HackTown

What HackTown does

HackTown is a multi-day innovation festival and event platform organized by Hackers Produtora de Eventos Ltda, headquartered in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The annual five-day festival (September 3–7 in the 2026, 10th-edition instance) converts the host city — a 40,000-inhabitant electronics-and-telecom hub known as 'Vale da Eletrônica' — into a distributed venue spanning 110+ sites, hosting 1,400+ activities across 21 content tracks and drawing 15,000+ attendees per day from all 27 Brazilian states and 14 countries. The festival's core technology stack is light: a branded mobile app that doubles as an access-control and attendee-networking tool, the Sympla/Zig ticketing platform for ticket distribution, an Airtable workflow for corporate/startup/investor intake, and the HackTalks blog/newsletter for year-round content distribution. Underlying value is delivered through curation, partnerships with ETE FMC, INATEL, and FAI, and the physical infrastructure of the host city rather than proprietary software.

HackTown monetizes through five primary streams: tiered festival ticket sales (R$ 469–907 adult, R$ 399–799 VIP, R$ 547 donation tiers with batch-based price escalation, intermediated via Sympla); corporate sponsorships and brand activations under the HackTown For Brands platform (exhibition space starting at R$ 1,200/sqm, with Google, Nubank, NVIDIA, Oracle, Unilever, AWS, Meta, Xiaomi, and others as anchor partners); the Vila Hacker on-site camping product operated with Vila Mundo (R$ 154–515/day); official shuttle transfers from Pouso Alegre and Itajubá; and the HackTown Startups program offering paid exhibition and matchmaking packages to startups, corporations, and investors.

The platform serves three primary customer segments: (1) large corporations seeking differentiated brand engagement and innovation scouting; (2) startups and investors seeking deal flow and corporate access outside the Rio–São Paulo axis (180+ curated matchmakings and R$ 30+ MM in startup-program business volume reported); and (3) individual attendees and organized communities purchasing festival access through a community-led program with tiered benefits. The 2026 festival projects R$ 250+ MM in business generation among 500+ participating companies, though no company-level revenue is disclosed and the team remains lean at 1–10 employees.

Name

HackTown

Legal name

Hackers Produtora de Eventos Ltda

Website

https://hacktown.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HackTown is a Brazilian annual innovation festival in Santa Rita do Sapucaí that converts the host city into a 110+ venue platform for 1,400+ activities, serving corporations, startups, investors, and individual attendees through ticket sales, brand sponsorships, and curated matchmaking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation Events & Live Experiences

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE)

Keywords

• Innovation festival
• Technology events
• Startup networking
• Brand activations
• Live event experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Rita Do Sapucaí

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Festival Ticket Sales: HackTown generates primary revenue from ticket sales across multiple tiers: full adult tickets (R$ 907 third batch), student/senior half-price (R$ 453.50), VIP passports (R$ 799 pre-sale), group discounts, and community discount programs. Ticket sales are intermediated through the Sympla platform.
2. Brand Sponsorship & Activations (HackTown For Brands): Major brands sponsor the festival through on-site activations, branded venues, experiential marketing, product launches, and brand awareness campaigns. Sponsors include Google, Nubank, NVIDIA, Oracle, Unilever, Claro, Nestlé, AWS, Uber, Accenture, Scania, Equinix, Xiaomi, Meta, Ambev, TIM, and others. Pricing for promotional space starts at R$ 1,200 per square meter of exhibition space.
3. Official Transfer Services: HackTown provides official shuttle transfers between nearby cities (Pouso Alegre, Itajubá) and Santa Rita do Sapucaí during the event dates, generating additional revenue from participants staying in surrounding areas.
4. Vila Hacker Camping Accommodations: On-site camping accommodation at the ETE FMC campus, with options ranging from individual igloo tents (R$ 154.58/day) to family 4-person tents (R$ 515.28/day) and motorhome spaces (R$ 344.97/day), operated by partner Vila Mundo.
5. Startup Programs & Exhibition Fees: HackTown Startups offers tiered participation programs: Startup Business + Exposure (physical exhibition space with business rounds and visibility for 10,000+ visitors) and Startup Business (networking-only format with curated business rounds and speed dating). Registration is free; paid programs are tailored to startup objectives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

HackTown organizes and operates Latin America's largest innovation festival, a five-day city-wide event held in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, MG, Brazil, spanning 110+ venues with 1,400+ activities across 21 content tracks. The company sells festival tickets, corporate sponsorship packages, startup-corporate-investor matchmaking programs, on-site camping accommodations, and shuttle transfer services. It also publishes content year-round via the HackTalks blog and newsletter.

Product overview

HackTown is a multi-day innovation festival platform offering a portfolio of interconnected products: the core HackTown Festival (the main event transforming Santa Rita do Sapucaí into a 100+ venue innovation hub with 1000+ activities), supplemented by HackTown Startups (business connection programs for startups, corporations, and investors), Vila Hacker Camping (on-site accommodation), HackTown Comunidades (community engagement with tiered benefits), Speaker Program (content submission across 21 tracks), and HackTown For Brands (corporate sponsorship platform). The platform also includes supporting services like an official app, transfer logistics, and the HackTalks blog. The 2026 edition represents the festival's 10th anniversary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HackTown Startups: Program connecting startups, corporations, investors, and communities for business development during the festival
• Vila Hacker
• HackTown Comunidades
• HackTown For Brands
• HackTALKS
• HackTALKS News

Products and services

• HackTown Festival The flagship five-day innovation festival held across the entire city of Santa Rita do Sapucaí, MG, featuring 1,400+ activities, 110+ venues, 21 content tracks, and 500+ participating companies (corporations, startups, and investors). Designed for executives, entrepreneurs, developers, and creatives seeking immersive, immersive innovation experiences outside traditional conference formats.
• HackTown For Brands Corporate sponsorship and brand activation platform offering B2B and B2C sponsorship objectives including product launches, brand awareness, lead generation, talent recruitment, and experiential marketing through branded activations across 110+ venues. Current sponsor brands include Google, Nubank, NVIDIA, Oracle, Unilever, AWS, Meta, Uber, Accenture, and others.
• HackTown Startups Startup-focused program connecting startups with corporations, investors, and communities through curated business rounds, speed dating sessions, and exhibition space. Has facilitated 180+ matchmakings and R$ 30+ million in generated business across editions. Includes Startup Business + Exposure package (physical exhibition), Startup Business (networking-only), and dedicated Corporate and Investor tracks.
• Vila Hacker Camping On-site camping experience at the ETE FMC school campus offering accommodation options including igloo tents (1-2 person), cabins, family tents (4 person), and motorhome spaces, with coworking facilities, high-speed Wi-Fi, food trucks, and a community atmosphere. Operated by Vila Mundo in partnership with HackTown.
• HackTown Comunidades Community connection program offering exclusive 15% discount codes, traceable links, and tiered benefits (Explorer from 10 tickets, Conductor from 25, Catalyst from 50, Ecosystem from 100) for communities in technology, startups, innovation, marketing, design, creators, AI, business, education, and software development sectors.
• Official Transfer Service Official shuttle service operating daily between Pouso Alegre (~25 min) and Itajubá (~40 min) and Santa Rita do Sapucaí during the festival dates, sold as 5-day packages through the Sympla platform.
• Speaker Program Content submission program allowing speakers to present lectures (60 min), panel debates (up to 4 participants), or workshops (90-180 min) across 21 curated content tracks. Selected speakers receive one full festival pass plus one additional pass for an accompanying guest.
• HackTalks Blog and Newsletter Blog and newsletter platform (HackTalks News) publishing year-round articles on innovation, technology, business, creative experiences, and city topics, positioning HackTown as a year-round thought leadership brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• R$ 250+ million in projected business generated among participating companies
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Cidade Criativa, Cidade Feliz MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013A collective urban movement started in 2013 by citizens (led by publicist Paulo Renato Arantes) to make Santa Rita do Sapucaí more human, innovative, and welcoming through murals, cultural spaces, creative crosswalks, and collaborative initiatives. This movement created the cultural fabric that makes HackTown possible and defines the city's identity as a creative hub.
• GoogleflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle has been a major sponsor of HackTown, notably bringing its first themed house (Google Developers House) outside the United States to the festival, strengthening its relationship with developer communities in Brazil.
• NubankflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerNubank sponsored HackTown with a goal of strengthening presence with the innovation audience. The brand outfitted participants with personalized badges, bracelets, and lanyards, and created a Mini Doc film about the experience.
• ClarocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerClaro has been a recurring sponsor partner, leveraging HackTown's unique urban festival format for brand activation and visibility among tech-forward audiences.
• AccenturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAccenture has been a consistent brand sponsor, using HackTown as a platform to position itself within the Brazilian innovation ecosystem.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAWS has been a brand sponsor at HackTown, targeting the innovation-oriented attendee base.
• UbercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUber has been a sponsor partner of HackTown, utilizing the festival for brand visibility in a unique innovation context.
• TIMcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTIM was a sponsor partner, notably conducting surprise live music shows at the festival as part of their brand activation.
• UnileverflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerUnilever has been a recurring sponsor, with executives actively participating in HackTown programming. The brand used the festival to engage with the innovation ecosystem both internally and externally.
• NVIDIAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNVIDIA is listed among HackTown's brand sponsors, leveraging the festival for visibility among tech and innovation audiences in Brazil.
• OraclecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOracle appears among HackTown brand sponsors, utilizing the platform to connect with Brazilian innovation communities.
• NestlécoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNestlé has been a brand sponsor of HackTown, participating in the festival's ecosystem of major corporate partners.
• MetacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMeta has been a brand sponsor, engaging with HackTown's technology and innovation-focused audience.
• AmbevcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmbev has been a brand sponsor of HackTown, participating in the festival's diverse mix of corporate partners.
• XiaomicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerXiaomi's first event sponsorship in Brazil was HackTown, using the festival's unique environment to present and test new products arriving in the country with an exclusive audience.
• ScaniacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerScania has been a brand sponsor at HackTown, leveraging the festival's innovation positioning for corporate visibility.
• EquinixcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEquinix has been a brand sponsor, participating in HackTown's corporate partner ecosystem and naming select event rooms.
• SicrediminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSicredi is listed among HackTown brand sponsors.
• SummupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSummup has been a brand sponsor at HackTown.
• SymplaflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSympla is HackTown's official ticketing platform, handling ticket sales, payment processing, and delivery for all festival admissions, camping packages, and transfer packages.
• Vila MundocoreOthersVila Mundo operates the Vila Hacker camping experience at HackTown, providing pre-set accommodation options (igloos, cabins, family tents, motorhome spaces) at the ETE FMC campus. The partnership transforms the festival into an immersive experience with coworking, Wi-Fi, and community areas.
• Will TourcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWill Tour is HackTown's official travel agency partner for the region, providing hotel bookings, transfer coordination, and complete travel logistics for festival attendees staying in surrounding cities.
• Zig (Zig Internet Soluções S.A.)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZig is the ticketing platform referenced in HackTown's Terms of Use for ticket purchases, handling participant registration, payment processing, and ticket delivery. Registered in CNPJ 14.512.528/0001-54.
• AirtablecoreTechnology or IntegrationHackTown uses Airtable to manage HackTown Startups applications, corporate inquiries, investor registrations, and community ecosystem sign-ups, providing a structured intake and curation workflow.
• ETE FMC (Escola Técnica de Eletrônica Francisco Moreira da Costa)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ETE FMC — founded by Sinhá Moreira in 1959 as the first electronics technical school in Latin America — is the birthplace of Santa Rita do Sapucaí's innovation ecosystem. It hosts the Vila Hacker camping and is a core venue for festival content, representing HackTown's deepest institutional partner and the spiritual origin of the event.
• INATEL (Instituto Nacional de Telecomunicações)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerINATEL, founded in 1965, is a key pillar of Santa Rita do Sapucaí's 'Vale da Eletrônica' technology ecosystem. It has contributed to Brazil's TV Digital, 5G implementation, and COVID ventilator development. As a foundational institution of the city's innovation DNA, INATEL is deeply intertwined with HackTown's identity and serves as a content and talent partner.
• FAI (Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAI is one of the educational institutions forming Santa Rita do Sapucaí's innovation ecosystem, contributing talent and knowledge to the region's technology community that HackTown draws upon.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rio Innovation Week: Rio Innovation Week is a major Brazilian innovation and technology gathering that competes with HackTown for enterprise sponsors, government-backed programming, and a national attendee base across innovation, startups, and corporate tracks.
• CCXP: CCXP is a major Brazilian multi-track festival spanning pop culture, entertainment, and creator economy, explicitly compared with HackTown by senior CCXP leadership. Both events serve overlapping Brazilian enterprise sponsors and creative-class audiences.
• The Next Web (TNW): TNW Conference is a European technology and innovation event that competes with HackTown for international speaker share and corporate sponsorship targeting the global tech-curious audience.
• Slush: Slush is a Helsinki-based startup and tech event with a strong founder/investor matchmaking focus and a city-as-venue philosophy, comparable to HackTown's curated startup-corporate-investor model and urban activation format.
• RD Summit: RD Summit is one of Brazil's largest digital marketing and business events, with a similar multi-track, sponsor-driven revenue model and a Brazilian SMB-to-enterprise audience that overlaps with HackTown's attendees.
• Campus Party Brasil: Campus Party Brasil is one of Brazil's largest multi-day technology and innovation gatherings, attracting a similar developer, maker, and innovation-curious audience with sponsor-driven revenue streams. It competes with HackTown for the same Brazilian tech-curious attendee base and brand sponsorship wallets.
• Web Summit: Web Summit is a global technology and innovation conference series (Lisbon, Rio, Qatar, Vancouver) that competes directly with HackTown for enterprise sponsor budgets, startup participation, and international speaker share in Latin America.
• SXSW: SXSW is the most frequently cited benchmark for HackTown, including direct comparisons from SXSW speakers and Brazilian media describing HackTown as 'the Brazilian SXSW.' Both events combine technology, innovation, creativity, and music in a multi-venue urban festival format targeting similar enterprise and creative audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Rock in Rio: Rock in Rio is Brazil's flagship large-scale music and entertainment festival with multi-sponsor activation economics. While not focused on innovation, it competes for the same Brazilian enterprise sponsorship budget and demonstrates an alternative scaling model for Brazilian city-based festivals.
• Tomorrowland: Tomorrowland is a globally scaled music and experience festival with a strong brand-activation model across multiple venues. While its core product is music rather than innovation, its festival-as-platform economics are a relevant comparison for HackTown's city-as-venue approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hacktownfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hack-town
• Instagraminstagram.com/hacktownsrs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 HackTown