Brazilians ride in self-driving car and launch AI tool in Silicon Valley

Between October 7 and 10, a group of 26 Brazilian entrepreneurs and professionals from the areas of technology, media, law and education participated in an unprecedented four-day immersion in Silicon Valley, one of the most innovative regions in the world. The event, promoted by Viva Experience, a business immersion company, provided participants with a dive into the main scenarios of technological development, startups, big techs and US investments.

The program included visits to leading institutions and lectures with global leaders and brazilians who work at the heart of the California technology ecosystem. The immersion began with a morning at Plug and Play, an accelerator that boosted giants such as Uber, Rappi and HubSpot. During the visit, the the group witnessed the launch of a new artificial intelligence tool developed in Brazil, Reinforcing the growing importance of AI for global innovation.

“A immersion was structured in four axes: academic, startups, big techs, and investments and venture capital.We believe that these experiences bring not only technical knowledge, but also a strategic vision on how to lead transformations in the most varied” markets, says Rodrigo Costa, partner at Viva Experience. 

Academic Connection and Global Investment Vision

The program also offered participants an academic perspective, with a visit to the Skydeck, innovation center at the University of Berkeley. The group was received by the center director George Panagiotakopoulos, which presented an overview of innovation investments in the United States and made comparisons with the markets of Asia, Europe and Latin America, offering a broad view of global opportunities and challenges. To facilitate understanding, participants relied on simultaneous translation.

Another highlight was the class taught by Flavio Feferman, a Brazilian who twice won the title of best professor at Berkeley. Feferman addressed topics such as business, entrepreneurship and innovation, and entrepreneurs had the opportunity to ask questions about their own industries and specific scenarios.

The group also visited the Stanford University, where they were lucky enough to meet David Kelley, creator of design thinking, by accident. 

Robotic Entrepreneurship and Experience with AI

During the immersion of Viva Experience, the group also met the Circuit Launch, world reference center in robotics and artificial intelligence. Led by the Brazilian Alex Dantas, founder of the initiative, the visit provided participants with a vision of the future of robotics and AI. 

The center is home to about 80 startups and is at the forefront of technological innovations that will still hit the market, such as AI applications by molecules and membranes.The group was briefed on the expansion plans of Circuit Launch, which will collaborate with Singularity to create a new space in Mountain View.

M&A and Venture Capital Insights

In the field of investments, entrepreneurs had the chance to participate in a conversation with the lawyer Andre Thiollierpartner at Foley & Lardner, who offered insights into the M&A and venture capital scenario in Silicon Valleythiollier detailed strategies for capturing investments, as well as discussing mergers and acquisitions trends in the American market.

The immersion also provided meetings with key executives in the technology sector. Rodrigo Vale, creator of a search engine sold to Google in 2005 and now a data engineer at the tech giant, shared his experiences independently, emphasizing the importance of data analysis for the future of business. Vale participated in the immersion independently and not as a representative of big tech.

However, after the conversation with the Brazilian, the group went to Google headquarters for a conversation with an executive with passages by Spotify, Netflix and who currently works on projects on YouTube. He talked to the Viva Experience group about the behind the scenes of technological innovations.

At Apple Park, the visit to Apple's headquarters was also marked by discussions about product innovation, focusing on the company's strategies to maintain its position as a market leader.

Autonomy in Motion and Cinema in California

In addition to big techs, the group has had a remarkable experience when riding in autonomous vehicles Waymo, demonstrating in practice the future of urban mobility. To end the immersion, the group participated in a conversation with Julian Lapenda, president of the Beverly Hills Film Festival, which presented an overview of the California film market and its relations with technology, and went to the Apex Brazil to learn about internationalization of business and global opportunities.

Next Classes

In addition to immersion for Silicon Valley, Viva Experience also offers programs to New York, one focused on NRF and Big Apple concept stores and another focused on the financial and technology landscape; Orlando, to Disney Parks and Harley Davidson, directed to entrepreneurship and experience; and Boston, where participants visit renowned institutions such as Harvard, MIT and Babson, focusing on entrepreneurship and technology.

“Essa was a unique opportunity for Brazilian entrepreneurs to connect with the global innovation ecosystem, returning to Brazil with a renewed vision and practical insights to implement in their own business”, says Carolina Livolis, partner at Viva Experience. 

Viva Experience also carries out private missions, for companies or closed groups, with a personalized schedule.