From Niche to Powerhouse: Santa Catarina Now Second in Brazil for Tech Revenue Per Resident

Santa Catarina, a small southern state with 7.6 million residents, has become Brazil’s fifth-largest technology market.

The sector generated R$ 42.5 billion (~$7.7 billion) in 2024, surpassing Rio Grande do Sul in revenue. ACATE’s Observatório published the data during Startup Summit in Florianópolis on August 27–29, 2025.

The achievement is striking when scaled. Santa Catarina accounts for about 3.7% of Brazil’s population and just over 1% of its land area.

Yet the state now produces more technology revenue than Rio Grande do Sul, which has 10.9 million people, and rivals Paraná, which has 11.6 million. São Paulo, by contrast, has 46 million inhabitants and generated R$ 376 billion (~$68.4 billion) in 2024.

Growth outpaced the national average. Tech revenue in Santa Catarina rose 11% in 2024, compared with 7.7% nationwide. The sector contributed 7.75% of state GDP, one of the highest shares in Brazil.

On a per-capita basis, technology generated about R$ 5,200 (~$945) per resident. That figure is second only to São Paulo, confirming that Santa Catarina delivers outsized results relative to its scale.

The business base expanded while larger states contracted. Santa Catarina ended 2024 with 29.4 thousand active tech companies, up 6.2% from 2023.

São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Rio Grande do Sul lost firms during the same period. The state also reported about 100 thousand formal tech jobs, ranking among the country’s main employment hubs in the sector.

The mercantile implications are clear. Investors and suppliers see a compact market producing scale-like returns. Rising firm counts spread demand across many companies, reducing dependence on a handful of major buyers.

Sustained growth above the national average signals a structural trend, not a short cycle. This combination attracts capital and service providers seeking expansion beyond Brazil’s two largest markets.

Nationally, leadership remains concentrated in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Paraná. Yet Santa Catarina’s climb reflects durable share gains.

ACATE links the performance to talent development and close cooperation between companies, universities, and public agencies. This integrated ecosystem converts firm creation into sustained revenue.

The release timing underlines the state’s ambitions. ACATE presented its Observatório 2025 report at Startup Summit, its flagship industry gathering. The official program confirms the event took place in Florianópolis from August 27 to 29, 2025.

Bottom line: Santa Catarina’s population is smaller than many single Brazilian cities, yet its tech economy already ranks fifth in the country. The state now combines scale with rapid growth, making it the second-highest generator of tech revenue per resident in Brazil.

Brazil’s Top Tech States (2024)

Sources: IBGE (population estimates 2024), Observatório ACATE 2025 (tech revenue 2024)