Maranhão startup ecosystem reaches 471 companies

A new report from Sebrae, the Sebrae Startups Report Maranhão 2026, reveals that the state of Maranhão currently hosts 471 active startups. The capital, São Luís, serves as the primary innovation hub, concentrating 294 startups, which represents 62.4% of the state's total.

Innovation is also expanding into the interior, with notable activity in Imperatriz (39 startups), Balsas (22 startups), and other municipalities such as São José de Ribamar and Caxias. The Information Technology sector leads the startup landscape at 14.4%, followed by Education (11.7%) and Health/Wellness (9.1%).

Technologically, Artificial Intelligence is the most widely adopted tool, used by 40.1% of these companies. The majority of business models are B2B, with B2B2C models bringing the total corporate-focused operations to over 70%. Local success stories include Autoclipper, an AI-driven video platform, and Pediddo, a delivery management startup based in Imperatriz.