In my last article, I talked about the blog I run, “EdTech of the Week,” which aims to provide an analysis of edtech startups, and I highlighted the key insights I gathered from analyzing edtech companies in the Global South. Although less well-known, these companies are hubs of innovation and solutions for complex realities, such as low digital penetration, cultural and contextual diversity, and a limited domestic market.

To shine a spotlight on edtech companies that are actively working to transform Brazil—one of the key countries in the Global South—I interviewed 16 guests, including entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and public officials from the educational technology ecosystem. The goal was to understand the paths being forged at the intersection of technology, education, and the pursuit of better outcomes.

Taken together, these conversations make it clear that the educational technology ecosystem in Brazil is undergoing changes. The sector has already moved beyond the phase of naive enthusiasm and is now entering a period of maturity, more aware of its limitations and more attentive to the real conditions in schools. This scenario also creates opportunities to incorporate lessons learned from other contexts, from entrepreneurs in other countries, and from realities marked by even more intense structural challenges.

One technology that comes up repeatedly in the interviews is Artificial Intelligence, but no longer as a magic bullet or grand promise. According to Alberto Arenaza of Transcend Network in Spain , most generative AI products still “rely on the student learning on their own, ” which limits their actual impact on learning.

The applications considered most promising are pragmatic. Rather than replacing teachers or completely reinventing the classroom, AI has been used to solve concrete problems: automating educational documents, speeding up assessment feedback, or simplifying administrative tasks. Rafael Anselmo, an entrepreneur at Vínculo, states that the technology can reduce the time spent developing Individualized Education Plans ( essential tools for the inclusion of students with disabilities or special educational needs) by up to 73%. These are applications that don’t make headlines, but they free up time—a scarce resource in schools.

Américo Amorim, an entrepreneur and researcher at Escribo, introduced the idea of the “5-minute test”: if the teacher isn’t convinced within that initial timeframe, the project is shelved. Given the heavy workload that characterizes these professionals’ daily lives, it is essential that educational technology not add yet another layer of work.

See also:

• How Data Can Humanize School Management
• Beyond the Hype: How Technology Can Make a Difference in Education

Swarna Surya, Chief Technology Officer at Global School Leaders, points out that many of the challenges involved in successfully implementing educational technology stem from entrepreneurs developing solutions for school communities rather than with them. Without incorporating their voices into the design process, we lose critical information needed to create value for those who need it most.

This point helps explain another recurring theme in conversations—one that rarely comes up in the more glamorous discussions about startups: selling technology for education is, above all, a deeply human process.

The entrepreneurs reported that, when they entered the sector, they intended to scale their products almost like a streaming service. The reality, however, is quite different. Schools, especially public ones, operate based on trust and relationships built over time. Educational decisions are collective, purchasing cycles are long, and implementation requires constant dialogue with administrators and teachers. This insight is evident in the accounts of entrepreneurs involved in initiatives such as Proesc or EduqHub, who highlight the role of local networks and institutional relationships in enabling an educational solution to truly scale up.

Since about 80% of Brazilian students attend public schools, any educational reform must take this reality into account; otherwise, its impact will be limited.

Marília Teófilo, of EduqHub, sums up this scenario by stating that “entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint.” Despite the red tape, the uncertain financial return, and the immense structural challenges, those working in edtech often devote years—or even decades—to building robust educational solutions.

Some concrete examples show how Brazilian innovation tends to be less spectacular in rhetoric and more pragmatic. Mobile Brain, for example, draws on neuroscience research to develop a storytelling-based solution capable of predicting both literacy difficulties and signs of mental distress in children—a largely unexplored intersection between mental health and learning.

Proesc, meanwhile, illustrates how innovation can also emerge outside major urban centers. Through its work in Amapá, the initiative has helped boost the state’s innovation ecosystem—known as Tucuju Valley—which has already given rise to about 200 local startups, highlighting the potential of educational technology as a catalyst for regional development.

Other initiatives offer equally original solutions to concrete problems in everyday school life. SuperAutor employs a model in which educational content is created by the students themselves, who take on the role of authors and become more actively engaged in reading and writing. Meanwhile, Akyou and Vínculo are developing tools focused on educational inclusion, including the use of artificial intelligence to significantly reduce the time needed to produce educational materials adapted for students with disabilities.

The profile of the emerging entrepreneur is deeply human: parents of children with disabilities, teachers who refuse to accept the status quo, researchers frustrated by theories that are out of touch with the practical needs of the market or society, and women facing structural biases.

Personal purpose is the fuel; business sustainability is the vehicle. And without it, there is no lasting impact. The story told by these 16 interviews is not that of a fully formed sector, but of an ecosystem under continuous development, one that learns as it moves forward. As several interviewees point out, the willingness to reevaluate assumptions and incorporate new insights may be the most crucial skill—both for entrepreneurs and for educators.

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