Posts in category: News

Texto: MaxiMídia Comunicação

Photo: Disclosure Amaz

Gestora de operações da aceleradora, Gabriela Souza mediou debate sobre capital, políticas públicas e desafios para ampliar a escala dos negócios de impacto na região amazônica

A AMAZ, maior aceleradora e investidora de negócios de impacto voltados para a Amazônia Legal, idealizada e coordenada pelo Instituto de Conservação e Desenvolvimento Sustentável da Amazônia (Idesam), está participando ativamente da II Semana do Clima da Amazônia, que está sendo realizada em Belém (PA) entre os dias 29 de junho e 4 de julho.

Representando a organização, a gestora de operações da AMAZ e líder de Novos Negócios do Idesam, Gabriela Souza, mediou o painel “Sociobioeconomia e Financiamento”, que reuniu representantes do Ministério do Desenvolvimento Agrário e Agricultura Familiar (MDA), da Secretaria de Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade do Pará (Semas), do Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES), da Plataforma Parceiros pela Amazônia (PPA) e da Associação dos Negócios da Sociobioeconomia da Amazônia (Assobio).

Segundo Gabriela, o debate teve como eixo central a construção de um ambiente favorável para que empreendimentos da sociobioeconomia consigam crescer de maneira sustentável, contando com diferentes formas de apoio ao longo de sua trajetória.

“A ideia que eu trouxe para o painel foi discutir o financiamento da sociobioeconomia a partir da lente do contínuo de capital e das condições habilitantes, entendendo que precisamos criar infraestrutura para que negócios da sociobioeconomia e organizações sociais tenham sucesso, desde políticas públicas e financiamento até regularização fundiária e investimento adequado”, afirmou.

Ela destacou que duas palavras nortearam as discussões: adaptação e adequação. A proposta foi analisar como cada instituição participante atua dentro dessa lógica e de que forma diferentes instrumentos podem se complementar para fortalecer os empreendimentos amazônicos.

“O contínuo de capital é justamente pensar nas necessidades dos negócios em diversas frentes, desde recursos financeiros até capital relacional e técnico. É garantir que, da ideia inicial até a escala, não existam rupturas que levem esses empreendimentos a desaparecer por falta do apoio necessário em determinado momento”, explicou.

FIINSA

A mediadora também ressaltou a conexão do debate com o Fiinsa (Festival de Investimento de Impacto e Negócios Sustentáveis na Amazônia), iniciativa que reúne atores posicionados em diferentes etapas do financiamento à bioeconomia e busca construir soluções coletivas para o setor.

Gabriela afirmou que explanou sobre o Fiinsa e convidou os participantes a também fazer parte do evento, cuja 4ª edição acontece entre os dias 3 e 5 de novembro, em Manaus, sob a coordenação do Idesam e do Impact Hub Manaus, com a participação ativa da AMAZ.

A organização do painel seguiu a lógica do percurso do contínuo de capital, começando pelas políticas públicas federais, passando pelas estratégias estaduais e chegando aos instrumentos de financiamento e às experiências dos próprios empreendedores da região.

“A implementação está muito em evidência neste momento, especialmente por ser a segunda Semana do Clima realizada na Amazônia e a primeira após a COP. O debate agora é sobre prática, sobre como transformar compromissos em ações concretas”, observou Gabriela.

Desafios dos pequenos negócios

Durante o encontro, o presidente da Assobio, Paulo Reis, apresentou a perspectiva das pequenas e médias empresas da bioeconomia amazônica, sobretudo aquelas instaladas nos centros urbanos e que investem na agregação de valor e na verticalização da produção.

Segundo ele, um dos principais obstáculos ainda está relacionado ao modelo de financiamento disponível para os empreendedores da região.

“Precisamos rever a forma como o financiamento é realizado para que os empreendedores possam, de fato, trabalhar e focar nos seus negócios. Hoje, muitos recebem investimentos muito baixos, o que dificulta alcançar escala, inovar e prosperar economicamente”, afirmou.

Paulo Reis defendeu que o capital destinado ao setor assuma uma parcela maior dos riscos inerentes aos negócios de impacto e contribua para ampliar a agregação de valor dentro da própria Amazônia.

“A sugestão é trazer mais risco para o capital que deveria ser de risco, mas que muitas vezes investe pouco na agregação de valor dentro da região amazônica”, disse.

Ele também chamou atenção para a necessidade de ampliar o mercado consumidor dos produtos amazônicos, incentivando a valorização de itens que vão além das cadeias já consolidadas, como açaí e cacau.

“Atualmente, precisamos mobilizar um mercado que compre uma diversidade maior de produtos da Amazônia, e não apenas aqueles já tradicionais, especialmente no formato de matérias-primas”, destacou.

Amazônia no centro do debate climático

Para Paulo Reis, sediar uma Semana do Clima na Amazônia representa um avanço importante ao permitir que a própria região apresente suas soluções e desafios diante das mudanças climáticas.

Ele lembrou que eventos semelhantes costumam ocorrer em grandes centros internacionais, como Londres, Paris e Nova York, nem sempre conectados diretamente às realidades dos territórios mais impactados.

“Não existe lugar mais propício para discutir clima do que a Amazônia. Estamos falando de uma região fundamental para a conservação da natureza, para os recursos hídricos e para o equilíbrio climático do planeta, mas que também sofre diretamente os impactos das mudanças do clima”, afirmou.

Segundo o presidente da Assobio, o protagonismo amazônico nas discussões globais permite incorporar perspectivas locais frequentemente ausentes em fóruns internacionais.

“Precisamos ter espaço para trazer nossa opinião e nosso ponto de vista. Muitas vezes, essas discussões acontecem sob perspectivas do Norte Global ou de regiões já desenvolvidas. A Amazônia também precisa ser ouvida como território que enfrenta desafios, mas que, ao mesmo tempo, oferece soluções para o mundo”, concluiu.

Text: MaxiMedia

Photo: Courtesy of AmidoMato

A startup that develops derivatives of babassu flour was the only one selected in the 2025 Business Call, which concludes the cycle of the first investment fund from the largest impact business accelerator in the region. 

AmidoMato, a startup dedicated to the standardization and development of babassu flour derivatives for the food industry, is the winner of the AMAZ 2025 Business Call and will now be part of the portfolio of the impact accelerator coordinated by Idesam.  

This selection marks the end of a five-year cycle of investment and support for innovative ventures focused on the sustainable development of the Amazon. This year, the accelerator will not be launching a new Call for Businesses. 

AMAZ's investment complements AmidoMato's seed funding round, aimed at consolidating its production process and expanding its customer base. Founded in 2024, the startup raised R$ 2 million in a round that brought together three important investors: Grão Venture Capital, a founding partner of the business; RG Futures, the food innovation investment arm of RG ThinkFood; and Abunã, the investment arm of entrepreneurs Ilana and Denis Minev focused on initiatives in the Amazon. 

In addition to financial support, AmidoMato has strategic partners that strengthen its market presence. These include Griffith Foods, a multinational food company with which the startup signed its first major supply contract, and EBS, a company specializing in industrial technology for starches and flours. 

The company was founded by Eduardo Roxo, a biologist with a master's degree in Ecology and Agribusiness and an entrepreneur with extensive experience in Amazonian socio-biodiversity businesses. Co-founder of Atina, Mombora and Painel da Floresta, Roxo has worked with the babassu supply chain since 2007, when he participated in the development of babassu mesocarp flour for application in the cosmetics industry. 

AmidoMato aims to transform babassu mesocarp flour into a competitive ingredient against commodities widely used by the industry, such as wheat, corn, rice, and cassava. The proposal is to connect the abundant supply of raw materials existing in the Amazon and the Brazilian Mid-North to the growing global demand for flours, starches, and functional ingredients. 

The startup directly addresses historical bottlenecks in the babassu production chain, a palm tree that occupies approximately 15 million hectares between Bolivia and Northeast Brazil. Traditionally focused on extracting oil from the kernels, the chain makes little use of the fruit's mesocarp, which tends to deteriorate rapidly after falling to the ground. 

Among the main challenges faced by the sector are the irregular supply of raw materials, contamination resulting from traditional harvesting, and the lack of standardization of essential characteristics for the industry, such as particle size, color, fiber content, and technical performance. 

“Our goal is to make babassu flour a safe, competitive, and readily available product, a new option in the world of flours that isn't limited to the niche of forest products,” says Eduardo Roxo, founder of AmidoMato. “We aim to deliver a standardized product with high nutritional quality to the industry.” 

By integrating into AMAZ's portfolio, AmidoMato strengthens its growth strategy and expands its capacity to generate positive socio-environmental impact, contributing to the valorization of productive chains of Amazonian socio-biodiversity and to the creation of new economic opportunities from the standing forest. 

The role of AMAZ in advancing impact investing in the Amazon. 

In 2018, Idesam began working to strengthen impact businesses through its Acceleration Program. From 2018 to 2020, 30 businesses were accelerated and 12 received investments. With the maturation of the program came the accelerator; thus, in 2021, AMAZ was created and for the past five years has been dedicated to selecting and accelerating nascent businesses that provide impactful solutions for the Amazonian context.  

Over the years, the accelerator has accumulated valuable experience and is now a benchmark in the impact investing ecosystem, with impressive numbers such as: 500 startups evaluated, 52 accelerated, and 29 invested in, of which 16 remain active in its business portfolio.   

“In 2026 we will close the cycle of AMAZ's first fund. Our portfolio reflects the diversity of solutions needed for the Amazonian bioeconomy: forest restoration, innovation in ingredients and products, financial and logistical solutions. Over the next 5 years we will consolidate learnings, multiply support mechanisms and strengthen the businesses we invest in,” says Gabriela Souza, New Business Leader at Idesam and operations manager at AMAZ. 

Text: Maxi Media Communication

Image: Press release/AMAZ

At a time when discussions about bioeconomy, impact investing, and sustainable development in the Amazon are gaining depth, AMAZ Impact Accelerator participated in... Impacta Mais 2026 bringing to the center of the debate an increasingly urgent topic: the maturity of the impact investing ecosystem in the region and the necessary paths for its expansion.

Held in São Paulo, Impacta Mais is today the leading Brazilian event focused on impact investing and businesses, bringing together investors, companies, governments, foundations, universities, intermediary organizations, and entrepreneurs working to build socio-environmental solutions in the country.

Representing AMAZ at the event were Gabriela Santos, New Business Leader at Idesam, and Macaulay Abreu, co-founder and partner of Navegam and ForestiFi, both businesses of Accelerator portfolio. The two were part of the launch panel for the study "Structuring Impact Businesses and the complexity of support: the Vale Fund experience from 2020 to 2025", conducted by the Vale Fund in partnership with Pipe Social.

In addition to presenting data, the study proposes a reflection on the lessons learned over five years of supporting impact businesses and intermediary organizations, revealing the challenges of strengthening ventures operating in complex contexts, especially in the Amazon. Among the main points discussed were the need for more adaptable support models, the importance of understanding different levels of business maturity, and the strategic role of connections between organizations, investors, and entrepreneurs.

The discussion also reinforced the need to rethink the very logics of capital circulation within the impact economy, especially in territories like the Amazon, where the challenges demand different timelines, strategies, and instruments than traditional investment models.

“When we talk about democratization, we think about the different audiences that are working on this conservation and restoration agenda. We understand democratization to include everything from the formation of associations and cooperatives at the base of the production chains that keep the forest standing, to dynamic organizations and large-scale businesses,” pointed out Márcia Soares, Amazon and Partnerships Manager at the Vale Fund, who also participated in the debate.

According to Gabriela Santos, the discussion highlights an important shift in the very stage of development of the Amazonian ecosystem.

“Before, we were discussing a lot about what the bioeconomy was, how to build this ecosystem, and what the paths for these investments would be. Now, the discussion has changed levels. We already have structured entrepreneurs, a clearer vision of how to support these businesses, and the next step is to understand how we expand this ecosystem beyond the current niche, accessing new markets and investors capable of further enhancing the impact generated,” he highlighted.

The statement points to a transformation that has been collectively built in recent years: the shift from an ecosystem still focused on validating concepts to a scenario that is beginning to demand scale, articulation, and long-term sustainability. In this context, the strengthening of intermediary organizations, accelerators, and support programs is taking on a central role in connecting capital, technical knowledge, and local entrepreneurs.

Gabriela also highlighted the importance of a systemic vision for the development of the Amazonian bioeconomy, based less on isolated disputes and more on complementarity between initiatives.

“The Vale Fund has this very systemic position, of being able to look at various initiatives and the complementarity between them. There is an important lesson to be learned about how to work together, and not just in competition for resources,” he stated.

Macaulay Abreu's participation brought to the debate the practical perspective of someone who experiences the different cycles of impact business development within the Amazonian ecosystem. With a background linked to acceleration processes and support for ventures in the region, he emphasized how structured programs can directly influence the sustainability and evolution of businesses.

“"The study highlights how support programs are part of a business's development cycle and how important it is that they are aligned with both the maturity of the ecosystem and the maturity of the entrepreneurs involved," he explained.

Amaz's presence at Impacta Mais also coincides with a time when the organization itself has been deepening processes of review, systematization of learnings, and reflection on the role of so-called intermediary organizations in the Amazon.

The experience gained in recent years shows that developing impact businesses in the region requires strategies capable of addressing multiple complexities simultaneously: territorial challenges, market access, entrepreneurial training, connecting with investors, and strengthening local production chains.

Text: Maxi Media Communication

Image: Press release/AMAZ

In a scenario where AI is no longer a technology restricted to large companies and is beginning to reshape work routines, managers and impact entrepreneurs – working in the areas of food, cosmetics, fashion, crafts, and logistics in the Amazon – participated in a meeting promoted by AMAZ, an impact business accelerator coordinated by... Idesam, in partnership with Singulari Consulting to discuss the strategic use of artificial intelligence in business management. 

The meeting fostered reflection on innovation, organizational culture, data security, and the challenges of digital transformation in the Amazonian context. Gabriela Souza, Innovation Leader at Idesam and Operational Manager of AMAZ, highlighted the importance of broadening the debate on artificial intelligence among businesses supported by the accelerator, considering the different levels of familiarity with the tools. 

“AI has already been used in different ways within Amazon and also by the portfolio businesses. So this meeting was very much aimed at bringing this discussion to the table, promoting exchanges between entrepreneurs and understanding how these tools can be adapted to different realities and business models,” he stated. 

Throughout the program, Luciana Minev, co-founder of Singulari Consultoria, highlighted that artificial intelligence is already part of the routine of most organizations, although it is still used without strategic direction in many cases. 

“Today, 88% of organizations use artificial intelligence in some way. But only a small percentage of these projects generate real value for the business. Companies are using AI, but not yet in a strategic, structured, and secure way,” he stated. 

According to Luciana, the main challenge lies not only in accessing the tools, but in how people and organizations understand the role of AI within work processes. "Our understanding is that the adoption of AI is a matter of strategy and culture, not technology," she explained. 

She further highlighted that there are different ways to incorporate AI into business, ranging from acquiring platforms to strengthening the individual capabilities of teams. 

“"There is a path linked to the acquisition of technology, but there is another, less explored path that generates a lot of value, which is literacy and individual empowerment for the use of these tools," he said. 

Data Security and Digital Sovereignty  

The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss data security, digital sovereignty, and the impacts of technology on Amazonian territories. During the conversation, Tucum's CEO, Amanda Santana, drew attention to the problems of data circulation and the use of artificial intelligence in contexts related to the Amazon and indigenous peoples. 

“It’s important to maintain a critical perspective because this concerns national sovereignty, the sovereignty of territories, and the Amazon. When these technologies operate within indigenous territories, for example, there is also a discussion about data, collective intellectual property, and risks linked to biopiracy,” he stated. 

The exchanges fostered during the meeting also sparked new perspectives among the participating entrepreneurs, especially regarding the practical possibilities of using AI in daily business operations. Representing Manioca, Joanna Martins shared how her relationship with technology changed after closer contact with the tools. 

“It was great. It’s a whole new world. It’s almost like learning to read again,” she said. Joanna recounted that, despite initial resistance, she began to see new possibilities through practical experimentation. 

“At first I resisted a bit because I didn’t understand that we needed to feed the tool. But when I started teaching it, it began to make sense and made life much easier. Today I use it a lot at Manioca and the Institute, mainly for research and conversations. And you have opened up another universe here that I will begin to explore,” he stated. 

Amaz drives impact businesses in the Amazon. 

The activity was part of the agenda to strengthen the businesses supported by Amaz Impact Accelerator, which works to promote ventures committed to the sustainable development of the Amazon region. 

Through mentorship, strategic connections, training, and specialized support, the accelerator supports businesses that combine innovation, socio-environmental impact, and the appreciation of the territories and knowledge of the Amazon.

Text: Maxi Media Communication
Image: Courtesy of Manioca

On National Cassava Day, the maniac, A leading company from Pará state specializing in socio-biodiversity ingredients, and part of the AMAZ Impact Accelerator portfolio, celebrates the success of a strategy that combined tradition and market vision: the repositioning of Tucupi Preto as the Amazonian Shoyu. The change in nomenclature and visual identity, consolidated in the 2025 rebranding, resulted in a 35% growth in product sales.

The strategy follows the growth of businesses that transform socio-biodiversity assets into value-added products, expanding the presence of Amazonian flavors on supermarket shelves in major urban centers and connecting tradition, innovation, and regional identity.

The name change to 'Amazonian soy sauce' was not a decision made in a laboratory, but a response to consumer behavior. According to Joanna Martins, founder of Manioca, customers already naturally associated the color, intense flavor, and culinary function of black tucupi with oriental soy sauce.

“The idea came from feedback from the customers themselves. During the rebranding in 2025, we understood that it was time to make it easier for consumers outside of the Amazon to understand,” explains Joanna.

The product combines notes of sweetness, acidity, smokiness, and umami – the fifth taste that helps make everything tastier. "Tucupi is a central representative of umami, which is also present in cheeses and other fermented foods," adds Joanna Martins.

The distinguishing feature of Amazonian shoyu is its naturalness, as it contains only 3 ingredients: cassava, water, and salt – and up to 80% less sodium than traditional shoyus, in the light version – while industrialized soy sauces sold in Brazil contain up to 11 ingredients.

Celebrated on April 22nd, Cassava Day was created to highlight the historical, cultural, and economic importance of this root crop to Brazil. The date chosen by Embrapa coincides with the discovery of Brazil and emphasizes that cassava was already the staple food of the indigenous peoples who lived here when the Portuguese caravels arrived on the northeastern coast.

Roots in the forest

The commercial success of "forest soy sauce" is directly reflected at the base of the production pyramid. Through the Raízes Program, Manioca establishes partnerships with 23 family farmers in Pará, offering technical support and addressing the producers' needs.

“It’s always a two-way street. We help the supplier to have better quality cassava, and they deliver an input that adds value to our final product,” highlights the CEO of Manioca. This supply chain governance is one of the pillars of impact investing and has attracted the attention of strategic investors and partners such as the multinational Ajinomoto.

Manioca's trajectory exemplifies the maturing investment ecosystem in the Amazon. Supported by Idesam, which coordinates the AMAZ Impact Accelerator, the company was one of the pioneers to participate in the acceleration program in 2019.

For Gabriela Souza, head of new business at Idesam, Manioca is today a benchmark of resilience. “We have followed the strengthening of the business, from structuring the supply chain to global partnerships. Manioca today reflects how robust governance and intentional capital can scale Amazonian solutions,“ she states.

Innovation in the label, tradition in the essence.

Manioca presents tucupi not as an exotic ingredient, but as a versatile seasoning for everyday cooking — from risotto to ceviche — and to break down the barrier of "haute cuisine," the company launched a recipe e-book that teaches how to use tucupi in simple dishes, such as rice with broccoli or chicken with coconut milk.

The goal is clear: to transform tucupi into an indispensable item in the Brazilian pantry, proving that forest conservation can — and should — have a familiar and accessible flavor.

Text: Maxi Media Communication

Image: Press release

Networking with high-impact entrepreneurs and technology to connect with local impact entrepreneurs is the definitive strategic step to scale the bioeconomy. Four months after the historic COP 30 in Belém, efforts to convert global commitments into local results are gaining new momentum. To refine this connection, Endeavor is conducting an exclusive immersion program with executives and investors in Manaus and Novo Airão, consolidating the legacy of partnerships from the climate conference.

The initiative has the technical collaboration of Idesam, an organization that has been leading the transition to a regenerative economic model in the region for two decades. The event is held in partnership with Impact Hub Manaus and Singulari, with strategic sponsorship from Sebrae.

Idesam's participation in the immersion program highlights the robustness of the solutions developed to unlock the potential of the forest and strengthen local communities. The focus is on income generation through the union of scientific rigor and the wisdom of traditional populations. As one of the main articulators in the sector, Idesam brings to the meeting the accumulated learning gained through the PPBio (Priority Program for Bioeconomy), of AMAZ Accelerator Impact and Zôma — a forest-based business generator officially launched during FIINSA at COP 30.

“Our participation in the immersion program reinforces Idesam's role as a bridge between scientific knowledge, venture capital, and local entrepreneurs. With over 20 years of presence in the region, we are deeply connected to the territory and understand the real challenges faced by those who do business here. After all, the 'time of the forest' has its own dynamic, distinct from the time of the traditional financial market,‘ emphasizes Renato Rebelo, coordinator of Zoma.

Regional Programming and Strengthening

The agenda began last Thursday with a round of networking between executives invited by Endeavor and local startups at the Cassina Innovation Center, a historical and technological landmark in Manaus. This Friday, the group visited the Amazon Biobusiness Center (CBA) and the Business Incubation and Development Center (CIDE). Over the weekend, activities move to Novo Airão, where investors will learn firsthand about the challenges and potential of businesses related to community-based tourism and the sustainable cosmetics market.

“An entrepreneur is someone who believes in a dream and has the mindset to grow quickly, but, in our context, this growth must be accompanied by generating a positive impact on people's lives. We are here to open paths and facilitate connections, investing so that this engine keeps turning,” observes Daniella Mello, Director of Communication and Partnerships at Endeavor.

Impact at the grassroots level and global visibility.

For those doing business in the Amazon, maintaining this ecosystem of connections is vital, especially in the post-COP 30 scenario. One of the great legacies of the global conference was precisely to position forest-based businesses in an unprecedented international showcase.

“These exchanges are fundamental. Often we already know the way, but hearing validation from entrepreneurs operating in the national market is essential to consolidate our strategy. We have had significant growth with the support of PPBio and now, to scale and face logistical and market challenges, we need to be fully integrated into this network,” says Emerson Lima, researcher at Terra Amazônia Superplants, a company specializing in food supplements based on active ingredients from Amazonian biodiversity.

About Idesam

Idesam is a non-profit organization that works to create a new economy in the Amazon. Focusing on conservation and social well-being, it works to accelerate businesses, develop public policies, and structure sustainable production chains. www.idesam.org

Text: Maxi Media Communication
Images: Press release/Impact Finance

Impact Finance (formerly Impact Not a Bank) conducted the study "Financing the Pan-Amazonian Bioeconomy." The survey reveals that only 8.5% of the mapped financial mechanisms focus exclusively on the socio-bioeconomy – that is, mechanisms entirely geared towards community, traditional, and extractive supply chains, focusing on food security, inclusion, and the economy of the standing forest – while 34% support bioeconomy supply chains more broadly.

The survey analyzed 141 active financial instruments in the eight countries of the region and reveals a diverse, yet fragmented ecosystem. Although there is a variety of mechanisms, ranging from subsidies and capital funds to instruments such as biodiversity credits and debt-for-nature swaps, the main challenge identified is not the lack of resources, but the difficulty of access for local entrepreneurs and the inadequacy of financial models to the territorial realities of the Amazon.

“The study results show that resources are available, but they are still poorly adapted to the reality of those who conserve, live, and produce in the Amazon. We need mechanisms that originate from the territory, with transparent governance, more compatible criteria, and adequate de-risking instruments, so that capital actually reaches the socio-bioeconomy production chains,” says Gabriel Ribenboim, CEO and co-founder of Impact Finance.

The study also points out that 57.5% operate with blended financing, integrating public, private, and philanthropic capital, a structure considered strategic for reducing risks and expanding the flow of investments aimed at sustainable and inclusive supply chains.

The complete study, “Financing the Bioeconomy of the Pan-Amazon,” can be accessed on the website: naturefinance.net.

Impact Finance

Impact Finance's participation in the study reflects its practical work within the socio-environmental impact finance ecosystem in Brazil. The organization has established itself as a strategic ally of bioeconomy businesses by structuring financial solutions that combine public, private, and philanthropic capital, with a special focus on governance, the design of hybrid instruments, and the measurement of socio-environmental impact.

Unlike traditional financial institutions, Impact Finance was designed to place socio-environmental impact at the heart of decision-making. Structured as an integrated social and environmental finance platform, in the concept of a one-stop-shop, it serves both those seeking to allocate and monitor capital with impact, and those who need to access resources in a structured, transparent way aligned with socio-environmental results.

The model combines financial products, such as digital accounts, cards, and credit, with a digital infrastructure for managing finances and social and environmental goals – the Impact Map – and the offering of specialized structuring and management services. Everything is designed so that companies and civil society organizations can directly access financial products and management tools, powered by artificial intelligence, that facilitate resource organization, financial control, monitoring, and reporting of socio-environmental results.

One of the mechanisms operated by the platform is 'Amazon Food&Forest', which combines credit, technical assistance, and robust social and environmental management criteria to support sustainable production chains that keep the forest standing.

impact business

Impact Finance is part of the business portfolio of AMAZ, an impact accelerator coordinated by Idesam, focused on strengthening ventures that originate and operate in rural Amazonia. In addition to an acceleration program with strategically customized mentoring tailored to the profile and stage of the business, AMAZ offers financial and strategic support to initiatives facing similar challenges related to resource management, access to capital, and financial sustainability. It also fosters connections between various actors in the socio-bioeconomy, including the 16 businesses currently active in AMAZ's portfolio.

One example of this action is the Tucum Fund, a mechanism aimed at financing the indigenous socio-bioeconomy through initiatives that generate sustainable, financeable, and controlled-risk income. The initiative seeks to promote the economic development of indigenous communities, valuing traditional knowledge and natural resources, while strengthening environmental and cultural preservation.

With goals projected for five years, the Tucum Fund aims to benefit more than 2,400 artisans in 31 territories, involving 54 ethnic groups across three biomes: the Amazon, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest, encompassing approximately 32 million hectares of Indigenous Lands and Protected Areas. Impact Finance is involved in the financial structuring of the initiative, contributing to the organization of resource flows and the consolidation of socio-environmental and governance criteria.

“This partnership between Tucum and Impact Finance, both businesses in AMAZ's portfolio, has brought only benefits to both companies. We are always actively listening to businesses, promoting connections between them, building bridges with angel investors, in addition to specific mentoring, customized according to the needs of each initiative,” explains Gabriela Souza, leader of new businesses at Idesam and manager of Amaz.

Text: Maxi Media Communication

Image: Disclosure/Tribo Superfoods

A symbol of the Amazon and beloved in the global superfood market, açaí is today one of the strongest production chains in the Brazilian bioeconomy. In Pará alone, the state that produces the most of the fruit in the country, more than 150,000 families depend directly on the activity to generate income. The product, which has already won over nutritionists, athletes, and consumers worldwide for its nutrients and distinctive flavor, is now taking a new step towards innovation: it is entering the world of tokenization.

THE Tribe Superfoods and the ForestiFi, both startups supported by Amaz Impact Accelerator, completed the first tokenization operation for açaí, carried out in Igarapé-Miri (PA). The private issuance raised R$$ 200,000 in resources, with the sale of 8,000 tokens, all acquired by qualified investors. The amount will be allocated to the local production chain, strengthening the relationship between producers, industry, and the market.

Tokenization is a blockchain-based technology that allows a real asset—such as an açaí harvest—to be transformed into a digital asset, the "token." Each token represents a fraction of the asset's value, allowing investors to support the operation and receive returns tied to the actual production performance. More than just a way to raise capital, tokenization ensures traceability and transparency throughout the entire chain: from the producer to the end consumer.

According to Maurício Pantoja, co-founder of Tribo Superfoods, this innovation aims to solve a historical problem in the açaí supply chain: the low value passed on to small producers.

“Açaí is a product with high demand, but it's treated as a commodity. Small producers end up losing profit margins, while the consumer at the end of the chain is willing to pay more for a fruit with quality, provenance, and a positive impact. Tokenization ensures that this difference in value is distributed fairly, benefiting those who truly care for the forest,” explained the businessman.

THE Tribe Superfoods The company operates by producing pure, additive-free açaí pulp, which is sold to other companies, including for export. ForestiFi, in turn, was responsible for structuring and issuing the tokens. According to Macaulay Abreu, co-founder of the investment platform, the operation seeks not only to raise capital but also to test and improve a scalable investment model for the socio-bioeconomy chains of the Amazon.

“The açaí supply chain has enormous potential for investment initiatives via tokenization. This initial operation helps us understand the specific challenges of the sector and plan for increasing investment volumes in the coming years,” he stated.

According to Macaulay, tokenization also brings direct efficiency gains for the operator, in this case, Tribo Superfoods, allowing for the anticipation of resources and
guaranteeing immediate working capital for the purchase of production from the cooperatives. "Before, payments could take days. Now we can pay on the same day, which makes it easier for producers and gives agility to the operator," he explained.

For producers in Igarapé-Miri, the advancement of tokenization represents a milestone for a chain that sustains thousands of families and keeps the local forest-based economy alive. Producer Leubaldo Costa, from the Caepim cooperative in Igarapé-Miri (PA), emphasizes that açaí has always played a central role in the municipality. According to him, the fruit is both the staple food for families and the main economic engine of the region.

“"Açaí ensures that we can clothe our children, send them to school, improve our homes and our transportation. It helped the municipality overcome periods of great difficulty. Today, it's what keeps our families going," he stated.

Leubaldo emphasizes that the partnership with Tribo Superfoods has contributed to strengthening this sustainable model. According to the producer, the company brought technical knowledge and new tools to enhance the quality and value of the product, along with the community's own commitment to good production practices and environmental preservation.

“We already produce with awareness and respect for the forest. Tribo has arrived to add to that, with innovation and new experiences, strengthening what we already do. This model brings hope for a fairer income and a better future for producers and the forest,” he concluded.

Partnerships that yield good results.

Tribo Superfoods and ForestiFi are startups being accelerated by Amaz Aceleradora de Impacto, a program whose mission is to boost businesses in the Amazonian socio-bioeconomy and promote sustainable development in the region.

Both companies began their acceleration journey this year, and the initiative reinforces one of the program's pillars: fostering strategic connections between entrepreneurs, investors, and local communities to strengthen business models that generate positive impact and income in the forest.

“Beyond strengthening each of the supported and invested businesses individually, Amaz's objective as an ecosystem facilitator is to enable collective solutions – that entrepreneurs and businesses find a collaborative and safe environment to implement innovations that leverage their positive impacts and also their business model. The joint operation between Tribo and ForestiFi demonstrates that, when well-articulated and intentional, cooperation has the potential to generate a significant competitive advantage for the sector,” explains Gabriela Souza, operations manager at Amaz.

Text: Maxi Media Communication

Image: Courtesy of Tucum

In 2025, the tucum Celebrating 12 years of a journey dedicated to valuing the art, knowledge, and cultures of indigenous peoples, the platform has been consolidating itself as the first indigenous marketplace in Brazil, with cultural curation, long-term relationships, and socio-environmental impact.

Tucum is one of the businesses in the portfolio of Amaz Impact Accelerator., This initiative, coordinated by Idesam, aims to foster startups with socio-environmental impact in the Amazon. The brand joined the acceleration program in 2019, while still in the business organization phase, and has since been expanding its structure, processes, and impact capacity. In addition to financial support, Tucum received customized mentoring and continues to be monitored as it consolidates itself as a B2C micro-enterprise, that is, a small business that sells directly to the end consumer.

“AMAZ’s support is defined according to the needs of the business. Balancing collective constructions with individual depth, the work with Tucum, from 2019 to 2025, reflects how much we must adapt our journey and portfolio management to the stage the business is in, generating strategic value, enabling connections and market access, according to its capacity, in constant expansion,” explains Gabriela Souza, leader of New Businesses at Idesam and of operations at Amaz.

Tucum's journey began in 2013, stemming from its founder, Amanda Santana's, experience with the Kayapó and Krahô peoples, an experience that transformed her vision of art, territory, and ancestry. This encounter gave rise to the idea of creating a business capable of bringing people and cultures closer together, sharing knowledge from the forest and recognizing Indigenous art as a technology of life, memory, and resistance.

Today, Tucum works in partnership with hundreds of indigenous communities across all regions of Brazil, mobilizing more than 2,500 artisans who find in Tucum's purpose a direct channel for commercialization, autonomy, and income generation. In the Amazon, this work encompasses nine states, 56 territories, and four conservation units.

This progress occurs in a context where measuring socio-environmental impact in the Amazon is a challenge shared by the entire ecosystem, due to the vastness of the territories and the time required for real change. Even so, AMAZ's portfolio already demonstrates significant results, with a total area of influence estimated at 6.4 million hectares and more than 1,959 families impacted. The accelerator's portfolio includes 16 businesses operating in the areas of tourism, cosmetics, fashion and art, food products and ingredients, agriculture and reforestation, and logistics.

Art and activism go hand in hand.

For Washamani Mehinako, a talented artist from the Kaupuna village – located in the Alto Xingu territory – inspiration comes from nature and the cultural traditions of his people. He learned from his uncle, Anapuatã Mehinako, how to make pieces inspired by animals, symbolizing the deep spiritual and cultural connection of the Mehinako people with nature. Furthermore, Washamani creates masks that represent the spirit of the blue macaw, guardian of the rivers and fish. The canvases are influenced by body paintings, with graphic designs and fish scales and fish eyes, symbols deeply rooted in Mehinako traditions, especially in festivals and rituals.

“Since I met Amanda, she has embraced my work and placed my paintings in the store. Tucum helps me not only with sales, but also with promotion, making my name reach further. It embraces the art of many peoples of Brazil, and I am in the middle of this network. I hope that the partnership remains strong, so that my works continue to travel and reach more people,” declared the artist.

Throughout these 12 years, the collections, exhibitions, experiences, and training processes developed by the company have been invitations to rethink consumption, aesthetics, and the very idea of development, placing indigenous peoples as protagonists in building more diverse, plural, and possible futures. Tucum holds the Origens seal and opened a physical store in Rio de Janeiro in 2024.

“For 12 years, Tucum has celebrated the Amazon daily, valuing and honoring the peoples who keep our great forest standing. At a time when climate change is becoming increasingly urgent, recognizing, listening to, and walking alongside the guardians of the forest is essential to mitigating its impacts. This is Tucum's mission, as we understand the importance of becoming allies of indigenous causes today,” said Amanda.

Text and Image: Idesam Communication

Idesam ends 2025 having won two awards at the 10th edition of Large Jaraqui, one of the main awards in the Amazon startup ecosystem. The ceremony was held this Tuesday (9), at the Amazon Biobusiness Center. The recognition is granted annually by the Jaraqui Valley community, which brings together entrepreneurs and initiatives focused on innovation and creating connections between businesses in the region. This year, the award had 19 categories. 

In this edition, the Priority Bioeconomy Program (PPBio), from Suframa and coordinated by Idesam, was awarded in the Startup Investments category, while Amazônia Agroflorestal, a spin-off of Idesam, won in the Legal Amazon and Amapá Startup category. 

In addition to the awards, Amaz Aceleradora in the "Accelerator" category and Idesam in the "Innovation Institute" category were among the top three organizations, reinforcing Idesam's relevance in different stages and links of the entrepreneurship and innovation environment in Amazonas. 

The award recognizes projects, institutions, and leaders who contribute to the development of Manaus' innovation ecosystem. The final evaluation is carried out by an independent jury composed of representatives from the innovation community. 

Idesam's technical director, André Vianna, celebrated the recognition from the ecosystem and highlighted the institute's work across various aspects of the innovation ecosystem. "This is a very special award because it comes from the community itself. It's recognition of the work we've been doing and shows the diversity of Idesam's activities in the different links of the innovation ecosystem.". 

Representing the Agroforestry Amazon, Nayara Diniz also highlighted the importance of this year's achievement. “It is an honor to receive this award. It represents recognition of the work of the partner producers in Apuí, the technicians in the field, and the entire commercial team that takes Apuí Coffee from Amazonas to the world. This year, we had the opportunity to stand out among the 15 best robusta coffees in Brazil, and this is the result of collective work, done with dedication and respect for the Amazon.”. 

PPBio leader Karol Barbosa highlighted the role of partnerships in achieving the results. “The Jaraqui Valley award is a celebration of innovation, so the Priority Bioeconomy Program has been working for the past six years together with wonderful partners who help us, and we don't do anything alone.”. 

The 10th edition of Jaraqui Graúdo was supported by Platinum Sponsor Idesam; Gold Sponsors Amaz, PPBio and F7Live; Bronze Sponsors Osten Digital, Residuum and Almaden; and Startup Sponsors Grupo Navegam, Rosh, Faço a Conta and Apoena Produtos do Amazonas, who contributed to the award ceremony and to strengthening the Amazonian innovation ecosystem.