News | nexBio Amazonia: Meet the participants 2026

In its third edition, nexBio Amazonia continues to expand its mission of building bridges between Switzerland and Brazil to co-create innovations for the future of the bioeconomy. In 2026, the program also expands its reach to a new region of the Amazon: the State of Amapá.

Brazil | July 01, 2026

This year, marking the third of five planned editions, nexBio Amazonia, powered by Swissnex in Brazil, the Swiss Leading House Latin America (University of St. Gallen), and the Brazilian National Council for State Funding Agencies (CONFAP) expands its journey to a new Amazonian destination. Returning to the city of Manaus, where the first week of activities will take place, participants will then travel to Macapá, the capital of the State of Amapá, which welcomes the Swiss-Brazilian program for the first time.

Located in the northernmost part of Brazil, Amapá is one of the best-preserved regions of the Brazilian Amazon. Around 90% of its territory remains covered by Amazon rainforest, while approximately 72% is protected through conservation units, Indigenous lands, and quilombola territories. The region is home to exceptional biodiversity and to Indigenous Peoples, as well as quilombola, riverine, and other traditional communities whose knowledge and practices are closely connected to the sustainable use of natural resources. Together, its rich biodiversity, extensive protected areas, and strategic location at the mouth of the Amazon River position the state as an important setting for initiatives related to the bioeconomy, environmental conservation, and nature-based innovation.

Previous editions, held in Belém, Santarém, and Manaus in 2024 and 2025, brought together 47 participants, including researchers and startups from Brazil and Switzerland. This year, 7 Swiss and 4 Brazilian startups will join 3 Swiss and 7 Brazilian researchers for an immersion experience taking place from August 3 to 14, with activities across the two Amazonian regions.

As part of the program, participants will have the opportunity to meet potential partners and stakeholders from different sectors, immerse themselves in local innovation and research ecosystems through visits to renowned institutes and innovation centers, and engage with communities and startups in the region. The agenda also includes meetings and experiences that will enable participants to align their solutions and research with the specific needs of the Amazonian territory.

 

Choosing the participants

The cohort selection was based on criteria including impact potential, connection to the Amazon bioeconomy, maturity of proposed solutions, innovation capacity, and contribution to more sustainable production models. Selected startups develop products, technologies, or services with market potential and applications in sustainable production chains. Researchers were chosen based on their work in areas related to biodiversity, food systems, climate change, social sciences, economics, and technologies capable of generating positive impacts in the region.

This edition’s cohort brings together researchers and entrepreneurs working across Biotech, with a focus on food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, as well as Finance and Carbon Markets, Land Governance, Energy, and Biodiversity.

Meet the 2026 cohort:

 

Startups

Researchers

nexBio Amazonia is part of Swissnex in Brazil’s initiatives to foster collaborations between Switzerland and Brazil in areas such as nature-based solutions, the bioeconomy, climate, clean energy, and other strategic fields for a more sustainable future. Learn more about our work.
 

Brazilian applicants can find full details of the call for proposals on the Brazilian National Council for State Funding Agencies (CONFAP) official website.

Pedro Capra

As Academic Relations Program Lead, Pedro helps connect universities, think tanks, research institutions, professors and researchers to establish, and further develop, science and technology partnerships.

Joëlle Fuchs

As Junior Project Manager at Swissnex in Brazil, Joëlle supports the development and implementation of initiatives that foster collaboration, research, and innovation between Switzerland and Brazil.

Partners

nexBio Amazonia is powered by Swissnex in Brazil, the Swiss Leading House Latin America (University of St. Gallen), and the Brazilian National Council for State Funding Agencies (CONFAP).

 

  • Swiss Leading House Latin America
  • Confap
  • Swissnex