Brazilian technological-based companies: distinctive characteristics

Summary form only given. Technological-based companies, knowingly fundamental to the economic development of regions and countries, have stimulated remarkable changes in various fields of technology and marketing, where they have been installed. Based on such experiences, a series of governmental programs and policies have been undertaken in Brazil aiming at supporting the development of technological-based companies. SEBRAE-Supporting Program to Small and Micro companies, maintains a continuous technological based incubator program in Sao Paulo State. With the intention of better characterizing these companies in Brazil, IPT-Technological Research Institute of Sao Paulo State, represented by the Division of Economy and Engineering Systems (DEES), has developed, in partnership with SEBRAE/SP, a research whose results are presented. This research intends to identify critical success factors of Brazilian technological-based companies. A survey with 47 companies, including 120 entrepreneurs, was done. Several characteristics are analyzed, such as: the source of the technology and capital, profiles of both the entrepreneurs and the business, geographical localization and institutional support. The companies surveyed can be characterized as small and micro companies established with technology from entrepreneur/university transactions and with their own capital expenditure.