The City of Rio de Janeiro, through the Rio Municipal Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SMCT), and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced on Friday (August 7), during Rio Innovation Week, the signing of a memorandum of understanding aimed at boosting the city’s innovation, science and technology ecosystem. The initiative provides for up to BRL 20.5 million in cloud credits through the AWS Activate program.
“We are building an increasingly favorable environment for those who want to start businesses, innovate and create jobs in Rio. This partnership expands our startups’ access to cutting-edge technology and strengthens the city’s innovation ecosystem. Our goal is to make Rio one of Latin America’s leading technology and artificial intelligence hubs, creating opportunities for Rio residents and attracting more and more investment,” said Rio Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere.
To qualify for the incentive, startups must meet the following requirements: be a technology-based startup established less than ten years ago; be at a pre-Series B investment stage (the funding round focused on expanding the business after the startup has already validated its product); have a website or public profile; and maintain an active AWS account. The city estimates that approximately 600 active startups, which generate around 14,400 jobs, meet these requirements. The figures come from the “Overview of Rio Startups” study, prepared by the City of Rio through the Municipal Secretariat of Economic Development (SMDE) and Riotur, in partnership with Maravalley.
Each qualified startup will be eligible for up to BRL 25,500 in credits, as well as technical training, business support and access to AWS’s global innovation network.
“Since arriving in Brazil 15 years ago, AWS has made supporting startups one of its main areas of investment, as they are at the forefront of innovation. By joining forces with the City of Rio, we will be more effective in identifying these new businesses and supporting their growth, thereby contributing to the city’s economic and social development,” said Karina Lima, Head of Startups at AWS Brazil.
Since its global launch in 2013, AWS Activate has provided more than USD 8 billion in credits to over 350,000 startups worldwide, including companies such as Airbnb, Reddit, Rappi, Perplexity, Nubank and iFood in their early stages.
The initiative will be implemented in coordination with Rio.IA, the City of Rio de Janeiro’s artificial intelligence hub, which connects government, universities, startups, companies and investors to accelerate the development of AI-based solutions. In addition to helping promote the AWS Activate program, Rio.IA will work to engage the entrepreneurial ecosystem and connect startups with training opportunities, mentoring and innovation networks. It will also connect the AWS Academy and AWS Treina Brasil professional training programs, further strengthening the city’s technology development environment.
“Cloud credits are an important tool, but their greatest impact comes when they are part of an innovation ecosystem. That is precisely the role of Rio.IA: connecting technological infrastructure, training, research, investment and entrepreneurship to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence solutions. Through this partnership, we are expanding opportunities for more startups to innovate, grow and develop technology from Rio de Janeiro,” said Gabriel Medina, Rio’s Municipal Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation.
AI.CUBE, one of the Brazilian finalists in the third edition of the Generative AI Accelerator (GAIA), AWS’s global program dedicated to generative artificial intelligence, is another AWS-supported success story that has reached a new level. In partnership with the City Government through Rio.IA, the company is investing BRL 2 million to develop AI solutions for the municipal public healthcare system based on Qilbee, its flagship platform—a fully AI-based operating system that performs tasks on computers in a human-like manner.
About Rio.IA
Rio.IA is Rio de Janeiro’s innovation hub focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI), connecting startups, industry, academia and government to transform challenges faced by Brazil’s productive sector into scalable solutions.
Aligned with the Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Plan (PBIA) and the missions of the New Industry Brazil program (NIB), the hub brings together cutting-edge science, industry and public policy to accelerate digital and green transformation, supporting startups and deep-tech companies and generating impact across Brazilian industry and society.
It is a strategic initiative of the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SMCT), the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI) and the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), based at Porto Maravalley.
About AI.CUBE
Founded by Brazilians in 2024 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, AI.CUBE is the creator of Qilbee, an agentic artificial intelligence platform that executes end-to-end business processes. The technology enables digital agents to operate systems, process information and preserve organizational knowledge under human-defined rules and supervision.
The company has already deployed its technology in projects with public- and private-sector organizations across different industries. In 2025, AI.CUBE was among 40 startups selected worldwide for the AWS Generative AI Accelerator—five of them from Latin America and three from Brazil. The program provided participants with up to USD 1 million in AWS credits, as well as technical and business mentoring to support the development and expansion of their technologies.
About SMCT
The Municipal Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SMCT) is responsible for promoting public policies that foster, encourage and provide training in the use of technological methods, techniques and tools, as well as the practical application of scientific knowledge.
The Secretariat works to strengthen science and technology in the City of Rio de Janeiro through public policies that democratize access to the digital world, while fostering the city’s economic development and growth.