Artificial intelligence is beginning to occupy increasingly specific spaces in the Brazilian economy. Startups from different regions of the country develop solutions aimed at micro and small companies, automating processes and increasing productivity in sectors such as health, solar energy, credit markets, industry, retail and services.
These businesses are part of the group of startups selected for Scale IA, Sebrae Startups’ national acceleration program aimed at developing artificial intelligence solutions for micro and small companies (MSEs). In total, 30 startups are part of the initiative, carried out in partnership with the Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence at the Federal University of Goiás (CEIA/UFG), with strategic support from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and NVIDIA.
Lasting six months, until October, the program combines mentoring, face-to-face meetings and market validation support to accelerate startups that have artificial intelligence as the core of the product and develop applications aimed at the needs of small businesses.
Health and care focuses on AI solutions
The health sector brings together part of the selected startups, with applications aimed mainly at reducing bureaucracy and automating administrative processes. MedSync, from Niterói (RJ), uses artificial intelligence to standardize surgical flows, integrating medical coding, scheduling, financial control and management of materials used in surgeries. The proposal is to reduce rework, glosses and inefficiencies in hospitals and clinics.
Also focused on the sector, Ammi Tecnologia, from Cascavel (PR), automates scheduling, confirmations, billing and reactivation of patients through intelligent agents integrated with WhatsApp. Cliniconect, from Londrina (PR), developed a platform for managing physiotherapy, psychology, speech therapy and other multidisciplinary specialties, bringing together everything from medical records to financial indicators.
Another example is FonIA, from São Paulo, which developed an intelligent medical record aimed exclusively at speech therapists. The platform transforms clinical reports into records structured by artificial intelligence, reducing the time spent on documentation and administrative management.
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AI advances sales, marketing and customer relationships
Another important aspect of the selected startups is the automation of commercial operations, marketing and relationships with consumers. Lucy AI from São Paulo developed a platform that uses artificial intelligence to create marketing campaigns aimed at small businesses, automating activities normally carried out by agencies or specialized teams.
Also from São Paulo, Plugflow IA brings together service via WhatsApp, CRM, automations and intelligent agents on a single platform to centralize commercial operations. VendeAI Tecnologia uses artificial intelligence to conduct, end-to-end, the sale of financial products via WhatsApp, automating the commercial journey of banking correspondents.
In Paraná, SmartCRM IA, from Dois Vizinhos, is betting on a system that combines CRM, lead capture and commercial funnel automation using artificial intelligence to increase sales conversion.
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Energy, industry and infrastructure receive new applications
Artificial intelligence also reaches sectors that are traditionally intensive in physical assets, such as energy and industry. Draives, from Barueri (SP), developed a platform to digitize asset transactions in the electricity sector, automating document organization, due diligence and negotiations between investors, generators and energy traders.
In Goiânia, Dectra uses drones equipped with thermal cameras and artificial intelligence to identify faults in solar panels, automating inspections and reducing maintenance costs in photovoltaic plants. Node AIoT, from Guaíba (RS), is betting on the convergence between artificial intelligence, edge computing and the internet of things to transform industrial equipment into intelligent systems capable of processing data locally, reducing dependence on cloud computing.
Solutions increase productivity in different sectors
The selected startups also demonstrate how artificial intelligence can serve different segments of the economy. Confi Software, from São José dos Pinhais (PR), automates the management of tasks, documents and communication in accounting offices; while Kenit, from Vitória (ES), connects e-commerce platforms and marketplaces to business management systems (ERPs), simplifying digital operations.
In retail, Riverdata, from Rio de Janeiro (RJ), uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to increase productivity, security and support marketing actions in commercial establishments. Papoom, from Curitiba (PR), developed a marketplace aimed at communities and outskirts, bringing together the sale of products, services, food and real estate on a single platform, expanding access for small traders to the digital economy.
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AI expands access to digital transformation
The diversity of participating startups highlights a change in the Brazilian artificial intelligence market. Instead of generic applications, specialized solutions predominate, developed to solve specific operational challenges faced by small businesses in different sectors of the economy.
Despite the advancement of these technologies, their adoption is still limited among small businesses. Recent research carried out by Sebrae/SC with 889 micro and small companies in Santa Catarina showed that 81.6% remain in the initial stages of digital maturity, with an average of 29.2 points on a scale of up to 80.
Scale IA was structured precisely to accelerate startups capable of transforming artificial intelligence into solutions applicable to the operational routine of micro and small companies, prioritizing rapid market validation, product development and generation of commercial traction. At the end of the program, the expectation is that these businesses will be prepared to expand their presence in the market and accelerate their growth.
In addition to the startups listed above, Scale IA has another 15 participants, all from the state of Santa Catarina: Booksuite AI, Predialize, Hauseful, Grafos Tech, Bluey, Multiagents, API4COM, Moreleads, Lysa, Conta Mais, Tecpet, Redrive, OpenClick, Pulsemind, and Marketing, chat.
“The selected startups show that artificial intelligence is moving from being a generic technology to becoming an increasingly specialized tool, capable of solving concrete problems in different sectors of the economy”, says Luiza Pedroso, manager of Scale IA.
Small businesses interested in learning about the solutions developed by startups can follow the program on the Scale IA page.
Source: www.agenciasebrae.com.br
