Séries históricas Cubo Itaú unveils research on the new profile of innovation professionals and launches an AI-native business program
A survey of 2,400 professionals and a new program for AI entrepreneurs were presented at the ninth Cubo Conecta.
São Paulo, September, 2026 – Artificial intelligence has gained ground in the discourse of innovation professionals, but still appears infrequently in accounts of its application at work. This is one of the main findings of the survey “What is happening with innovation professionals?”, conducted by Innoscience in co-creation with Cubo Itaú and presented during Cubo Conecta 2026 in São Paulo.
The survey analyzed 2,485 innovation professionals in Brazil and more than 40,000 posts on a professional social network. It considered public profiles of professionals who identify with innovation in their job title or profile description. The data show that 69.7% entered the role from 2021 onward, reinforcing that a career dedicated to the field is still recent. The main areas of origin include Technology/IT (18.3%), Engineering and Production (11.9%), and Strategy and Planning (10.6%).
During the period analyzed, artificial intelligence gained presence in professional discourse and reached 24% of publications in the last quarter of the series. Among the profiles analyzed, 20.1% report at least one AI-related skill, while only 2.1% of publications describe its use at work. The data indicate a gap between AI’s growing presence in the discourse of innovation professionals and reports of its practical application.
Another highlight is the difference between focusing on activities and focusing on results: 60.4% of the innovation content analyzed emphasizes activities, such as projects and initiatives, while only 18.1% highlights results and impacts. This reinforces the challenge of bringing the innovation agenda closer to execution and value creation. There is also a gap between current skills and the capabilities the World Economic Forum projects will be needed by 2030. AI and big data, resilience, flexibility, agility and learning curiosity are among the skills expected to become increasingly important.
A new program connects entrepreneurs, investors and the AI ecosystem
As a practical response to this scenario and to the need to turn knowledge and technology into application and value creation, Cubo Itaú launched the AI Native Founders Program, a community for entrepreneurs developing businesses at the frontier of artificial intelligence.
The first cohort brings together 15 founders, eight of whom have previously sold companies they founded, including transactions with global players. Participating startups have already raised more than US$4 million. The initiative promotes the exchange of experiences and lessons among participants, as well as meetings with Latin American investors and connections that may open new opportunities for joint investment.
New participants may be nominated by community members and undergo an evaluation process before joining. A new cohort is planned for the end of 2026. The program seeks to bring together experienced entrepreneurs working at the frontier of artificial intelligence, strengthening connections and exchanges among businesses at different stages.
“The study shows that innovation has already incorporated artificial intelligence into its vocabulary, but there is still an important path ahead to turn this knowledge into results. AI Native Founders seeks to contribute to this movement by bringing entrepreneurs, investors and different ecosystem participants closer together,” says Paulo Costa, CEO of Cubo Itaú.
Efficient innovation guided discussions at the ninth Cubo Conecta
The announcements were made at the ninth Cubo Conecta, Cubo Itaú’s main annual event, which brought together approximately 1,000 founders, C-level executives, investors and ecosystem leaders in September. Under the concept “The aesthetics of efficient innovation,” the program addressed artificial intelligence, technology, productivity, leadership and new business models, as well as AI Frontiers, a room dedicated to practical applications of the technology. Participants included Caio Amato, Aretha Duarte and Rocky Yu, as well as executives and investors from Figma, Oracle, Stellantis, Itaú BBA, LAVCA, Altos Ventures and Innoscience.