Although innovation is a strategic priority for most companies, measuring Return on Investment (ROI) in innovation remains a challenge for many organizations. According to the study “ROI in Innovation – Benchmark Report 2025,” conducted by Match IT with support from ABES, Hotmilk, NR7, and Octua, more than half of the companies that track ROI achieve returns exceeding 30% in less than two years. However, 30% of companies still lack structured mechanisms to measure these results.
The survey interviewed executives from various sectors between February and March 2025 and found that the average maturity of innovation initiatives in the Brazilian market is only 2.7 on a scale of 1 to 5. Although 88% of respondents claim to have teams dedicated to innovation or R&D (research and development), only 27% have a centralized area for governance and results tracking.
“ROI management is crucial to provide visibility into the impact of initiatives and justify investments. It helps quantify gains in numbers and demonstrate that innovation pays off, whether through direct savings, revenue growth, or operational improvement,” highlights Rose Ramos, Founder & CEO of MatchIT.
The data also revealed that the primary motivation for innovation in companies is efficiency gains (70%), followed by the development of new products and channels (48%). Open innovation, involving collaboration with startups and research institutes, is present in 43% of companies. However, only 36% pursue transformative or disruptive innovations, and social innovation, focused on ESG practices and environmental impact, appears in just 25% of cases.
The survey also indicated that 66% of executives expect a return on innovation investments within two years. Among the main challenges reported are the difficulty of aligning cost-benefit in long-term projects (41%), the absence of suitable financial models for innovative initiatives (26%), and internal cultural resistance, which pressures for immediate results (25%).
Although 71% of companies apply financial metrics to evaluate innovation, ROI management is still incipient: 52% of companies began measuring this indicator less than two years ago, and only 5% have been doing so for more than five years. The most adopted metrics include cost and labor-hour savings (48%), investment payback (30%), and traditional indicators such as Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) (25%). Another critical point identified is the lack of advanced technological tools for monitoring: more than half of companies (57%) still use traditional methods, such as Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations, to consolidate ROI data.
Even in a challenging scenario, 61% of companies indicate that innovation investments are expected to grow in 2025, driven by technological advancements such as AI, 5G, and blockchain, as well as increasing consumer demands and the macroeconomic landscape. “Innovation is essential for companies’ competitiveness and growth. Technological advancements and the need for market adaptation make innovation investment a priority,” concludes Rose Ramos.
The full report is available for consultation at this link.
