With the purpose of converting the connections made at one of the largest innovation events in Latin America into business opportunities, Invest RS will play a leading role in the programming of South Summit Brazil 2025, which takes place in Porto Alegre (RS) from April 9 to 11, at Cais Mauá. The development agency will be a Pioneer Partner of the event and will have an institutional presence through joint branding and activation initiatives at the Government of Rio Grande do Sul’s stand in the Marketplace. The state government is a co-organizer of South Summit Brazil.
During the three-day event, Invest RS will focus on presenting the agency as a tool of the Economic, Inclusive, and Sustainable Development Plan, and on carrying out relationship-building initiatives with investors and international delegations. In addition, the agency will also take part in the content programming, with activities on the Arena, Growth, Demo, and The Next Big Thing stages, at the RS Innovation space, and with its own panels held on the Viva o RS Boat, an initiative of the state government (see full schedule below).
As a partner of the 2025 edition, Invest RS will host one of the key events for investors visiting Porto Alegre — the Investor’s Reception, which takes place on April 8, the day before the opening, at Farol Santander. This reception gathers organizers and representatives from investment funds focused on innovative businesses. The objective of Invest RS’s participation is to present investment opportunities in Rio Grande do Sul and highlight what makes the state’s ecosystem one of the most dynamic and relevant in Brazil.
According to Invest RS President Rafael Prikladnicki, South Summit Brazil 2025 marks another milestone in the agency’s structuring process. “We are making it clear that we will go after opportunities wherever they are — which means we will also prospect here in Rio Grande do Sul, at major events held locally. We acted that way recently at Expodireto and will do the same at South Summit,” Prikladnicki explains.
On the first day of the event, April 9, Invest RS will sign a cooperation agreement with Instituto Caldeira. The goal of the agreement is to develop joint strategies — open to other interested organizations — aimed at making Rio Grande do Sul a more globally connected and competitive state by building closer ties with international partners. It’s a collaborative strategy to create connections between the local ecosystem and international tech hubs, leading companies, and investors.
As part of the content schedule, among other activities, the president of Invest RS will join the Growth Stage for a panel alongside Governor Eduardo Leite, Economic Development Secretary Ernani Polo, and Communication Secretary Caio Tomazelli, on the topic: “Visit, invest, and live: Rio Grande do Sul as a destination for new business.” This panel is scheduled for April 10 at 5:45 p.m.
Invest RS is a development agency that serves as a tool of the Economic, Inclusive, and Sustainable Development Plan, launched by the state government in October 2024. It works in cooperation with the Secretariat of Economic Development, other government bodies, and society. The agency is structured to offer market intelligence services and support to investors and exporters, with the aim of accelerating the economic growth of Rio Grande do Sul.
Invest RS Program Highlights
April 8
What: Welcome pitch at the Investor’s Reception, an event for investment funds, with Rafael Prikladnicki, president of Invest RS
Where: Farol Santander
When: 7:00 p.m.
April 9
What: Panel “RS + Global: strategy for a more connected and competitive government”, with the Secretary of Innovation, Science and Technology, Simone Stülp, the CEO of Instituto Caldeira, Pedro Valério, and the president of Invest RS, Rafael Prikladnicki
Where: RS Innovation
When: 10:30 a.m.
What: Lecture “The new world economic order”, with diplomat Marcelo Baumbach, for consulates, chambers and consular agents
Where: Viva o RS Boat
When: 4:00 p.m.
April 10
What: Invest RS presentation for Canadian entrepreneurs
Where: Viva o RS Boat
When: 2:00 p.m.
What: Panel “Cases of professionals who chose to return to RS”, with Felipe Heineck and Daniel Gonçalves
Where: Viva o RS Boat
When: 3:00 p.m.
What: Panel “Visiting, investing, living: Rio Grande do Sul as a destination for new businesses”, with Governor Eduardo Leite, Secretary of Development, Ernani Polo, Secretary of Communication, Caio Tomazelli, and President of Invest RS, Rafael Prikladnicki.
Where: Growth Stage
When: 5:45 p.m.
April 11
What: Panel “Stepping into Global Markets: Transforming a Local Brand into an International Success”, a case study of Yuool’s exports to California, with Eduardo Abichequer and David Ochi, and mediation by the president of Invest RS, Rafael Prikladnicki
Where: The Next Big Thing
When: 9:45 a.m.
What: Panel “Beyond the Smart States”, with Katharina Lehmann, Relationship Director at Estônia Hub and Agostinho Villela, CTO and Vice President of Technology at Scala Data Centers, with mediation by Caroline Bücker, Director of Strategy and Intelligence at Invest RS
Where: RS Innovation Stage
When: 11:10 a.m.
What: Panel “Can we play the game? Policies and initiatives for the development of the semiconductor industry in RS”, with the Secretary of Innovation, Science and Technology, Simone Stülp, the CEO of Tellescom, Ronaldo Aloise, and the president of Invest RS, Rafael Prikladnicki
Where: Demo Stage
When: 11am
What: Panel “Technological Innovation in the Economic, Inclusive and Sustainable Development Plan”, with the president of Invest RS, Rafael Prikladnicki, and the secretary of Economic, Inclusive and Sustainable Development, Ernani Polo.
Where: RS Innovation Stage
When: 11:30am
What: Panel “The business of entertainment in a tech-driven world”, with Alex Henning, president of Magnopus, Marcelo Lacerda, chairman of Magnopus, and Rafael Prikladnicki, president of Invest RS
Where: Arena Stage
When: 3:15pm
