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Rio de Janeiro City Hall announces innovation projects that will be tested in the city.
Published on 02/04/2026 - 16:45 | Updated
Sandbox.Rio reaches its third edition - Artwork based on a photo by Marcos de Paula The Rio de Janeiro City Hall announced this Thursday (April 2nd) the 10 innovative projects selected for the third edition of Sandbox.Rio, which will be tested in the city. The focus of the third edition of the program is on initiatives aimed at Rio communities and areas such as the North Zone, West Zone, and the Jacarepaguá region. In addition, IplanRio, the municipal technology company, presented the Rio 3 Open platform, a family of six cutting-edge artificial intelligence models that are completely free and open-source.
The Municipal Secretary of Economic Development (SMDE), Osmar Lima, announced the selected participants for Sandbox.Rio and congratulated the entrepreneurs for investing in Rio.
— The participation and quality of the proposals reinforce the City Hall's effort to encourage innovative entrepreneurship, proving that innovation and social impact go hand in hand. We are in the third edition, with tested projects and the regulation of scooters, which is a very important achievement. We are not just testing technology, we are seeking solutions to real challenges in the daily lives of Rio de Janeiro residents — highlighted the secretary.
Sandbox attracts projects to peripheral areas.
In its third edition, Sandbox.Rio received 58 project applications, confirming the city's aptitude for attracting technologies with socio-environmental impact and consolidating the program as a national benchmark. Divided into macro-themes such as health, sustainability, mobility, and smart cities, the strategy of encouraging work in peripheral areas also proved positive: 83% of the registered projects indicated plans to operate in communities in the North and West Zones.
— The main focus of this third cycle is to democratize innovation. Innovation cannot be literature exclusive to certain areas; it needs to be literature for every citizen. The idea is that we can develop new projects for peripheral areas. These projects are our priority. — said Carina Quirino, Undersecretary of Regulation and Business Environment (SMDE).
The Health sector concentrated the greatest demand, followed by Smart Cities and Sustainability. Among the selected projects are Criança Protegida (Tooda), which facilitates the location of lost children on beaches; BiClean (BDM), which uses electric water bikes to collect floating waste and microplastics, initially in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon; and naPorta, a startup that proposes a social logistics system with the implementation of the “Carioca Digital Postal Code,” expanding access to public services for residents of communities.
"Without the support of the municipality, these technologies wouldn't get off the ground, and Sandbox.Rio is proving essential. Without this tool, all these technologies you're seeing here could be delayed by two to three years or simply die. Sandbox will be a major turning point for us to launch new technologies with a direct impact on the city, the population, and the environment," said Marcius Victorino da Costa, CEO of BDM Corp.
In total, 57% of the initiatives will have long-term tests, lasting up to 12 months, allowing for the generation of consistent data to improve municipal public policies.
The selected companies will sign the Innovative Solution Implementation Agreement and begin testing, with monitoring by municipal agencies and technical support from the City Hall, to evaluate performance and risks. In exchange for authorization to test the solutions in the city, they must share raw data with the Municipality. This information will support the formulation of public policies and legislation, allowing for the safe incorporation of innovations into daily urban life, benefiting the population, public administration, and the legal security of the companies.
Inspired by international models from the United Kingdom and South Korea, Sandbox.Rio, across three editions, received 88 applications, with 20 qualifications, representing a 176,1% increase in the number of applicants compared to the previous edition, reinforcing the program's evolution and consolidation.
Among previous projects, the electric scooter project stands out, with its use regulated by municipal decree, in addition to the launch of the call for bids for companies interested in operating the service, until May 14th. The regulation was based on data collected over 19 months that recorded 2,9 million trips, 972.380 registered users, a reduction of 358 tons of CO₂, and the creation of 230 jobs.
Two other projects are currently being tested – the Wali car-sharing app, with the first public charging point in Rio de Janeiro's Humaitá neighborhood, and Eletroposto Carioca, the city's first public charging station exclusively for electric cars.
Furthermore, Sandbox.Rio has received international and national awards, such as second place in the World Smart City Awards 2024 and first place in the Govtech Summit 2025. The Rio-based program was also included in the UN-Habitat's Mapping of Urban Climate Initiatives, highlighted in the OECD's Innovation Observatory, and featured in a TCU (Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts) study on sandboxes. All information is available on the website: sandboxrio.com.br
Rio 3 Open: Public and free artificial intelligence
Unlike traditional artificial intelligence models, which are privately owned and restrictive, Rio 3 Open adopts the MIT license, created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In practice, this means that the city is delivering an 'open' tool: companies and academics have complete freedom to use, modify, and even profit from this technology, without bureaucracy. Access is public and free through the ai.rio portal.
"We want Rio to be recognized as a hub for public innovation, capable of developing its own artificial intelligence solutions without depending on foreign platforms. These models represent open infrastructure for those who create digital solutions," says João Carabetta, president of IplanRio.
Rio 3 offers options for any need, ranging from simple devices to large data centers. Unlike other AI systems, where data is sent outside of Brazil, this project allows everything to be processed locally. This protects sensitive information and guarantees our technological independence.
With Rio 3 Open, the city government democratizes access to cutting-edge tools, strengthening the autonomy of the public sector and society. Rio 3 Open represents a strategic step by the municipality in democratizing artificial intelligence and strengthening technological autonomy, offering powerful and accessible tools for society and the public sector.
Discover the 10 projects selected for the Sandbox.
HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY
Aerolabs (Beach rescue drone)A high-capacity drone that uses computer vision to identify drowning victims on beaches and automatically launch rescue boats, supporting the work of lifeguards.
Protected Child (Tooda)A preventative safety system for beaches using wristbands with QR codes integrated into a digital network of beach vendors and the Municipal Guard, aiming to reduce the time it takes to locate lost children.
Motofog (Fumajet)Motorcycles equipped with a dual fogging and AI system to combat the dengue mosquito and other vectors in alleys and hard-to-reach areas in the North Zone.
ColdlogLogistics solution for transporting temperature-sensitive supplies (such as vaccines and insulin) using electric motorcycles with refrigerated modules and real-time traceability.
SUSTAINABILITY
BiClean (BDM)Electric water bikes for collecting floating debris and microplastics in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon initially, combining urban cleaning, leisure, and environmental education.
HRIOSAutonomous floating station with artificial intelligence for waste collection and continuous monitoring of water quality in rivers and tributaries.
BettairA network of low-cost sensors installed in street furniture for hyperlocal monitoring of air quality and noise levels, generating data for environmental policies.
LOGISTICS AND SMART CITIES
at the door: Brazil's first impactful logtech company, specializing in complex logistics, democratizing access to e-commerce in peripheral areas, communities, and developing regions. With Google's support, the company seeks to expand the "Digital ZIP Code" and, in partnership with Sandbox.Rio, integrate this technology with public health and social assistance services, facilitating the location and care of those in need.
Rio Eletrohub Rio (Recar)Recar's first multimodal charging hub on public roads, integrating ultra-fast chargers for cars and a station for electric bicycles and battery swapping, powered by solar energy.
Economic Revitalization Area (City Alliance): An urban management model where the private sector, authorized by the public authorities, promotes improvements and upkeep in specific areas to attract local commerce and investment.
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