Over the past year, São Paulo’s startup ecosystem has made remarkable progress, fueled by rising public and private investment, a record pace of new business creation, and accelerating momentum in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, Agtech, and digital infrastructure. These developments have reinforced São Paulo’s position as one of Latin America’s most dynamic and influential innovation hubs.
The state is home to more than 100 innovation environments, including university labs, corporate R&D centers, and public-private partnerships. The Sistema Paulista de Ambientes de Inovação (SPAI) currently counts 57 accredited organizations. Government investment in these environments has surpassed $2.08 billion. São Paulo also hosts globally-recognized assets like Sirius — the most advanced particle accelerator in the Southern Hemisphere — and the top two universities of Latin America, USP and UNICAMP.
In 2024 alone, São Paulo registered over 309,000 new businesses, surpassing the previous year and underscoring a resilient and vibrant entrepreneurial climate. Many of these are innovation-driven ventures across Digital, Health, and Sustainability sectors. The venture capital landscape in Brazil is seeing a cautious yet steady rebound, with a 17% investment increase in 2024 totaling $1.5 billion. SEBRAE-SP is leading startup development, providing $6.4 million to boost business sustainability from ideation to acceleration stages.
São Paulo is becoming central to economic growth, combining strong research institutions and a vibrant startup scene. Major investments in data centers — like Grupo FS’s $1.8 billion expansion — and government-backed AI initiatives with $4 billion in funding underscore São Paulo’s expanding global role in tech.
