# Darwin Startups

> Darwin Startups is a Brazilian accelerator and early-stage investor connecting founders with capital, corporate buyers, mentors and psychological support. It also designs innovation and entrepreneurship programs for corporate and institutional clients.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** Florianópolis, Brazil
- **Founders:** Marcos Mueller (Co-founder and CEO), Mateus Eckert Xavier (Co-founder; departed in 2019)
- **Products:** Startup acceleration and investment, Corporate innovation programs, Darwin alumni community, ICM Lab Solana, Emma Project
- **Notable:** ABStartups Startup Awards named Darwin Brazil’s best accelerator in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021., Company-reported 11 portfolio exits., Company-reported portfolio fundraising above R$150 million and aggregate portfolio value above R$1 billion; neither is Darwin’s own funding or valuation.

## Products & services

- **Startup acceleration and investment** — Early-stage capital, tailored growth work and founder support; Batch #15 is planned for January 2027.
- **Corporate innovation programs** — Startup scouting, investment programs and commercial experimentation for corporate clients.
- **Darwin alumni community** — Portfolio platform with curated resources, mentors and partner benefits.
- **ICM Lab Solana** — Financial-infrastructure and Web3 acceleration with Solana Foundation and Superteam Brasil.
- **Emma Project** — Entrepreneurship training, acceleration and psychological support for women founders, powered by Zoho.
- **2Gether-International partnership** — Entrepreneurship support in Latin America and the Caribbean for founders with disabilities and relevant technology ventures.

## Achievements

- ABStartups Startup Awards named Darwin Brazil’s best accelerator in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
- Company-reported 11 portfolio exits.
- Company-reported portfolio fundraising above R$150 million and aggregate portfolio value above R$1 billion; neither is Darwin’s own funding or valuation.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Announced Batch #15 after two years of selective investment rather than open cohorts.
- **2026-09** — ICM Lab Solana applications opened September 14, with an October 11 closing date.
- **2026-10** — Batch #15 applications are closed; the website offers preregistration for Batch #16. Batch #15 acceleration is scheduled for January 2027.

## Links

- Website: https://www.darwinstartups.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/darwinstartups/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DarwinStartups
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darwinstartups/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darwinstartups/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/darwin-startups
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-07