A group of 40 tech companies from the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina has been selected for the first cohort of the Acate Global Ready internationalization program, according to the Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA). The program was developed by the Santa Catarina Technology Association (Acate) in partnership with the Conestoga College Centre for Entrepreneurship (CEC) in Canada, with priority target markets including China, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, the United States, Latin America, and Europe.
According to Acate, the initiative prepares businesses for foreign expansion through expert-led online training. The 20-hour curriculum runs over seven weeks and includes six weeks of 12 workshops focused on go-to-market (GTM) strategy, regional intelligence for priority jurisdictions, and individual mentoring sessions to establish an executive GTM plan.
Henrique Bilbao, Acate's vice president of internationalization, stated that the selected businesses maintain established operations in Brazil and possess the necessary structure to compete in global markets. Lisandro Vieira, director of Acate Global, described the program as a structured entry point for international expansion within the Acate network, giving participants access to partner hubs across more than 15 countries.
Acate serves as the industry association for the technology sector in Santa Catarina, managing initiatives such as the Miditec incubator, the LinkLab open innovation lab, and various regional innovation facilities. The organization represents more than 2,000 member companies across eight technology hubs and operates an international hub in Canada to assist companies with overseas expansion.
Sources
- Agência de Notícias Brasil-Árabe - ANBA · 2026-10-23
