Over the past few months I have moved between Porto Alegre, São Paulo, Silicon Valley and New York. Different rooms, different audiences, same conclusion every time: Brazil is here.
Porto Alegre and São Paulo: momentum you can see
I spent two weeks in Brazil attending South Summit in Porto Alegre and Autocom in São Paulo, and meeting with companies in both cities. Autocom is one of the leading retail technology events in Latin America, bringing together the companies shaping the future of commerce, payments and digital experiences.
Being there in person made one thing very clear. The technology ecosystem in South America is not just growing. It is booming.
What stood out most was the combination of high-quality talent, strong execution and real ambition. From fintech to retail tech to AI-driven solutions, there is a level of sophistication and speed that deserves global attention. In both cities I saw companies not only embracing transformation but driving it forward with clarity and confidence.
Growth follows momentum, and right now South America is building real, undeniable momentum.
Silicon Valley: Brazilian talent at a global level
Coming back from Brazil, I went straight into BSV (Brazil at Silicon Valley) week and the L8P Summit at Circuit Launch in Mountain View.
The quality of the companies and the technical depth were high, but what stood out was the caliber of the people in the room. Brazilian founders and engineers building globally relevant products, openly sharing challenges, lessons and insights you don’t usually hear in public forums. From GenAI discussions with people from Google, to leadership perspectives and a visit to Persona, the day was high-signal, low-ego and collaborative.
There is something powerful about being in Silicon Valley but speaking Portuguese half the time, exchanging ideas with people who share a similar background and operate at a global level. Credit to Jean Lucas Lima, Jones Madruga, Reinaldo Parreiras and Ed Giansante for building that room.
New York: where macro meets micro
Brazil Week in New York opened with two events: Brazilian Regional Markets, themed “Brazil’s Renaissance” and hosted by Apex Partners, and Market Insights: Navigating business opportunities in a new geopolitical landscape, hosted by BlackRock and Amcham-Brasil. Founders, investors, executives and technology leaders flew in to understand where capital is flowing, where AI is heading, and what it means for Brazil over the next decade.
At the Apex event, the idea of a “Brazil’s Renaissance” did not feel like marketing. There is a real perception that Brazil is entering an important moment as the world reorganizes around AI, infrastructure, energy and digital finance.
The fireside chat with Larry Fink went far beyond markets. One point stayed with me: his view that AI demand is already outpacing the world’s supply of compute power and energy, and that this imbalance could last more than a decade. AI stops being only a software conversation and becomes an infrastructure and energy conversation too.
That is exactly where Brazil keeps appearing. Energy capacity, renewable potential, natural resources, Pix, and one of the most advanced digital payment ecosystems in the world.
I also had a side conversation with Marco Stefanini, founder and CEO of Stefanini Group, about the future of software development in the AI era. Hearing it from someone who built one of Brazil’s largest global technology companies reinforced something I keep coming back to: software is evolving fast, but the companies that stand out will combine technology, adaptability and strong culture.
What this means for companies building between Brazil and the US
At some point, business stops being only about operations. Macro moves shape micro realities much faster than most people think. Conversations in New York this week can directly affect investment, infrastructure and business opportunities in Brazil months from now.
For Brazilian companies looking at the US, and for US companies looking at Brazil, the conversation is already happening at the highest levels. The ones who show up, listen, connect and try to understand the future before it arrives will be best positioned when it does.
