About Acate

Back in 1986, a group of pioneering entrepreneurs joined forces to strengthen the technology sector and support emergent businesses in the Greater Florianópolis area.  ACATE’s business model proposed the creation of a hub of companies located closely to each other, which could facilitate the exchange of experiences and opportunities, in addition to generating a true innovative ecosystem.

The Association enabled new entrepreneurs, as well as other professionals already active in other sectors, to start their own companies and launch a technology hub, which  would be recognized as one of the strongest in Brazil and Latin America in the following decades.

In 1998, the MIDITEC incubator was created with resources provided by Sebrae Santa Catarina, being ACATE responsible for its overall management. During two decades of operations, the incubator assisted more than 100 companies to get started, being voted the best in the country from time to time, according to Anprotec.

In the 2000s, the entity began to gain momentum with the growth of the technology sector and the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs across Santa Catarina. A milestone in the history of ACATE’s success was the creation of the Business Verticals, an innovative model that connects companies operating in the same segment, promoting integration, partnerships and new projects.

The Association was also responsible for the creation of projects, such as Geração Tec (Tec Generation), which proposed to build up a skilled IT workforce; and the Juro Zero Empreendedor; in addition to assisting the public power in Florianopolis to implement the first Innovation Laws in the country.

In 2015, a new era for the technology ecosystem in Santa Catarina began with the inauguration of the Acate Primavera Innovation Center – an inspiring environment that gathers  companies of varying sizes, promoting events and new projects, such as LinkLab (a lab managed by major companies interested in establishing connections with startups); the Anjo Investors Network; thematic groups (Internationalization, Human Resources, Investments, Women, etc); the ACATE Observatory, which presents a complete overview of the IT sector in Santa Catarina; among other initiatives.

These were the first 30 years.
Join ACATE and help us write the next chapters of the technology industry in Santa Catarina.