The Institute of Technology and Leadership, widely known as Inteli, has built a reputation as a Brazilian counterpart to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology because of its focus on training entrepreneurs and leaders. The institution, created by BTG Pactual partners André Esteves and Roberto Sallouti, announced a new partnership with Volpe Capital, a venture capital firm founded by Milena Oliveira and André Maciel. The collaboration aims to strengthen student entrepreneurship through mentoring, a physical workspace, and early-stage financial support.
A Partnership Focused on Early-Stage Ventures
The agreement includes the creation of a physical hub where students can develop business ideas with practical support and direct contact with investors. It also provides access to mentors and connections to the Brazilian venture capital ecosystem, and selected projects may receive seed capital that arrives before traditional angel funding. According to Volpe Capital cofounder Milena Oliveira, the objective is to remain close to exceptional professionals who are being prepared across different technical and leadership skills.
How Inteli Built an Entrepreneurship Track
Inteli introduced its entrepreneurship track to give students an alternative to conventional academic coursework and completion projects. The institution now offers academic, corporate, and entrepreneurial paths that allow students to align their final work with clear career and market goals. The first graduating class produced ventures such as Hakutaku, an artificial intelligence platform for company decisions, IKKB, a financial technology company, and Cloak, a privacy infrastructure provider for the Solana blockchain.
A Center for Student Founders
The Founders Club, Inteli's entrepreneurship center, now supports more than fifteen companies created by students and alumni. Volpe Capital plans to help improve the space and make its ambitions more substantial over time by adding resources and industry expertise. The initiative positions the institution as a direct pipeline for new technology ventures in Brazil and a testing ground for ideas before they reach institutional investors.
Artificial Intelligence and the Volpe Capital Strategy
Volpe Capital was launched in 2021 and its first fund raised about US$100 million, with investments in sectors such as fintech, software as a service, health, education, and consumer technology. The firm, whose two funds were anchored by BTG Pactual, has backed companies including Caju, VTEX, UOL EdTech, and CRMBonus, while also investing in Mexican ventures Aplazo and Welbe. Its second fund is targeting US$100 million and is increasingly focused on artificial intelligence companies.
Expert Support for Artificial Intelligence Investments
To support this artificial intelligence focus, Volpe Capital created a committee with experts such as Grigori Somin, Jonatas Grosman, Felippe Piazza, and Igor Braga. The committee brings experience from companies and research centers including Google, PUC-Rio, Leap AI, and modell.ai. This guidance helps the firm identify promising artificial intelligence startups across Latin America and support founders with specialized technical insight.
Reinforcing Ties in São Paulo
The partnership was announced during Volpe Capital's annual dinner in São Paulo, where entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders discussed the regional technology landscape. Inteli CEO Maira Habimorad presented the institution's project-based learning model and noted that half of its students receive scholarships. B3 CEO Christian Egan also spoke about how artificial intelligence is transforming market infrastructure in Latin America.
The collaboration between Inteli and Volpe Capital signals a more integrated approach to developing technology talent and new ventures in Brazil. By combining academic project experience with venture capital expertise, the partnership can help early-stage founders move from concept to structured company. It also reflects a broader regional trend of connecting education, artificial intelligence, and investment to accelerate innovation and strengthen the local technology ecosystem.