The Startup Camps offer direct access to leading industry experts and potential partners, helping you unlock new opportunities for growth and shape your 2027 roadmap. Beyond market diversification for Swiss startups, Brazil provides a strong foundation for scaling across multiple sectors.

 

From the field: a founder’s perspective

Cotierra, a Swiss startup working on soil health to improve farmer margins and boost carbon capture through decentralized biochar, joined a Market Validation Camp in Q2 2026 to learn and engage with Brazil’s market firsthand.

Co-founder Lorenz Buser leads business development at Cotierra and helps shape its product direction. Before turning to Brazil, he spent two years in Colombia, working closely with farmers and leading global coffee traders to understand the agribusiness and coffee sector from the ground up. “Brazil had always been on our agenda, but without Swissnex the trip would probably have been pushed even further back. It gave us the structure and the priority to actually make it happen.”

Although Lorenz had visited Brazil before, he had only visited the country as a tourist. That gave him a head start, but nothing quite prepared him for the scale of its agricultural regions.

“We live in a globalized world, so companies from a small country like Switzerland need to think global from the beginning. Breaking the initial barrier into a new market is what programs like this are for — and speed matters, because the time you save by having the right partner on the ground makes a real difference.”

Apply now to discover how to engage with Brazil and unlock new growth opportunities for your startup.

 

What to expect from the Startup Camps

Startup Camps are internationalisation programmes designed to support Swiss startups in exploring new markets through structured, on-the-ground engagement. They combine individual and strategic guidance with direct access to local ecosystems and are offered in two formats:

• Market Validation Camp: a one-month programme to test your business idea on site and develop a concrete market entry strategy.
• Market Entry Camp: a three-month programme to accelerate market entry and lay the foundations for a long-term presence.
• Startups may choose São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro as their base and coordinate an appropriate start date with Swissnex.

 

Each camp includes:

• Tailored support from Swissnex in Brazil;
• A personalised agenda with virtual and in-person meetings;
• A stipend to support travel to Brazil;
• Access to Swissnex’s offices as a home base;
• Opportunities to align activities with major sector events or thematic cohorts;
• Full access to Swissnex’s network and ecosystem insights.

During the program, startups will gain a deep dive into the Brazilian innovation landscape, build connections with key stakeholders, and explore partnerships with companies, research institutions, and government actors.

 

Who can apply?

• Swiss startups enrolled in Innosuisse Initial, Core, or Scale-up Coaching programs;
• Swiss startups that have received the Innosuisse Certificate within the past three years;
• Startups that do not meet these criteria must first apply to Innosuisse Core Coaching.

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