COZ participated in the fourth edition of StarBase Connect Day, held on June 26 and 27 at the Parque Tecnológico de Santos. Organized by ILIS, Instituto Litoral Paulista de Inovação & Startups, the event brought together entrepreneurs, students, companies, universities, communities, public authorities, and regional leaders from across Baixada Santista.

StarBase Connect Day brings regional innovation groups into the same environment. This edition included more than 30 hours of programming, with business connections, community activity, technology discussions, project development, and an Ideathon focused on real innovation challenges.

StarBase Connect Day brought students, founders, institutions, communities, and ecosystem partners into the same room in Santos.

COZ helped connect StarBase with Stellar and supported the event as a bridge between a local innovation ecosystem and a global blockchain network focused on practical financial infrastructure.

Working with the ILIS team and Stellar's Developer Relations representative, COZ helped adapt the Ideathon format for Stellar's ecosystem. The goal was to help participants understand how blockchain networks like Stellar can support real applications, real users, and real economic activity.

For many students, the Ideathon was their first practical introduction to Web3 and blockchain. During the event, COZ provided direct support to competing teams and engaged with more than 140 students. Most were encountering Stellar and blockchain technology for the first time.

COZ's role was to make that introduction concrete. The team helped participants understand what blockchain can do, why Stellar exists, and how open networks can support useful applications in the real world.

For many participants, the event was a first practical introduction to Web3 and blockchain technology.

The Ideathon also marked a milestone for the region. For the first time, INOVA CPS, part of Centro Paula Souza, brought an Ideathon to Baixada Santista. Around 150 students from ETEC Aristóteles Ferreira participated, working through real innovation challenges with methodological support from Glauco Tabet Lima and Cássio Marques, in support of ILIS.

The Ideathon gave students a practical setting to turn early ideas into projects and presentations.

The student focus expanded who could participate in the ecosystem. StarBase Connect Day was not only a technology event for existing builders. It introduced students to Stellar and Web3 through practical challenges, team support, and direct engagement.

COZ also supported the visibility of Stellar's presence at the event. Through local community activation, podcast interviews, presentations, social content, and regional network support, COZ helped Stellar reach local leaders and innovation communities.

The event connected students and local institutions with the broader regional innovation ecosystem.

StarBase Connect Day created a setting where students, educators, founders, public institutions, companies, communities, and technical mentors could work in the same environment. The event combined first introductions, practical challenges, regional relationships, and follow-on opportunities for builders.

COZ supported the event through local ecosystem activation, presentations, mentoring, and follow-up developer community work.

Follow-on activity is already taking shape. As a continuation of the relationships built through StarBase, COZ is running a hackathon for professional developer communities in Baixada Santista, with COZ providing the prize pool. The initiative runs until July 10 and extends momentum from the student Ideathon into the region's professional developer ecosystem.

The connections made at StarBase are also helping set the stage for a larger Harbor Hackathon later this year. Together, the student Ideathon, professional developer hackathon, and Harbor Hackathon create a path from first exposure to continued technical participation.

Winning teams closed the Ideathon with practical project work and a reason to keep building after the event.

StarBase Connect Day showed the value of practical introductions. Students and new builders do not need to start with every technical detail of blockchain infrastructure. They need a clear view of what the technology can make possible, where it applies, and how they can begin experimenting with it.

We are grateful to ILIS, Parque Tecnológico de Santos, INOVA CPS, Centro Paula Souza, the Stellar team, the participating students, and the local communities that made this edition possible. StarBase Connect Day showed the strength of Baixada Santista's innovation ecosystem and the value of connecting that ecosystem with global networks like Stellar.

Follow-on work extends StarBase momentum from student participation toward continued developer engagement in Baixada Santista.

COZ was proud to help make that connection. The event created a foundation for continued developer engagement, stronger regional collaboration, and new opportunities for builders beginning their journey into Web3.