Sectet holds Demoday for final project presentations of the TechEmpreendedor Call
The initiative aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in Pará by selecting five startups that will receive economic subsidies.
On May 5 and 6, the Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher, Professional and Technological Education (Sectet) held the Demoday event at the Innovation Auditorium, located in the Science and Technology Park (PCT Guamá). The event marks the conclusion of the Tech Entrepreneur call. The initiative aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in Pará by selecting five startups that will receive an economic subsidy of R$ 80,000 each to boost their businesses.
The Demoday is the culmination of a process that involved training, mentoring, and networking, preparing entrepreneurs to present their projects to an evaluation panel composed of specialists and investors. In the end, the five best businesses will be chosen, which after evaluation of the presentations within 30 days will receive financial support from Sectet to scale their innovative solutions.
For the Deputy Secretary of Sectet, Keynes Silva, the program reaffirms the State's commitment to encouraging local entrepreneurship. "Investing in startups is investing in the future of Pará. The Tech Entrepreneur demonstrates that, with training and support, our entrepreneurs are capable of creating innovative, sustainable solutions that generate jobs. The Demoday represents not only the end of a stage but the beginning of a new phase for the selected projects," he emphasized.
The Demoday will feature a diverse program, including panels, lectures, and presentations of the finalist projects. At the end of the event, the five best-rated projects will be awarded financial resources from Sectet, contributing to a more innovative, competitive, and sustainable environment in the Pará economy.
Among the participants of the call, stories of overcoming, innovation, and regional impact stand out. Entrepreneur Ewelyn Silva, founder of Click Vet, shares her growth experience throughout the program. "I am the founder of Click Vet, a pet industry startup, born in Belém. After a long journey with training and mentoring, we managed to apply everything we learned directly in the company. We summarized months of learning into five minutes of pitch at the Demoday. If we are selected, I already have everything planned: we will launch version 01 of our app and invest in marketing to strengthen the brand. All this to offer more convenience to pet owners," she explained.
Beatriz Ornela, an entrepreneur leading two businesses, highlighted the transformative impact of the program: "Being in Startup Pará is a unique opportunity. We started with a small project and, during the program, we had access to a network of contacts and knowledge that might have taken us years to acquire. Today we have Combinô, a circular fashion startup, and Texbi, a reverse logistics company for textile waste. If we are awarded the R$ 80,000, we will invest in digital infrastructure for the Combinô app and in machinery for Texbi, consolidating our businesses in the region," she stated.
For Renato Cortez, coordinator of StartUp Pará, it is an important moment for the entrepreneurs who made it to the end of the call. "The Tech Entrepreneur call was a turning point for our project. The mentoring opened our minds to strategies we never imagined. Reaching the Demoday is a victory and a great opportunity to showcase what we have built with so much effort," he concludes.
Startup Pará is an initiative of the State Government that assists in the development of innovative ideas and companies, developed by the Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher, Professional and Technological Education (Sectet). The program is a state strategy for technology-based entrepreneurship.
Text: Carla Couto – Ascom Sectet
