Petrobras announces R$16 million call for startup proposals

Petrobras is set to launch a new call for startups on Tuesday, September 24, under the Petrobras Conexões para Inovação Program. The R$16 million initiative, in collaboration with Sebrae, will focus on challenges related to asset integrity. Winning companies may receive funding of up to R$1 million for soft tech challenges, such as software development, or up to R$2 million for deep tech challenges, including hardware and material development. The announcement will be made during the Rio Oil & Gas (ROG) event, with applications open until October 23.

The call aims to drive technological development and business model innovation with startups and stimulate the creation of cutting-edge companies in the sector. Small enterprises will engage with significant industry challenges and co-create advanced technologies by collaborating with technical and business experts.

"Petrobras is a leading investor in open innovation in Brazil, having invested approximately R$54 million in the Startup module since its launch in 2019." Selected companies receive financial support and technical assistance from Petrobras to test and qualify their innovative solutions, with the possibility of advancing to an implementation stage. They also gain access to a real-world testing environment in the oil, gas, and energy sectors. As this is an open innovation call, the developed product or technology may be scaled for the market upon successful completion, according to Renata Baruzzi, Petrobras' Director of Engineering, Technology, and Innovation.

"With this partnership, Sebrae helps small businesses effectively integrate into Petrobras' open innovation framework, fostering the development of technologies and innovations that benefit the energy, oil, and gas production chain. Sebrae closely supports the startups throughout their R&D projects, offering management assistance and promoting actions that boost competitiveness and market access for the participating companies," says Bruno Quick, Technical Director of Sebrae.

The Startup module was designed to bridge the gap between Research and Development (R&D) and market deployment, evolving into a "Venture Building" process that focuses on creating new innovative businesses. Beyond the co-ownership of the developed products, Petrobras expects substantial benefits from technological implementation, including solving the proposed challenges and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the solutions.

Since the launch of the module five years ago, Petrobras has partnered with 53 startups across 10 states.  Altogether, there are 63 projects—some startups were selected in multiple calls—with a continuity rate of 30% for new R&D contracts, supply agreements, and investments. This rate is notably higher than the industry average. This figure reflects only the contracts established with Petrobras, though some startups have also secured agreements with other major companies in the sector. For instance, Vidya and Pix Force have expanded their reach within Brazil and are also exporting technologies developed through the Startup module.

Vidya Technology

Brazilian company Vidya Technology was among the first participants in the Startup Module calls. Vidya utilizes artificial intelligence, spatial computing, and software for monitoring, integrity, and maintaining industrial plants. At the time, the startup had 20 employees. Today, Vidya has over 60 employees and expanded with an office in Houston, USA, and its headquarters in Brazil.

"The experience was precious, covering aspects such as market intelligence and opportunity identification. Testing and validating our tool in real-world scenarios provided crucial insights that helped us scale our solution. Vidya has now evolved into a scale-up—a mature company with a significant product and great potential," says Otávio Correa, the company's CEO. Correa adds that the Vidya Software platform now includes more than six applications for industrial plants, which have been implemented on offshore oil platforms and in mining projects.

PIX Force

PIX, a startup specializing in computer vision solutions unrelated to the banking system, is working on two R&D projects with Petrobras focused on workplace safety. "Participating in the call significantly enhanced our market positioning.

Engaging with Petrobras specialists gave us a deep understanding of our challenges. Additionally, our close collaboration with Sebrae ensured that our solutions were aligned with market and customer needs. This co-creation and validation process was crucial for developing practical solutions," says Daniel Moura, CEO of PIX. PIX has also expanded its operations with an office in Houston and a presence in Finland to cater to the European market.

Petrobras regularly updates its technology and product development needs on the Petrobras Conexões para Inovação program website. The new call for proposals will be available on September 24.

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