Text: Maxi Media Communication
Image: Disclosure/Amaz
A pioneer in investing in and accelerating impactful businesses in the Amazon, Amaz Impact Accelerator, coordinated by the Institute for Conservation and Development of the Amazon (Idesam), is the only Brazilian initiative among the finalists of the... GAEA (Giving to Amplify Earth Action) Awards 2026, an international award from the World Economic Forum that recognizes innovative solutions to global climate challenges.
The GAEA Awards evaluates organizations from different countries and sectors that demonstrate scalable solutions to global climate challenges. The award recognizes innovative collaborations across multiple sectors (public, private, and philanthropic) that address systemic changes related to climate and nature.
In the inaugural edition, held last year, five pioneering initiatives were awarded in different categories. Among the winners are Built by Nature (BbN), a network to promote the use of sustainable wood and other natural materials in construction, reducing the sector's carbon footprint, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), a philanthropic union between the public and private sectors to accelerate access to clean energy and promote a just energy transition.
The award process includes nomination, selection, and final shortlisting phases. Winners don't just receive a trophy; upon being awarded, they join the GAEA community, gain visibility, connect with potential partners, and gain access to the Forum's platforms to amplify their impact.
“We are very happy to be shortlisted for the award among so many relevant initiatives worldwide. This recognition goes to all the entrepreneurs in our ecosystem who work to conserve and restore forests and improve the lives of thousands of people, making the bioeconomy a reality every day in the Amazon,” notes Mariano Cenamo, CEO of Amaz and co-founder of Idesam, the Institute for Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon, which has been working in the Brazilian Amazon for over 20 years and coordinates the Amaz Impact Accelerator.
Amaz supports businesses operating in diverse areas ranging from logistics to technological and innovative solutions.
Amaz celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2025 with impressive numbers: it evaluated over 500 potential startups, accelerated 52 businesses, invested in 29 companies, and maintains 16 active companies in its portfolio.
The businesses accelerated by Amaz operate in different sectors of the Amazonian bioeconomy, such as sustainable logistics, food, fashion and indigenous art, natural cosmetics, community-based tourism, environmental regeneration, and technological and innovative solutions that have benefited 1,959 families and 45 social organizations and generated, in 2024 alone, R$ 4 million in payments to partners in the Brazilian Amazon.
The portfolio is intentionally diverse, reflecting the multiple stages of maturity and territorial profiles of the region. The accelerator operates through a blended finance model, which combines philanthropic and private resources.
The journey to creating the accelerator began in 2018 with an Idesam pilot program called Partners for the Amazon (PPA), which supported more than 30 businesses focused on the bioeconomy, sustainable production chains, and waste management. The program evolved into the current structure of the accelerator, which, through its first fund, carried out three business acceleration cycles via call for proposals and initiated direct investments.
“The great differentiator of Amaz is really being a business accelerator with many years of experience in the Amazon, due to the work developed by Idesam for over 20 years in the region. This learning has allowed us to develop processes and solutions for the impact ecosystem, from the operational aspects of the businesses to the more resilient type of investment that these types of ventures demand,” analyzes Gabriela Sousa, operations leader at Amaz.
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