BitS: Fapes Promotes National Mission for Brazilian and Espírito Santo Impact Techs at Smart City Expo Curitiba 2026

Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, was selected based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Fapes and Fundação Araucária.

Between March 24 and 27, three companies from Espírito Santo participated in an innovation mission promoted by the Espírito Santo Research and Innovation Support Foundation (Fapes). This was the national edition of Brazilian Impact Techs in Spain (BitS), an international mission that took place in the second half of 2025 in Spain and was supported by Fapes through the Brazilian Startups Worldwide (BSW) Program.

The national mission is part of the BitS call launched by FindesLab in partnership with Fapes, Mobilização Capixaba pela Inovação (MCI), and BCome Global in 2025, which selected Brazilian and Espírito Santo-based impact techs for the mission to Spain. The initiative aimed to accelerate the development of startups that had already undergone internationalization, expanding their connections in regions across Brazil identified by Fapes as strategic.

The delegation traveled to Curitiba (Paraná), where it participated in an intensive program during Smart City Expo Curitiba 2026, considered the largest smart cities event in the Americas.

During the program, the companies took part in immersion activities at Pinhão Hub and Smart21 Announcements, the official kickoff of the mission with the Curitiba Agency for Development and Innovation (Ag.Cwb), and technical visits to the Curitiba Institute for Urban Research and Planning (IPPUC), Digital Wall, Urban Farm, and Hypervision.

The agenda also included a full day dedicated to business matchmaking, pitch sessions, and networking activities at the Fundação Araucária booth during the event. On the final day, the delegation engaged in industrial networking and conducted a technical visit to the Industry Technology Park of the Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná (FIEP).

One of the Espírito Santo companies participating in the mission was GreenWay, an impact tech dedicated to developing sustainable solutions through microalgae biotechnology, focusing on decarbonization and circular economy strategies. According to Mariana Cricco, Commercial Director of the company, “the national mission opened valuable opportunities for strategic decision-making and demonstrated, in practice, how Fapes’ support contributes to the recognition and acceleration of startups from Espírito Santo.”

“Through our pitch, we were able to present our business model, connect with relevant players, approach potential partners, and participate in rounds that have already turned into real business opportunities. Taking part in the mission opened important paths for GreenWay and reinforced how essential it is to be in an environment with qualified networking to drive growth,” added Mariana Cricco.

Fapes–Fundação Araucária Partnership

Fapes signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Paraná State Research Foundation after hosting a workshop in Vitória, at the Foundation’s headquarters, with the participation of representatives from Fundação Araucária’s internationalization team.

“Internationalization has been one of the priorities of the current Fapes administration due to its role in strengthening research in Espírito Santo and supporting innovative ventures in the state,” said Rodrigo Varejão, Director-General of Fapes.

“In this context, we sought a partnership with Fundação Araucária, the research foundation of Paraná, which is recognized as a reference in this field. Together, we established an agreement of intent to exchange experiences and best practices, with the goal of developing joint internationalization initiatives in both research and innovation,” explained Varejão.

Through this MoU, Fapes coordinated the participation of Brazilian and Espírito Santo-based impact techs in the national BitS mission during Smart City Expo Curitiba 2026.

What is BSW?

The Brazilian Startups Worldwide (BSW) Program, created by Fapes, supports startups in achieving international success across four verticals:

• Industry, through industrial tech companies (indtechs)
• Commerce and Retail, through retail tech companies
• Agribusiness, through agrifood tech companies
• Impact Businesses, through impact tech companies

Each mission is carried out in a different country with an active innovation and technology ecosystem related to the selected vertical.

“Our idea is that Italy, for example, will be the country where we take agrifood tech companies. We are studying the next destinations based on the vertical of each mission. The model will always include participation in a major sector event, training sessions, networking, mentoring, connections with the local market, and cultural immersion,” explained Elton Moura, Fapes Director of Innovation.

Moura also emphasized that all missions are supported by Brazilian embassies:

“It is important to highlight that BSW is directly connected to the Innovation Diplomacy Program (PDI) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which aims to promote Brazil’s image as an innovative nation,” he added.

Press Information:
Fapes Communications Office
Samantha Nepomuceno | Igor Gonçalves
+55 (27) 3636-1867 | +55 (27) 3636-1858
comunicacao@fapes.es.gov.br