​Matchmaking is a 4-week co-founding experience by Canastra Ventures, designed to connect domain operators, tech founders, researchers and builders to create the next generation of AI-native service companies.

​This is the 5th edition of Matchmaking. Following a successful fourth edition, which selected 80 participants, we’re doubling down on AI-native services. The thesis is simple: a domain operator without a tech founder only goes so far. A tech founder without deep sector knowledge does too. This program exists to bring the two together.

​Over 4 weeks, selected participants go through a structured matching and validation process, with active curation from the Canastra team at every stage. The program is REMOTE, with one in-person meetup in São Paulo during the first week. The goal goes beyond networking—it’s about building a pipeline of potential co-founders or finding a team to join and build with.

​Photos from our 4th Matchmaking in-person meetup.

​Who should apply

• ​Founders — BRL 950 tuition

  • ​Background in business, strategy, ops, or product

  • ​Deep domain expertise in services industries (Legal, Tax, Finance, IT, Healthcare, and others)

  • ​Sales, distribution, or go-to-market capability

  • ​Interested in founding a VC-backable startup

  • ​Target functions: fundraising, sales, product

• ​Tech Founders — BRL 240 tuition

  • ​Strong engineering background with experience building products end-to-end

  • ​Comfortable with LLMs, agents, infra, or data

  • ​Has shipped something, either professionally or on the side

  • ​Ready to co-found, not just contribute technically

  • ​Target functions: engineering and AI/ML

• ​Student Founders (Grad & Undergrad) — BRL 96 tuition

  • ​Researchers, scientists, and students from top-tier universities with deep technical background in AI/ML, LLMs, agents, or data

  • ​May not have founded before, but has built, published, or shipped

  • ​Looking for a path from research to real-world impact

  • ​Target functions: engineering and AI/ML

​¹ Applicants must select the profile that genuinely reflects their background and intended role. Applications from candidates who fit the Founder profile but apply as Tech Founder or Student Founder will not be considered. If you are unsure which profile applies to you, reach out before submitting.

​² Tech Founder and Student Founder applications will only be considered if the technical evidence field is completed. Show your technical skills through open-source repositories, projects you’ve built, papers you’ve published, or other related work. Incomplete applications will not move forward in the selection process.

​Key Information

​Applications: October 20 – November 20, 2026
Application-based: we review on a rolling basis
Capacity is limited: up to ~60 seats
Program dates: November 23 – December 14, 2026

→ Learn more on the program’s page.

​*By registering, you agree to share your data with Canastra Ventures, sponsors and our partners. Additionally, by registering, you authorize us to send you the latest news, company announcements, and other communications from Canastra Ventures and partners.