This stage also includes the publication of the Draft Cooperation Agreement and the TRL evaluation form for the pre-selected startups
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) released this Friday, 19, the list of the 10 startups selected from the 32 registered to advance to the next selection phase for the pilot edition of CNPEM’s DeepTech Acceleration Program (PACE), an unprecedented initiative of the Center aimed at boosting the growth of Brazilian technology-based startups. Check out the list of selected startups, in alphabetical order:
- AG3 Research and Experimental Development
- BIO.INN
- Bioinfood Biotechnology Solutions
- FABNS – Nano-solutions Factory and Holdings
- Future Cow Technologies
- Gonexter
- NAIAD Computational Drug Development
- Noviga Partner Trade and Services
- PEPTIDUS Biotechnological Development
- Vyro Biotherapeutics Research and Development of Biotechnological Products
In the first selection phase, a committee formed by invited internal and external members analyzed the Work Plan for the acceleration and the Business Case, based on 9 criteria defined in the Call for Proposals, including compatibility of the technology with the thematic areas of the call for proposals and CNPEM’s infrastructures, innovation potential and differentials of the solution, target market potential and viability of the business model.
In the second and final selection stage, the assessment will consist of an analysis of tax, financial, and legal compliance documents, a technology readiness level (TRL) assessment, and a face-to-face pitch presentation. Only deeptechs that comply with the tax, financial, and legal regularization documents, and whose TRL assessment proves that their solutions have a readiness level greater than or equal to 3, will be eligible to present a pitch, no longer than seven minutes, to a committee of CNPEM experts and external guests. The list of eligible startups will be released on June 21, 2024.
About Pace
PACE was launched in October 2023 and received applications from 32 startups from 7 Brazilian states and the Federal District, including Bahia, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. The deeptechs were drawn to the possibility of accessing the know-how of research and development specialists and access to CNPEM’s facilities. The companies will be accompanied by teams dedicated to the success of the challenges presented.
“PACE has the potential to increase the success rates of innovative deeptechs, accelerating the resolution of their technological challenges, by offering access to one of the most sophisticated research, development, and innovation centers in Latin America, aimed at solving complex challenges in strategic sectors for the country. CNPEM is a favorable environment for deeptechs to reach the market faster,” says Patricia Magalhães, manager of CNPEM’s Innovation Office.
The startups selected for PACE will receive specialized technical support and free access to state-of-the-art R&D infrastructure. They will only cover the cost of consumables and inputs used in the project. They will have leverage of technological readiness by at least one TRL level, execution of a work plan within 24 months, and evaluation by CNPEM’s technical team and acceleration team, with ongoing monitoring.
The deeptechs that applied to PACE submitted projects in the following areas:
- Biorenewables and industrial biotechnology
- Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
- Engineering and technology
- Drugs and biopharmaceuticals
- Nanotoxicology and Nanosafety
- Renewable Materials
- Micro and Nano Manufacturing of Sensors and Devices
In line with the current schedule published in version 3 of the notice, the next stages of PACE involve:
Activity |
Date |
| Deadline for submitting the tax, financial, and legal compliance documentation and the TRL evaluation form completed by those shortlisted for Phase 2 | 10/05/2024 |
| Final list of startups validated in the TRL analysis to proceed to Phase 2 | 21/06/2024 |
| Phase 2 pitch presentations | 01/07/2024 |
| Release of the results of the selected startups | 12/07/2024 |
| Signing of the Cooperation Agreement | 13/07 to 19/07/2024 |
| Start of the Program – kick-off meeting | 24/07/2024 |
About CNPEM
A sophisticated and effervescent environment for research and development, unique in Brazil and present in few scientific centers in the world, the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is a private non-profit organization, under the supervision of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). The Center operates four National Laboratories and is the birthplace of the most complex project in Brazilian science – Sirius – one of the most advanced synchrotron light sources in the world. CNPEM brings together highly specialized multi-thematic teams, globally competitive laboratory infrastructures open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects in partnership with the productive sector and training of researchers and students. The Center is an environment driven by the search for solutions with impact in the areas of Health, Energy and Renewable Materials, Agro-environment, and Quantum Technologies. As of 2022, with the support of the Ministry of Education (MEC), CNPEM expanded its activities with the opening of the Ilum School of Science. The interdisciplinary higher course in Science, Technology and Innovation adopts innovative proposals with the aim of offering excellent, free, full-time training with immersion in the CNPEM research environment. Through the CNPEM 360 Platform, it is possible to explore, in a virtual and immersive way, the main environments and activities of the Center, visit: https://pages.cnpem.br/cnpem360/.
