Today, the Founder Institute, the world's premier idea-stage accelerator and startup launch program, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Belo Horizonte - Brasil Winter 2026 Semester!
If you want to build a startup in Belo Horizonte and could use expert training and feedback, then apply to the Belo Horizonte Founder Institute today, or attend a free event.
Those who apply by the Early Admissions Deadline (mai 24, 2026) will have their application fees waived (typically $50), and if you enroll by the Early Deadline you are also eligible for Founder Institute Fellowships.
Since launching in Belo Horizonte in 2016, the Founder Institute has helped launch several promising companies in the region, and our efforts in Belo Horizonte have also been profiled by several high profile media channels.
To celebrate the launch, the Belo Horizonte Founder Institute will several free startup events for the general public, where you can meet top entrepreneurs and learn more about the program:
- Stuck Without a Startup Idea? Build One That Fits You: 9:30pm, abr 07, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/394868
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- How Multiple Pivots positioned Checkbox as the ‘Legal Front Door’ for Corporations: 9:00pm, abr 13, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/394878
- Real Startup Lessons From FI Alumni Across the World: 1:00pm, abr 14, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/394888
- How to Go From Raw Idea to Polished Pitch using AI: 1:30pm, abr 20, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395695
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 1:00pm, abr 21, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395532
- Turn Your Expertise Into an Audience on LinkedIn: 1:00pm, abr 27, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/394898
- How to Overcome the Fear of Starting Your Own Company: 1:00pm, abr 28, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/394908
- How to Get Your First 10 Customers Without a Marketing Team or Budget: 1:30pm, mai 04, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/394933
- How to Choose the Right Startup Idea Before You Build: 9:00pm, mai 18, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/394947
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Get Unfiltered Feedback from Global Investors & Advisors: 1:00pm, mai 26, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395384
- Inside the Founder Institute: Real Stories From Alumni: 1:00pm, jun 02, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/394977
- Startup Advisors 101: How to Find Advisors and Maximize their Impact: 9:30pm, jun 08, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395011
- Turn Startup Hesitation Into Action: A Founder Mindset Framework: 9:00pm, jun 15, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395033
- Stop Guessing, Start Raising: An Investor Q&A : 9:00pm, jul 06, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395070
- Stop Overthinking and Build a Great Startup Idea: 1:00pm, jul 20, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395091
- From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 9:30am, ago 10, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395117
- Meet FI Alumni Founders: High-Growth Startups Panel : 1:00pm, ago 10, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395149
- Build a Startup Idea Investors Won’t Ignore: 9:00pm, ago 18, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395169
- What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 1:00pm, set 01, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395204
- Break the Idea Loop and Decide What to Build: 9:00pm, set 21, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395217
- From Idea to Traction: Lessons From Global FI Alumni: 9:30pm, out 05, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395241
- From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 1:00pm, out 13, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395278
- From Founder to Funded: Interactive Q&A with Top Startup Investor: 2:00pm, nov 03, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395299
- From “Maybe” to Momentum: Building a Great Startup Idea: 10:00pm, nov 17, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395314
- From First Idea to First Funding: Global Alumni Stories: 2:00pm, dez 01, 2026 (America/Sao_Paulo): https://FI.co/e/395346
Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used the Founder Institute to transition from employee to entrepreneur, test their startup ideas, build a team, get their first customers, raise funding, and more - like Udemy, Realty Mogul, iCarsClub, Itembase, goplaceit, and Appota. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
Running the Founder Institute's efforts in Belo Horizonte are local startup leaders Janayna Bhering Cardoso (CEO, SafeTest Diagnósticos) and Pedro Villaça de Almeida (Co-founder & Manager, Pillow Aceleradora), supported by Managing Director of the Founder Institute in Brazil, Nima Kazerooni (Co Founder, Jupter).
In addition, some of Belo Horizonte's top entrepreneurs will mentor founders in the program, providing them with expert training, feedback, and evaluation. The list of mentors for the Belo Horizonte - Brasil Winter 2026 includes:
- Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO PLATFORM
- Admar Neto: Founder and Cofounder, Northern and Paraty Brazil by UTMB
- Alberto Ferreira: Co Founder, Cervejaria Baden Baden
- Alberto Martellini: Local Director , Founder Institute Italy
- Alexandre Bezerra: CEO & Founder, Amachains
- Alexandre Uehara: Palestrante e Conselheiro de Inovação Corporativa, Innov8
- Aline Catiusce: COO, HISOWER
- Amanda Martins: Founder, ciclou
- Ana Pires: Head of International Partnerships, Softex
- Ana Julia Ferreira: Project Management Officer (PMO), Radix Investimentos
- Andre Almeida: Founder, Business Portugal
- Andre Torbitoni: Founder | estratégia e escalabilidade tecnológica, Uníssona
- ANDRE TCHERNOBILSKY: Board member, Founder, CEO, Innovation and Impact Projects
- André Costenaro: Director of Business Development and Innovation, OCP
- Andrea Monti: Managing Director Impact and Sustainability, Founder Institute
- Andrea Cerqueira: Sales, Marketing and Customer Success Director, Motivart
- Andreea Marinescu: CEO, Tech Add-Venture
- Andries Oudshoorn: angel investor, advisor and board member, Amachains
- Angela Lupi: Co-Founder, Nebula Prima
- Anna Carolina Cobianchi: Community Associate, WEWORK
- Arturo Flores Marquéz: Angel Investor & CFO , Traxión
- Bruna Losada: Vice-Diretora-Geral | Deputy Dean & COO, Saint Paul Escola de Negócios
- Bruno Dequech Ceschin: Co-founder & CFO, JUPTER & Director, Founder Institute Brazil
- Bruno Okamoto: Founder, EUNERD
- Carlos Nogueira: Head of Sales, Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN)
- CAROLINE FARIA: Sustainability Specialist, Schneider Electric
- Celia Caiuby: CEO, LegalFamily
- Cesar Thomé: CFO, Levitar
- Cintia Mano: Angel Investor
- Claudio Gianturco Gulisano: Managing Partner, Lean Business Research (www.leanbr.org)
- Claudio Santiago: Partner, EscapeTime Brasil
- Clovis Castelo Junior: Head of Research /Member of the Board /Lecturer, FATEC USA / ClienteSA
- CRISTIANO RUSSO: Health Innovation Strategist | Líder em Ecossistemas de Saúde Digital | Venture Partner | Professor PUCPR | Mentor Executivo |, Lake Innovation Studio
- Daniel Vasserman: Head of Corporate Innovation & Partnerships, 100 Open Startups
- Daniela Coimbra Swiatek: Especialista em Inovação, Nowy Swiat Pesquisa e Assessoria
- Daniela Simão: Audit Committee Member, BANCO NACIONAL DE ANGOLA
- Daniela Albini Pinheiro: Analista de inovação, CPQD
- Denise Pereira: CEO, Denise Curi, Phd
- Diego Perez: Legal, Compliance & Co-Founder, StartMeUp Crowdfunding
- Diego Simon: Founder & CEO, B2B Master
- Don Samoil: Managing Partner, Trusted Scale
- Eder Campos: Mentor e Investidor Anjo | CX | Modelo de negócios | Cultura, FDC - Fundação Dom Cabral
- Edson Ferro: Diretor de Operações Empresariais, SIMPOSS Assessoria Empresarial.
- Eduardo Martucci: Product Owner, Exactaworks · Full-time
- Eduardo Mendes: Senior Sales Executive - Financial Services , SAS
- Eduardo Micheletto: Diretor, Micheletto Comunicação
- Eduardo Nunes: CEO, ATRIA Corp
- Elcio Morelli: Founder, Health Angels Br
- Ely Dirani: Associate Professor, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo
- Emily Coelho: Head da Jornada do Empreendedor , SMU Investimentos
- Eniceli Rodrigues Moraes: Director, CPQD
- Erica Fridman Stul: Managing Partner, Sororité
- Fabiana Alves: Marketing & Communications Manager, Comgás
- Fabiano Porto: Executive Director, Global Regeneration Institute
- Fabio Frazão: Founder and Director, Mexeri.ca
- Fabio Nogueira: Founder & CEO, Aurora Venture Builder
- Fábio Póvoa: Managing Director, Smart Money Ventures
- Fabricio Lira Figueiredo: Head of Innovation Hub, CPQD
- Felipe Brasileiro: co-founder & CEO, Parafuzo
- Felipe Dos Santos: Co-Founder, Play2sell
- Felipe Wasserman: PARTNER , BABUXCA
- Felipe Maruyama: Diretor de Operações, programas e projetos, Centro de Inovação, Empreendedorismo e Tecnologia (CIETEC)
- Fernanda Stasczak: CEO, Adviseo Consultoria Empresarial
- Flavio Galvão: CEO & Founder, ECP Ambiental / Canal Poluição
- Frank Rolim: Frank Rolim, Founder conecte.ai
- Franklin Kamnang Ngansop: Co-Founder, Vitamin CS Coaching
- Gabriela Accorsi: CPO e Co- Founder , La Decora
- Gianfranco Vento: CEO , Cassa di Risparmio di San Marino
- Graziella Comini: Associate Professor, School of Economics, Business and Accounting at the University of São Paulo
- Guilherme Yata: Founder-CEO, S3 Projects
- Guilherme Skaf Amorim: Head of Partnerships Head of Partnerships , Wayra Brasil
- Guillermo Guzmán: GP, AIDA Ventures
- Guto Rosa: Head of Products, Superlógica Tecnologias
- Henrique Macedo: Socio/Partner, GAAP Consultoria & Corpservices Group
- Henry Suzuky: CEO & Founder, Axonal Consultoria Tecnológica
- Humberto Matsuda: Managing Partner, Matsuda Invest
- Icaro Molinari: CEO & Founder, CoProdux
- In Hsieh: Empreendedor especialista em Ecommerce
- Javier Caruso: Founder & CEO , Webstarted
- Jeferson Procopio: CEO & Founder, Quick Digital
- João Cerqueira: Co-Founder and CEO, 4H Knowledge Management
- Jorge Azevedo: Angel Investor and Author, Como nasce uma startup
- Juliana Gavini: Especialista de desenvolvimento industrial, SENAI - Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial
- Junior Borneli: CEO e Fundador da StartSe, StartSe
- Lais Fonseca Alves: Founder & CEO , Precavida
- Lara Bandeira: Sr. Portfolio Associate, Founder Institute
- Laura Gurgel: Founder, Clube de Negócios
- Laurent Serafini: CEO
- Leandro Hernández: Founder, Cuida.Life
- Leo Gmeiner: Program Director, Founder Institute Brasil
- Leonardo Gaitan: CEO & co-founder, Autoparti / Kiddo
- Leonardo Addeo Ramos: Vice-Director Clinico, Hospital Nipo-Brasileiro
- Lorenzo Barbati: Executive Director, GV Angels
- LUIZ EDUARDO LEAO: Gerente de Tecnologias Educacionais, SENAI - Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial
- Marcelo Vivacqua: Founder and CEO, Associação Brasil Internacional de Inventores, Cientistas e Empreendedores Inovadores - ABIPIR
- Marcelo Bella: C-Level, Mentor e Investidor Anjo, Picpay
- Marcelo Vasconcelos: Managing Partner, Black Lion Brasil
- Marcelo Paulo: Head de Dados, Evertec Brasil
- Marcio Motter: Finance Executive “as a service” | Advisor | Mentor, N/A
- Marcio Mendes: CEO & Founder, Marketing Sustentável
- Marco De Biasi: Startups Investor & Advisor /Program Director/Conselheiro Fiscal, LGA/Italcam/Mobicity
- Marcos Olmos: Head of VC, VOX Capital
- Mariana Velásquez: Founder - CEO, BRANDDU
- Mariana Guarini: Membro do Conselho de Administração , MAM - Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo
- Mariana Camargo: CEO, Uníssona
- Mariana Stamato: Co-Founder & Co-entrepreneur, Devir Social / Trê Investindo com Causa
- Matheus Breguêz: Diretor de Inovação e Tecnologia, Fundação Beta
- Matteo Santini: Startups Private Investor, Private Investor
- Maurizio Calcopietro: Managing Partner, Core Angels Atlantic
- Mayra Motta: Sócia, Mayra Motta Advocacia Corporativa
- Michelle Soares Borelli: Lider de Comunidade, ESPM Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing
- Monica Lobenschuss: CEO, Vendas Exponenciais
- Monique Schwinden: Sócia e Diretora Comercial, Escape Time Brasil
- Morganna Tito: Assessora, Secretaria de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação do Estado de São Paulo
- Nara Iachan: CMO, Cuponeria
- Nelson Moreira Da Silva Junior: CEO, Supereficiente
- Neusa Andrade: CEO & Founder, Indiip- Intelligent Drug Information and knowledge Integration Platform LLC
- Nima Kaz: Co Founder, JUPTER & Director, Founder Institute Brazil
- Odete Afonso Duarte: Corporate Communication Branding , ESG Executive, Consultant
- Otávio César Cafundo De Moraes: CEO , Brasil Diverso
- Paloma Lecheta: Regional Director - LatAm, Founder Institute
- Pâmela Ponce: CEO, IAPRENDI & ELA S/A
- Patricia Lacerda: CEO & Founder, FOL Solutions
- Paula Machado: CEO & Founder, Meister Safe System, Look2You
- Paulo Faria: CEO & Founder, OTSE Finance
- Paulo Carneiro: Manager, Craton-Roche
- Pedro Napoleão Jr.: CEO & Founder, ByStartup
- Peixoto Accyoli: Chief Executive Officer, RE/MAX Brasil
- Rafael Sampaio: CEO Brasil, NovaRed
- Rafael Campos: VC Portfolio Manager, VOX Capital
- Rafael Honorato: Founder, Lidero
- Rafael Angelo Nanis: Coordenador Growth Marketing, Atmosfera Ventures
- Raquel Molina: CEO, Futuriste Tecnologias Inovadoras
- Rebeca Dreicon: Regional Managing Director Latam, Toluna Group
- Reinaldo Azevedo: CEO, Energy Review
- Renata Bonaldi: CEO & Founder, Sleep Up
- Renata Marques: CIO Latin America, Natura &Co
- Renato Simon: Managing Partner, LAAS Latin American Angels Society
- Ricardo Normand: Venture Partner, Tomahawk.vc
- Ricardo Oliani: Director, Counselor e Co Founder, ABRAPS / Mosai&CO / Ogliani
- Ricardo Wang: Ex-Founder, Investor, Enthusiastic and Curious, GM, ex(Mdlz, RB and Kerry)
- Ricardo Oliveira: Founder and Managing Director, RWO Assessoria Empresarial
- Roberto Soria: AI Transformation | Cloud Solution Architecture | Customer Success Lead | Digital & Business Transformation | Security | Technology, Microsoft
- Robson Del Fiol: Channel & Franchising Director, Skyone
- Rodrigo Bindes: CEO e Co Founder, Nutrifresh
- Rodrigo Huback De Azevedo: Founder/CEO, ISBrasil e IBND
- Rodrigo Oliveira: CRO, StayApp
- Rodrigo Oliveira: CEO e Diretor de Estratégias, Plástico Virtual, Blob e Álamo Inteligência Comercial
- Rodrigo Saad Rodrigues: CEO & Founder, Monitoragua
- Rodrigo Barbosa: Partner, Communications Director, Araucária Ventures & Consulting
- Rodrigo Grossi: Founder and COO, Dynadok
- Rushdy Ahmad: Director, Wyss Diagnostics Accelerator, Harvard University
- Sanderson Pajeú: Founder & CEO, naPorta
- Sandra Arango: FMCG International C-Level Executive, Ex-P&G/KHC/Reckitt
- Semi Kim: Sr. Fintech Business Development Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Sergio Escobar: CEO & Partner, BCF Ventures, Managing Director, Lalotte Ventures
- Sergio Emanuel Cusmai: CEO and Founder, AIpha-G
- Simone Galvagno: ESG Business Developer & Consultant, Azeus Convene
- TATIANA YOSHIDA: Innovation and Technology Coordinator, Grupo Energia
- Thiago Garcia: CEO & General Partner, 10X Partners
- Tijana Momirov: Startup Consultant - Product Management, StartupSetup
- Vando Ribeiro: CEO, Grupo 2MI
- Vanessa Abrahão: Head of Customer Success , Groove Marketing de Incentivo
- Victor Lugli: Managing Partner, Lugli Group
- And many more to be announced.
The Founder Institute is the most challenging and effective step-by-step startup launch program for talented and motivated aspiring entrepreneurs. If you are serious about launching a startup, the Founder Institute can give you the structured process, constant feedback and evaluation from expert mentors, and global network of entrepreneurs you need to start an enduring company. In addition, the Founder Institute is the only program of its kind that focuses on people versus ideas, accepts founders with day jobs, and shares equity with all participants.
We hope you will join us in Belo Horizonte and launch a company in 2018.
