Impulsiona Startups is a social open innovation program from Serasa Experian, designed for startups that have already validated their solutions and are looking to enhance their growth trajectory. The initiative aims to connect entrepreneurs with mentorships, strategic connections, and business development opportunities to scale solutions that generate a positive impact for thousands of Brazilians. The program is offered free of charge and focuses on fostering innovation with a purpose, particularly in areas that can address significant societal challenges such as financial instability and access to healthcare.
Program Focus Areas
• Health Innovation: Seeking startups that expand access to healthcare for Brazilians facing barriers. The focus is on technological solutions for prevention, democratization of health access, and efficient management of health businesses, including areas like mental health, longevity, and digital health.
• Conduct and Management of Non-Financial and ESG Risks: Looking for startups that assist small and medium-sized businesses in adopting more integral, transparent, and responsible practices. The program seeks tech solutions that facilitate the management of ESG, reputational, and legal risks for third-party analysis and monitoring, strengthening the ESG agenda in companies.
• Income Generation with AI: Searching for AI-driven solutions that increase the financial autonomy of informal workers, self-employed individuals, and small entrepreneurs. This includes platforms for productive inclusion, entrepreneurship, and training, as well as initiatives that reduce essential living costs for Brazilian families.
Eligibility and Application Criteria
• Corporate Status: Applicants must be formally constituted startups with a CNPJ (Brazilian company registration number).
• Business Stage: Must have active clients and revenue for over two years, with a solution in the validation or traction stage.
• Program Alignment: The startup's solution must be aligned with at least one of the program's focus areas.
• Location: Must be headquartered anywhere within Brazilian territory.
• Application Deadline: Submissions are accepted until 11:59 PM on August 30, 2026, through the official program website.
Ineligibility Conditions
• Startups in the ideation phase (without a developed product) or scale-ups (already scaled with significant revenue) are not eligible.
• Companies without a direct or indirect social impact in their initiatives will not be considered.
• Startups with founders, partners, or legal representatives classified as Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) are excluded.
• Companies whose partners have pending legal issues cannot participate.
• Startups formally linked to competitors of Serasa Experian (through investment, acceleration, or other relationships) are ineligible.
Acceleration Journey and Timeline
The program spans up to seven months and is divided into two phases for the selected startups.
• Program Timeline:
• Applications: July 2026 to September 2026
• Phase 1: October 2026 to January 2027
• Phase 2: February 2027 to March 2027
• Demoday: April 2027
• Phase 1 (Up to 8 startups): Includes an individualized diagnosis, individual mentorships, collective workshops, and prototype or solution development, culminating in a Pitch Day.
• Phase 2 (Up to 6 startups): Features continued mentorships and workshops, further solution development, pitch training, and a final Demoday event.
Benefits for Selected Startups
• Equity-Free Investment: A total investment is provided without requiring any equity in return. Phase 1 provides R$30,000 for each of the eight selected startups. In Phase 2, an additional R$560,000 is divided among the six finalist startups based on performance.
• Executive Mentorships: Personalized monthly meetings with executives from Serasa Experian and market specialists.
• Collective Workshops: Monthly sessions with experts for knowledge exchange and networking.
• Access to Serasa Experian Products: Selected startups receive the possibility of free use of specific Serasa Experian solutions for 12 months.
• Additional Perks: A package of discounts, plans, subscriptions, and access to various tools and solutions to boost positive impact.
Selection Process
• Initial Screening: Applications are analyzed for eligibility.
• Specialized Analysis: The ACE Cortex team assesses the business's adherence to the program's focus areas.
• Technical Committee Evaluation: A pre-selection committee of professionals from Serasa Experian and ACE Cortex selects up to 12 startups for the Pitch Day.
• Pitch Day: An in-person event in São Paulo where the selected startups present to a panel, which then selects up to eight startups for the acceleration program.
• Final Announcement: The selected startups are publicly announced and notified via email.
This program represents a significant opportunity for impact-driven startups in Brazil to accelerate their growth and scale their solutions. By providing substantial equity-free funding, expert guidance, and access to a powerful network, Impulsiona Startups is committed to empowering entrepreneurs who are creating a better future. Startups that meet the criteria are encouraged to review the complete details and prepare their applications for this transformative journey.