ACATE – INNOVATION HUB
https://www.acate.com.br/

Rod. José Carlos Daux – SC 401, 4120 – km 4
Bairro Saco Grande, Florianópolis – SC
88032-005
48 2107 2700

The Santa Catarina Technology Association is the main representative of innovative entrepreneurship in Santa Catarina. Our mission is to support the local ecosystem from end to end, from startups to large companies, generating connections that strengthen the technology sector in the state.

We represent more than 1500 associates in the 10 innovation and technology hubs of Santa Catarina, we manage a network of Innovation Centers in Florianópolis and we are also present in other regions: our offices in São Paulo and Boston (USA) are open to Santa Catarina companies that They need support and structure.

In the capital of Santa Catarina, we are located at the ACATE Primavera Innovation Center (on SC-401, the “Innovation Route”), at CIA Downtown, in the city center, and also at CIA Sapiens, located in the Sapiens Parque technology park, in the North of the Island.

More than an associative entity, ACATE is a support, training and inspiration network for entrepreneurs: our MIDITEC incubator, created 20 years ago, was chosen as one of the 5 best in the world and has already helped to form hundreds of companies and generate thousands of jobs. Business Verticals connect entrepreneurs in their respective segments and help foster new projects and initiatives.

Thematic Groups consist of discussion groups on transversal themes, which are of interest to associated technology companies, regardless of the segment in which the company operates. LinkLab is the first open innovation laboratory in the state that places large companies and startups side by side. The Angel Investor Network (RIA SC) has already connected dozens of people interested in investing resources in innovative companies, also helping entrepreneurs seek resources and connections to expand their businesses.

ACATE actively participates with public authorities in the search for solutions and projects that improve the entrepreneurial and business environment in Santa Catarina. We are partners with several entities that work with the same purpose, we support events and initiatives that value the state’s technology sector.

Working in several areas:
Agribusiness
Accounting area
Juridical area
Commercial automation
Aviation
Banks and Finance
Education
Energy
Engineering and Construction
Entertainment
Electronic/Electrical Equipment
Business management
Corporate governance
Electronic Government
Industry
Hardware and Network Infrastructure
Internet and Services
Game
Media
Electronic Business
Health
Information security
Socio-environmental
Embedded Software
Software Outsourcing
Telecommunications

OUR STORY

In 1986, a group of pioneering entrepreneurs in the technology area in Greater Florianópolis came together in favor of a project to strengthen the sector and support the emergence of new businesses. This is how the Santa Catarina Technology Association emerged, in a condominium model of companies that, close to each other, could exchange experiences and opportunities, in addition to generating a true innovation ecosystem.

It was thanks to the emergence of the Association that new entrepreneurs, in addition to professionals who already worked in other sectors, were encouraged to create their own companies and start a technology hub that, in the following decades, would be recognized as one of the strongest in Brazil and Latin America.

In 1998, the MIDITEC incubator was created, with resources from Sebrae Santa Catarina and managed by ACATE. Over these two decades of operation, the incubator helped create more than 100 companies and was sometimes voted the best in the country according to Anprotec.

Starting in the 2000s, the entity began to gain strength with the growth of the technology sector in the state and the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs. A milestone in ACATE’s history was the creation of Business Verticals, an innovative model that connects companies in the same segment and promotes integration, partnerships and new projects.

The Association was also responsible for the creation of projects such as Geração Tec, to train qualified labor in the IT sector, Juro Zero Empreendedor and helped the public authorities in the capital of Santa Catarina to develop one of the first Innovation Laws in the country.

In 2015, the inauguration of the Acate Primavera Innovation Center marked a new moment in the Santa Catarina technology ecosystem: an inspiring environment, which brings together companies of various sizes, led to the generation of numerous events and new projects for the Association, such as LinkLab (a laboratory maintained by large companies interested in connecting with startups), the Thematic Groups (Internationalization, Investments, ACATE Startups, ACATE Women and Angel Investor Network – RIA) and the ACATE Observatory, which presents a complete overview of the IT sector in Santa Catarina, among other initiatives.

These were just the first 30 years.

Join ACATE and help write the next chapters of the technology sector in Santa Catarina.