Brazil's AI Elite: 10 Startups Ready to US$ 100 Million While Inflation and Autonomous Agents Redefine Investments - Why These 24 Hours Mark the Moment of Real Maturity

In the last 24 hours, the Brazilian artificial intelligence ecosystem has shown surprising maturity: 10 national startups have been identified as ready to raise up to US$ 100 million in 2026, according to a survey by Value Capital Advisors for Forbes Brazil. At the same time, global investors warn that the AI-driven inflation could burst the tech bubble, while AI agents start shopping autonomously and 95% of corporate AI initiatives still don't generate revenue.

What at first glance seems contradictory - Brazilian startups ready for mega-booms while the global market fears a correction - actually reveals something profound: we are leaving the phase of promise and entering the era of real delivery. And that changes everything.

Brazil Has 975 AI Startups, But Only 10 Are Ready for Real

Let's start with the numbers that matter. O Value Capital Advisors report shows that Brazil ended 2025 with 975 active AI startups, a jump of almost 40% in five years. Sounds impressive, right? But here's the detail that separates optimism from execution: only 23 of these companies managed to surpass the barrier of US$ 10 million in financing.

What's more, only 16 have achieved a Growth Score of more than 60 points - a metric that analyzes everything from headcount and market share to a history of mergers and acquisitions. Of these, only 10 were identified as having the “financial and operational muscle” to seek rounds of up to US$ 100 million in 2026.

Who are these companies? The list includes names such as Blip (CRM and CX Tech, with US$ 60 million raised), Nagro (AgFintech, US$ 40 million), Idwall (Digital Security, US$ 38 million), Enter (Lawtech, US$ 35 million), Isa Health (Healthtech, US$ 30 million), among others operating in logistics, agribusiness, health and people management.

What do these companies have in common? All solve critical inefficiencies in strategic sectors. They are not selling abstract technological promises, but delivering measurable results: reducing rural credit release times from 120 days to 48 hours (Nagro), automating complex legal defenses (Enter), fleet management with reduced operating costs (Cobli).

Daniel Lasse, CEO of Value Capital Advisors, sums it up well: “The advance of artificial intelligence in Brazil is beginning to translate into mature business models. In a more selective investment environment, they stand out for combining the practical application of AI and the generation of measurable value.”.

The Global Paradox: AI Boom Could Cause Inflation and Burst the Bubble

While Brazil celebrates its AI elite, the global market is sounding a red alert. Fund managers consulted by Reuters and S.Paulo Newspaper state that AI-driven inflation is the most overlooked risk of 2026.

How does it work? The trillion-dollar race to build data centers (Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet) is consuming energy and advanced chips on an unprecedented scale. Deutsche Bank projects that data center investments could reach US$ 4 trillion by 2030. This generates inflationary pressure: memory chip costs rise, energy prices skyrocket, and demand outstrips supply.

Andrew Sheets, a strategist at Morgan Stanley, predicts that consumer inflation in the US will remain above the Federal Reserve's target until the end of 2027. And here's the problem: high inflation forces central banks to end interest rate cuts or even raise rates. This reduces the appetite for risky investments, especially in technology.

Trevor Greetham, of Royal London Asset Management, was blunt: “You need a pin to prick the bubble and it will probably come through tighter money.”.

We've already seen early signs: Oracle plummeted after warning of increased spending on AI with no commensurate return. Broadcom fell after warning that profit margins will be reduced. Intel and HP have also signaled price pressure due to rising component costs.

What does that mean? The market is starting to separate companies that really generate value with AI from those that just ride the hype. And this filtering can be brutal.

AI Agents: The Turning Point That Will Change Everything (Including Your Shopping)

If you think AI has already changed your life, get ready. The next wave is not about chatbots that answer questions, but autonomous agents that perform complete tasks without human supervision.

According to a report by Economic Value, The payments industry is preparing for “agentic commerce”: AI that searches for airline tickets, finds discounts and buys automatically. Or that monitors your smart fridge, identifies what's missing and sends orders to the market.

Research by Mastercard shows that around 40% of consumers in Latin America are comfortable with AI agents making purchasing decisions for them. Visa revealed that almost 70% of Brazilians have used AI for shopping-related tasks. Consulting firm Edgar, Dunn & Company estimates that global agentic trade could reach US$ 1.7 trillion by 2030.

Adriano Picchi Neves, president of Avanade Brasil, explained in interview with Veja AI agents are algorithms that perform an entire activity or process in place of the user, following predefined rules. They can manage emails, organize schedules, pay bills, check rent, request medical reimbursements.

The main promise? Saving time. No more wasting hours on boring operational tasks, but freeing up mental energy for creativity, learning and leisure.

But there are risks. Neves reports having made the mistake of blindly trusting an AI-generated report, discovering important errors (especially arithmetic) due to a lack of revision. The ideal, according to him, is a “back and forth” process: the human makes a draft, the AI revises, the human adjusts, and so on.

And there are profound economic implications: AI agents will influence the purchase, taking the middleman out of the decision. This will lead to a clash between sales portals and automated agents. Whoever controls the agent controls the purchase. And this will completely change the rules of the retail and digital marketing game.

95% AI Initiatives Don't Generate Revenue: The Problem Isn't Technology, It's Leadership

Here's the hardest fact of the last 24 hours: according to the MIT report quoted in Terra, 95% of AI initiatives in companies fail to generate a direct impact on revenue.

Why? The study reveals that the biggest barrier is lack of knowledge and preparation on how to apply AI consistently and integrate it into everyday corporate life.

Carlos Felippe Cardoso, CEO of Nower, was surgical: “The biggest transformation brought about by AI in companies will not be technological, but in the ability to address real problems and turn hypotheses into testable solutions.” Companies continue to invest heavily in technology, but neglect to develop people capable of using AI to generate real value.

Luis Fernando Orleans, an AI specialist and PhD in Computing, adds: “There is little attention paid to preparing the people who are going to use the technology. Training comes as a side effect of urgency, when it should be the starting point.”.

Data from the BCG Build for the Future 2025 Global Study shows that only 5% of organizations manage to generate significant value with AI, and around 60% are still lagging behind in developing critical capabilities.

What separates the 5% from the rest? Prepared leadership and trained teams. According to the Superagency in the Workplace report, organizations that empower their teams to work side by side with AI double their chances of generating business value.

Rodrigo de Toledo, co-founder of Nower, sums it up: “AI is an extension of human capacity. When applied well, it induces people to think critically, make strategic decisions and innovate.” But these effects only emerge when the organizational culture values continuous learning and experimentation.

The Moment of Truth: Maturity, Not Hype

So what do the last 24 hours really tell us?

First: Brazil has mature AI startups solving real problems. We are no longer in the experimental phase. Companies like Blip, Nagro, Idwall and others are delivering measurable results in strategic sectors. The concentration in the Southeast (71.18% of operations) reflects the country's economic center, but the sectoral diversity (health, agro, logistics, legal) shows that Brazilian AI is not monolithic.

Second: the global market is entering a correction phase. AI-driven inflation, rising infrastructure costs and pressure on profit margins will separate solid companies from speculative projects. This is not the end of the AI boom, but the beginning of maturity.

Third: autonomous agents are the next frontier. We are moving from the era of chatbots to the era of AI that performs complete tasks. This will redefine work, consumption and the human-machine relationship. But it requires governance, transparency and security.

Bedroom: 95% of AI initiatives fail because they lack human training, not technology. The real competitive advantage lies not in having access to the tools (which are increasingly democratized), but in having leaders and teams capable of applying AI strategically.

There are also important sectoral signals: retail is using AI to reduce food waste (12.7 million tons lost annually in Brazil), with companies such as Red Bull, Assaí and Forno de Minas reporting a 41% increase in sales and savings of 480 hours per month. Logistics is incorporating AI to labor governance and risk management ESG, by redefining the organization of work and exposure to liabilities.

What it means for you and your company

If you are an entrepreneur, executive or professional who works with innovation, these 24 hours have clear lessons for you:

• Stop chasing hype and focus on solving real problems. Brazilian startups ready for US$ 100 million are not selling promises, but delivering measurable results. What critical inefficiency are you solving?
• Prepare your leadership and your teams before investing in more technology. 95% of initiatives fail due to a lack of training, not a lack of tools. Does your team know how to use AI strategically?
• Understand that autonomous agents are going to change the game. If your company relies on intermediation (whether in sales, services or information), get ready: AI is going to start making purchasing decisions for consumers. How do you position yourself in this new scenario?
• Don't ignore market correction signals. AI-driven inflation and pressure on margins are real. Companies that don't generate measurable value will suffer. Are you building something sustainable?

In my work with companies, governments and innovation ecosystems, I can clearly see that we are at an inflection point. AI is no longer a technological bet but a question of strategy, governance and human capacity.

In my mentoring program and in the immersive courses I coordinate, I help executives and companies navigate this transition with clarity: how to identify real AI opportunities, how to prepare leaders to lead technological transformations, how to build a culture of continuous learning and how to avoid the mistakes that lead 95% initiatives to failure.

Because now is not the time to chase the latest tool that has appeared on LinkedIn. It's about building solid foundations, developing people and delivering real value. It's about maturity, not hype.

Brazil's AI elite show that it's possible. Now it's time to decide: will you be part of the 5% that generate value or the 95% that fall by the wayside?