Startup Summit will have a space dedicated to the internationalization of startups in Floripa

The Startup Summit 2026, which will be held between the 26th and 28th of August, in CentroSul, in Florianópolis, will have an area dedicated to the internationalization of Brazilian startups. In total, delegations and investors from around 30 countries participate in the Startup Summit Global, in a program aimed at bringing together entrepreneurs, companies and representatives from other markets. Promoted by Sebrae Startups, in partnership with the Santa Catarina Technology Association (Acate), the Startup Summit is expected to bring together more than 10 thousand participants, 200 speakers, national and international investors, large companies and public sector representatives. The program will also include business rounds, mentoring, content on innovation and a fair with hundreds of startups. In addition to the business opportunities for participating companies, the Startup Summit is expected to generate a direct economic impact of R$20.2 million in Florianópolis. The estimate considers expenses with accommodation, food, transport and local consumption during the week of the event. Connections that can generate business In addition to the economic impact on consumption during the Startup Summit, Sebrae projects that the event should drive business generation. In the 2025 edition, R$353.7 million were recorded in investment intentions associated with the event and more than 1,100 meetings between companies, funds, corporations and potential partners. For 2026, the program foresees the participation of 250 investment funds, 200 national and international speakers and 1,000 exhibiting startups. It is precisely to meet this scenario that the Startup Summit Global takes place. The proposal is to bring Brazilian businesses closer to investors and representatives of innovation ecosystems from other countries, and thus create opportunities that can continue after the three-day event. One of the examples that shows the strength of this type of connection comes from Carbon Smart, from Chapecó (SC). The company developed a platform aimed at trading carbon credits and offers solutions for companies that consume, sell, operate or invest in clean energy. Before looking for new markets, he participated in the Export Qualification Program (PEIEX), carried out by Sebrae in partnership with ApexBrasil. Afterwards, the startup participated in a business mission to Hannover Messe, in Germany. For Gabriel Bugança, from Carbon Smart, the experience helped the company understand the requirements of international markets and compare the solution developed in Chapecó with technologies from other countries. "PEIEX made it possible to structure internal processes with international standards, reviewing governance, pricing and competitive positioning before crossing borders" he states. On the mission to Germany, Carbon Smart had contact with international energy and sustainability companies and solutions. One of the lessons learned was the importance of traceability and technical rigor to access markets such as Europe and North America. According to Bugança, Brazil has the potential to occupy space in this market due to its capacity to generate clean energy and the availability of environmental assets. Carbon Smart's expansion occurred organically, with reinvestment of revenue generated by the operation itself. For the company, one of the challenges of growing from Chapecó is expanding access to global networks of investors, partners and customers. The Startup Summit 2026, which will be held between the 26th and 28th of August, in CentroSul (Photo: Disclosure) Startup from SC brought forward international expansion plan Another company from Santa Catarina whose international strategy was accelerated based on connections in the Sebrae ecosystem is ads2in. Officially founded in July 2024, the company developed a platform aimed at generating demand for B2B businesses, through advertisements, content production, social selling, LinkedIn data and artificial intelligence. The approach to the international market gained strength during participation in Startup SC and on a mission to the Web Summit Lisboa, in Portugal. It was at the event that the company began testing the possibility of taking the product to other countries. According to Camila Hort, partner at ads2in, the experience allowed us to talk to entrepreneurs from different markets and evaluate the acceptance of the solution outside Brazil. "With Sebrae, we went to the Web Summit Lisboa, which was where we began to understand the international market," he says. The experience made the company bring forward its internationalization goal from 2030 to 2026. This year, ads2in also became part of an international operation, with the possibility of serving customers in Portuguese, English and Spanish. The next step will be to return to Web Summit Lisboa with the product already validated for international marketing. Guarantee your ticket to the Startup Summit to get to know these and other Santa Catarina businesses up close.