Mission was part of the Brazilian Startups Worldwide (BSW) Program, which brought Espírito Santo indtechs to Hannover Messe 2025.

Mission accomplished. The Espírito Santo Research and Innovation Support Foundation (Fapes), represented by Rodrigo Varejão and Elton Moura, General Director and Innovation Director respectively, participated in Hannover Messe 2025, the world’s largest industrial technology fair, held in Germany in the first week of April. This European trip is part of the Brazilian Startups Worldwide (BSW) Program, created by Fapes to attract national and international technology investments to Espírito Santo in the areas of industry, agribusiness, retail, and impact (sustainability) ventures.

BSW is a partnership with the Mobilização Capixaba pela Inovação (MCI) and is implemented by FindesLab, which selected three Espírito Santo indtechs—Endelevo, Infinite Foundry, and Mogai—to participate in the mission through Brazilian Indtechs in Germany (BiG) 2025. The program brought innovation directors from Brazilian scale-ups to the event, allowing them to connect with the global market and gain direct access to the innovation ecosystem. Entrepreneurs also visited institutions and experienced cultural activities, broadening their understanding of the local market.

Rodrigo Varejão, Fapes General Director, highlighted the foundation’s support for initiatives that promote the internationalization of research and innovation in the state.

“The BSW program is an example of an initiative promoting international business missions for Espírito Santo startups. Fapes participates in this mission to expand partnerships with German institutions, given Germany’s strategic role in Europe and globally. These partnerships aim to open new doors for exchange and cooperation, supporting the internationalization of scientific and technological production in Espírito Santo,” Varejão explained.

“During the mission, we met with representatives from innovation hubs in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and with the director of the business school at Steinbeis University. We also held a meeting followed by a visit to the Fraunhofer Institute, specialized in photovoltaic energy and hydrogen research. In all these encounters, we identified real partnership opportunities that will be pursued in specific agendas upon our return to Brazil,” he added.

Innovation Director Highlights Interest from Startups in Espírito Santo

Also present at the Hannover mission, Elton Moura, Fapes Innovation Director, noted that BSW attracted attention from startups across Brazil, with many expressing interest in opening branches in Espírito Santo. “This is not only due to BSW but also because of the volume of calls we issue and our project portfolio,” he explained.

How BSW Works

The program supports startups in achieving international success in four verticals:

• Industry: IndTechs

• Commerce and Retail: RetailTechs

• Agribusiness: AgrifoodTechs

• Impact Ventures: ImpactTechs

Each mission takes place in a different country with an active innovation and technology ecosystem relevant to the vertical.

“Our idea is, for example, that Italy will host our AgrifoodTech mission, and Spain may host the ImpactTech mission. We are studying future destinations according to the vertical of each mission. All missions follow the same model: participation in a major industry event, training sessions, networking, mentorship, market connections, and cultural immersion,” said Elton Moura.

Moura also emphasized that all four missions are supported by the Brazilian Embassy. “For every mission, embassy representatives accompany us. It is important to note that BSW is directly linked to the Innovation Diplomacy Program (PDI) of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which aims to promote Brazil’s image as an innovative nation,” he concluded.

Press Contact:
Fapes Communication Office
Samantha Nepomuceno / Igor Gonçalves
(27) 3636-1867 / 3636-1858
comunicacao@fapes.es.gov.br