National awards and recognition: part 2
In 2021 and 2022, T&D Sustentável was selected for BNDES Garagem from 1,366 applicants, made the TOP 3 for SDG 6 in the iImpact seal, won the Prêmio Firjan de Sustentabilidade and reached Nº1 in Water and Sanitation in the 100 Open Startups Ranking. See the recognition, year by year, and what came next.
By T&D Sustentável 6 min read
In this article · 6
In 2021 and 2022, T&D Sustentável received the recognition that put it on Brazil’s water innovation map. In 2021, it was one of 25 startups selected from 1,366 applicants for BNDES Garagem and made the TOP 3 for SDG 6 in the iImpact seal. In 2022, it won the Prêmio Firjan de Sustentabilidade in the Water and Effluents category and was named Nº1 Startup in Water and Sanitation in the 100 Open Startups Ranking, a position it kept until 2025.
In short:
- 2021: InovAtiva de Impacto, IdeiaGov, BNDES Garagem (25 selected from 1,366 applicants), the iImpact seal with TOP 3 in SDG 6 and BrazilLAB.
- 2022: NÂş1 in Water and Sanitation in the 100 Open Startups Ranking, PrĂŞmio Firjan de Sustentabilidade, 1st place at Green Rio and Featured Startup at BNDES Garagem.
- First international event: Web Summit Lisbon, in 2022, after 1st place in the Sebrae selection.
- At the end of 2022, T&D had saved 262 million litres of water, on the way to the target of 1 billion by 2025, which was exceeded.
- After 2022 came NÂş1 in Water and Sanitation in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and EY Empreendedor do Ano in 2025, among others.
Which awards did T&D receive in 2021?
Those of a decisive year, focused on socio-environmental impact businesses and on government:
| Programme or award | Recognition |
|---|---|
| InovAtiva de Impacto | Selected for the acceleration programme for impact businesses |
| IdeiaGov (Government of the State of SĂŁo Paulo) | Selected for the programme that brings startups closer to the public sector |
| BNDES Garagem | One of 25 startups selected from 1,366 applicants |
| iImpact seal | Seal from Innovation Latam and Fundação Dom Cabral, with TOP 3 in SDG 6, the UN goal for water and sanitation |
| BrazilLAB | Accepted into the GovTech innovation hub that connects startups with the public sector |
According to T&D’s original post, in 2021 the company also took part in FAPERJ’s programme supporting the placement of researchers in companies and was accepted into the research, development and innovation programme for technology-based startups of the Instituto Federal Fluminense (IFF), which strengthened its R&D area.
Which awards did T&D receive in 2022?
Those that took T&D to the top of Brazil’s ranking of water startups:
| Programme or award | Recognition |
|---|---|
| 100 Open Startups Ranking | NÂş1 in Water and Sanitation |
| PrĂŞmio Firjan de Sustentabilidade | Winner in the Water and Effluents category, with the Water Savings System (SEA) |
| Green Rio | 1st place |
| BNDES Garagem | Featured Startup |
| Sebrae selection for Web Summit Lisbon | 1st place, with the trip to Web Summit, T&D’s first international event |
| Acredita Portugal | 2nd place in the H2O Inovação category |
Also in 2022, according to T&D’s original post, the company took part in the Shell Iniciativa Jovem acceleration programme, where it received the Sustainable Enterprise seal; CEO Camillo Torquato was named Featured Entrepreneur among the 600 startups in the Capital Empreendedor programme; and T&D received the iImpact seal again. The company’s story was also covered by the magazine Pequenas Empresas & Grandes Negócios in August 2022.
What did these awards mean for T&D?
External validation of a model that had been born in a Macaé residential complex four years earlier. The Firjan Prize recognised SEA, the solution that is now SEA 360º. The 100 Open Startups Ranking names the startups most attractive to the corporate market, and BNDES Garagem and IdeiaGov brought T&D closer to the public sector.
And the results kept pace: at the end of 2022, T&D had saved 262 million litres of water, an important step towards the target of 1 billion litres by 2025. The target was exceeded in February 2025, and the total is now over 1.71 billion litres, as shown in T&D’s impact in numbers.
What came after 2022?
Three more years as NÂş1 in Water and Sanitation and national recognition, according to the track record published by T&D:
| Year | Recognition |
|---|---|
| 2023 | NÂş1 in Water and Sanitation and 22nd in the overall 100 Open Startups ranking; PrĂŞmio Firjan de Sustentabilidade for the second year running; 100 Startups to Watch, Impact category |
| 2024 | NÂş1 in Water and Sanitation and 17th in the overall 100 Open Startups ranking; EXAME NegĂłcios em ExpansĂŁo; 100 Startups to Watch, Environment category; Conecta Lab Firjan IEL |
| 2025 | NÂş1 in Water and Sanitation for the fourth year running; EY Empreendedor do Ano, Impact category; 32nd place among 470 businesses in EXAME NegĂłcios em ExpansĂŁo; Featured Company at the CRIOS Awards |
| 2026 | 4th place in its category in EXAME NegĂłcios em ExpansĂŁo |
The first years, from 2018 to 2020, are in how T&D Sustentável started, and the most recent international presence in T&D at the Belt and Road Summit 2024.
The award-winning method is the same one that reaches clients today: SEA 360Âş handles implementation, without building works, with a baseline under the IPMVP protocol, efficiency technology at points of use, electronic leak detection and repairs, and continues with ongoing management, with monthly efficiency and ESG impact reports.
Frequently asked questions
Which awards has T&D Sustentável received?
Among the main ones: NÂş1 Startup in Water and Sanitation in the 100 Open Startups Ranking in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, the PrĂŞmio Firjan de Sustentabilidade in 2022 and 2023, EY Empreendedor do Ano, Impact category, in 2025, and selection for BNDES Garagem in 2021.
What is the 100 Open Startups Ranking?
It is the ranking that names the startups most attractive to the corporate market. T&D was named NÂş1 in the Water and Sanitation category in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
For which project did T&D win the PrĂŞmio Firjan de Sustentabilidade?
For the Water Savings System (SEA), in the Water and Effluents category, in 2022. In 2023, T&D won the prize for the second year running.
What was T&D’s first international event?
Web Summit Lisbon, in 2022, where T&D went after winning 1st place in the Sebrae selection.
Sources
- T&D Sustentável, “About us” page, year-by-year track record: milestones and awards from 2018 to 2026, as sent by T&D in October 2026
- T&D Sustentável, “Premiações e chancelas a nĂvel nacional II”, published in May 2024, in Portuguese: FAPERJ, IFF, Shell Iniciativa Jovem, Capital Empreendedor, the 2022 iImpact seal and the 262 million litres
- Pequenas Empresas & Grandes NegĂłcios, August 2022, in Portuguese: report on T&D and its founder
- T&D SEA 360Âş
