence across the African continent to advance innovation policy dialogue.
• Instituto Damas de Ferro (Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Instituto Damas de Ferro joined We Are Innovation as a partner, strengthening the organization's presence in Brazil and expanding its Latin American network of innovation-focused think tanks.
• Institute of Market Economics (Bulgaria)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2026Bulgaria's Institute of Market Economics became the 55th global partner of We Are Innovation, strengthening the network's presence in Eastern Europe and expanding perspectives on innovation policy in the region.
• Zuga TVminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 February 2026Zuga TV joined We Are Innovation, representing expansion into new media partnerships and increasing reach through alternative media channels.
• Zambia PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2025We Are Innovation expanded its African presence with a new partnership in Zambia, extending the network's reach and promoting innovation-friendly policies across the continent.
• Vota en LíneacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2023We Are Innovation partnered with Vota en Línea to conduct a public opinion survey in Chile on citizens' attitudes toward digitalization and technology. Vota en Línea's panel of 1,200,000 individuals assisted in accurately weighing measurements for the study on perceptions of Chileans on digitalization.
• Path to Smoke-FreecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWe Are Innovation co-published the briefing paper 'The TPD Revision and Europe's Innovation Economy: A Review of the Evidence' with Path to Smoke-Free. The paper analyzed over 82,000 EU consultation submissions on tobacco and nicotine policy regulation, representing one of the largest and most geographically diverse responses in EU tobacco policy history.
• IE University (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIE University in Spain contributed to the EU consultation submission analyzed in the TPD Revision briefing paper, representing academic input from 43 research institutions in the analysis of over 82,000 submissions.
• Northeastern University LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNortheastern University London contributed academic input to the TPD Revision consultation analysis, part of 43 universities and research institutions providing expertise on innovation policy.
• University of DelawarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Delaware submitted input to the EU consultation on regulatory reopening and its effects on innovation economy investment cycles, warning about cost of capital rises across the entire innovation economy.
• We Are Innovation Network (50+ Think Tanks, Foundations, NGOs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe core network comprises over 50 think tanks, foundations, and NGOs based worldwide, spanning more than 30 countries across four continents. Partners include organizations in Europe, Americas, Asia, and Africa united by commitment to advancing human creativity and promoting innovative solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Reason Foundation: U.S. nonprofit producing policy research and a magazine on free-market ideas. Shares WAI's libertarian orientation and briefing-paper/research output model, with comparable media-distribution strategy.
• Heritage Foundation: Major U.S. conservative think tank with global policy influence. Operates similar briefing-paper and policy-advocacy model at much larger scale, and overlaps with WAI on regulatory reform themes.
• Mercatus Center: George Mason University-affiliated free-market research center producing academic-style policy papers on regulation, technology, and innovation, overlapping with WAI's research methodology and policy themes.
• Cato Institute: Large U.S. libertarian think tank producing policy research, op-eds, and events on regulatory and technology policy. Overlaps with WAI on free-market innovation advocacy but operates at much larger scale and with broader topic scope.

Direct peers

• Atlas Network: Atlas Network is a global network of 500+ free-market think tanks across 100+ countries. It is the closest structural analog to We Are Innovation, both operating as hub-and-spoke networks that coordinate independent policy organizations around shared advocacy themes.
• Students For Liberty: Students For Liberty is a global libertarian student network with presence in 100+ countries, sharing WAI's ideological orientation and hub-and-spoke network model. WAI's CCO Beatriz Santos has prior ties to the organization.
• Institute of Economic Affairs: UK-based free-market think tank producing research on regulation, innovation, and economic policy. Highly comparable in output format, ideology, and policy-advocacy approach, though with deeper EU/UK regulatory focus.
• Fraser Institute: Canadian free-market think tank producing policy research and public opinion polling, closely comparable in thematic focus (regulatory reform, innovation, economic freedom) and methodology (briefing papers, surveys).
• Fundación Internacional Bases: Argentina-based libertarian think tank where WAI's Marianela Mendoza and José León Méndez serve as Senior Research Fellow and Project Director, respectively. Functionally a partner/sister organization with shared mission.
• R Street Institute: U.S. libertarian think tank focused on pragmatic free-market policy solutions, with similar briefing-paper and policy-advocacy output model. Comparable in size and methodology to We Are Innovation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/innovationweare
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@somosinnovacion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weareinnovation
• Instagraminstagram.com/innovationweare
• TikToktiktok.com/@weare_innovation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 We Are Innovation