Entrepreneurs who participated in Braskem Labs Scale this year presented the proposals and innovative solutions of their businesses, yesterday (13), to a bench of evaluators composed of petrochemical executives, businessmen and investors. Demo Day marked the closing of the 4th edition of Braskem's business acceleration program, after 4 months of training promoted by the company's mentors and the ACE accelerator.

The Demo Day is the last stage of the Braskem Labs Scale, in which participating entrepreneurs are challenged to present their business to potential customers and investors.

"The approach to the startups ecosystem is very enriching for Braskem and clearly for entrepreneurs as well. It is a trading relationship in which they stimulate innovation within the company while we identify gaps and their strengths to guide them in a way that builds their own evolution. We believe that, from now on, the participants are more qualified for conversations with investors and for generating new business opportunities", says Luís Gustavo Ortega, leader of Braskem Labs.

Braskem Labs Scale is focused on empowering mature entrepreneurs with solutions already available in the market. In 2018, the program had a special category to speed up companies that presented innovative solutions to reduce food loss, from production to post-consumer. As a result, entrepreneurs who work in areas such as agriculture, packaging, recycling, transportation, retail and consumption participated.

According to Ortega, the program has trained 51 entrepreneurs from all over Brazil and has generated hundreds of relevant business connections since its deployment, in 2015. As a result, many of the participating companies have already received investments or are in advanced conversations with investors.

"We have been together with Braskem, supporting the company's entrepreneurs acceleration project for 4 years ago, and this is always a challenging job for our team. At Braskem Labs Scale specifically, we mentor more advanced startups than we are accustomed to seeing at ACE, with demands related to customer, market and product relationships. I hope that the passage through the program will make them even more mature," says Arthur Garutti, COO of ACE.

Daniela Lerario, CEO of TriCiclos, one of the participating companies, confirms Garutti's expectation, "We are certainly better prepared to face the challenges of the market," she says, complementing that the proposed activities have made her team look to the business itself to identify potential to improve their performance.

Below are the companies participating in the 4th edition of Braskem Labs Scale:

Arla Easy:
It develops complete production machines for Arla 32 on a reduced scale, reducing costs by selling equipment and services in a machine as a service business model.

Avitus:
Aerodynamic solutions that reduce fuel consumption, gas emissions and tire wear for buses and trucks.

Biosoftness:
Spray solution that, when applied to clothing, propagates nanocapsules that prevent bacteria from proliferating, reducing wash cycles and increasing fabrics durability.

Intelligent Foods:
Developed a conservation process that increases food validity, without the use of preservatives or chemical additives, maintaining the original food characteristics and dispensing the use of refrigeration.

Morada da Floresta:
It produces and markets Humi, a compost made from recycled materials, for the composting of organic waste.

Nanometallis:
Functionalized nanoparticle technology with bactericidal and fungicidal action, which increases the shelf life of industrialized, processed and in natura foods, reducing food waste and contributing to food safety.

Polynano:
It develops polymers that stabilize and waterproof the soil, bringing alternatives that replace the traditional asphalt process. It does not harm the environment and is biodegradable.

Silo Verde:
It brings sustainable solutions for rural storage. It is a silo made with recycled PET bottles accompanied by Silo Assist, a real-time management and monitoring system.

TriCiclos:
It operates in the complete ecosystem of production, consumption and disposal chains, offering customized end-to-end solutions with a business vision for all links.