The impact ecosystem on a growth trajectory
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Announced earlier this week, the fifth Eco Invest Brasil auction is another positive sign that the country is using public funding with an impact-driven approach: as catalytic capital to reduce risk, attract private investment and channel resources at scale toward the ecological transition, innovation and the development of an economy that respects the limits of nature and people.
By focusing on innovation, the bioeconomy and nature-based solutions, the auction—which has the potential to mobilize R$50 billion in investments—connects directly with what we saw at the Bioeconomy Amazon Summit in Belém. There, science, traditional knowledge, startups, investors, and government come together to give shape, voice, and legal identity to this forest-based economy. This is no longer theoretical: entrepreneurs are working alongside civil society, the private sector and the scientific community to develop viable solutions with strong social and positive environmental impact potential and financial returns.
The same energy marked Impacta Mais 2026, a forum where we discussed the democratization of impact investing. It is not enough to increase the amount of available capital—we also need to change the logic governing how it circulates. To support bioeconomy value chains focused on forest conservation and restoration, we need a range of investment models and financial instruments that respect the forest’s risk and return timelines.
In practice, stories like that of Belterra show what happens when this combination succeeds. Through a blended finance strategy supported by Fundo Vale since its inception, within the context of Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal, the company has strengthened its agroforestry model, secured an unprecedented equity investment and is moving forward in the restoration of areas through agroforestry systems focused on cocoa production, generating income, jobs and climate resilience. This is proof that when financial structuring aligns with social and environmental ambition, the new economy becomes a reality on the ground.
And the agenda continues to gain momentum. The second Amazon Climate Week, which is fast approaching, will be another important point of convergence, keeping the energy of COP30 alive and reinforcing the region’s role as a leader in climate solutions for the Global South. The challenge now is to continue aligning capital, public policy and collective action so that every additional investment represents another step toward building the forest economy we want to see strengthened over the coming decades.
We hope you enjoy this edition.
Patrícia Daros
Director, Fundo Vale |
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Belterra secures unprecedented investment
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Backed by an equity round of up to R$75 million and continued support from Fundo Vale through the Vale 2030 Forest Goal for financial structuring and impact management, the company is strengthening its governance and expanding its production capacity in agroforestry systems. |
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Bioeconomy Amazon Summit brings together capital and innovation around a forest-based economy. The event took place at the Amazon Bioeconomy and Innovation Park, bringing together more than 4,000 participants. |
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Panel featuring Fundo Vale shows that democratizing investment requires new models for risk, return and timelines, along with coordination among philanthropic funds, venture capital, digital microcredit and even peer-to-peer lending to scale up solutions |
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Strategic roadmap to strengthen impact ecosystems
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Sense-Lab releases the study “Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives for Developing Impact Ecosystems,” which systematizes lessons learned over a decade of work alongside networks, coalitions and organizations seeking collective responses to complex challenges. |
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First Agroforestry Innovation Symposium
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Event organized by CEIA and supported by Fundo Vale, included technical discussions, exchange of field experiences, and the launch of a report providing an updated overview of agroforestry systems. |
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Regional partnerships for restoration in the Amazon
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Workshop brings together different perspectives on the role of organizations and financial instruments in building solutions capable of accelerating habitat recovery in the Amazon |
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Regional partnerships for restoration in the Amazon
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Workshop brings together different perspectives on the role of organizations and financial instruments in building solutions capable of accelerating habitat recovery in the Amazon |
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Head of sustainability, KPTL |
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How is the Bioeconomy Amazon Summit establishing itself as a strategic platform for the development of the Amazon bioeconomy, rather than just a major annual event?
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The Bioeconomy Amazon Summit began as a major gathering, but it is becoming established as an ongoing platform for coordination around the Amazon bioeconomy. By bringing together dozens of partners, including programs such as the Amazon Journey, universities, civil society organizations, public authorities and investment funds, the summit helps map businesses, supply chain bottlenecks and real investment opportunities. This combination of high-quality curation and connections to impact capital enables the Bioeconomy Amazon Summit to generate effects that extend beyond the event itself, strengthening the ecosystem, giving visibility to real-world innovation and paving the way for new funds, public policies and systemic partnerships in the region.
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How does KPTL’s new fund focused on the Amazon intend to combine financial returns with social and environmental impact when investing in bioeconomy businesses in the region?
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Our fund dedicated to the Amazon was designed to invest approximately US$50 million in 20 to 25 companies over five years, focusing on biopharmaceuticals, biocosmetics and biomaterials, as well as logistics, energy, traceability and productive restoration solutions that help scale up these products. The logic is clear: the Amazon bioeconomy needs to be economically competitive to attract capital on a meaningful scale while also generating concrete benefits for the forest and local communities. For this reason, the fund combines traditional capital with philanthropic and concessional resources, helping mitigate risks, unlock deep innovation businesses and create successful cases capable of proving in practice that it is possible to align financial performance and impact in the Amazon.
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Why did KPTL decide to adapt check sizes to the realities of the Amazon, and what does this reveal about the maturity of the region’s innovation ecosystem?
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The decision to work with smaller initial checks, starting at around R$1 million and potentially reaching R$15 million, comes from a straightforward assessment: the Amazon ecosystem is growing rapidly, but it is still young compared to established technology hubs. Many businesses are at earlier stages and are subject to greater uncertainty, requiring capital that follows the learning curve without distorting incentives or excessively diluting entrepreneurs. By adopting a more flexible check size that can gas the company demonstrates traction, KPTL aims to allocate resources more effectively, reduce risks, complement existing instruments and create a bridge between the capital currently available and the scaling potential of the Amazon bioeconomy in the medium and long term.
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Several institutions gathered in Belém for the third edition of the Bioeconomy Amazon Summit (BAS) to connect and accelerate innovation in the bioeconomy. Together, entrepreneurs, investors, Indigenous leaders, and technology institutes discussed key topics to advance conservation in the region, aligned with the development of more competitive and innovative products in the Amazon. In total, the event featured 220 speakers, as well as immersive activities and place-based experiences.
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Amazon at Home, Intact Forest’s 2025 Annual Report
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The annual report of the Amazon at Home, Intact Forest program brings together the main results and lessons learned in 2025. This initiative, led by Climate Ventures and funded by the Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA), Fundo Vale and the Institute for Climate and Society (iCS), supported 55 Amazonian social and biological diversity businesses in nine Brazilian states last year, strengthening digital presence and market access strategies for forest products. As a result, participating brands generated R$2.48 million in digital sales, up 88.72% from 2024.
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Fundo Vale’s priority is to ensure the protection and privacy of our data, so we have reinforced our commitments regarding the collection, storage, treatment and sharing of our personal data, in accordance with Brazil’s General Data Protection Law. |
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