startupi

The eighth annual RioInfo conference is taking place August 31 to September 2 at the Hotel Windsor Barra in Rio de Janeiro. The schedule includes forums and workshops on topics such as digital marketing, HTML5, Java Mobile and social networks, as well as specific panels on niche markets like petroleum and sports. The Innovation Room is reserved for ongoing presentations by various startups, whose pitches are then evaluated by a panel of professionals. Numerous opportunities and locations for networking and private business discussions have been made available. Read more…

A while back I had the opportunity to follow the presentation of engineer Alberto Duque Portugal.

Alberto was formerly director of the Agência de Inovação da Unicamp, president of Embrapa, and is now Secretary of Science, Technology and Higher Education for the State of Minas Gerais. In this role he helps stimulate institutional, educational, economic, technical and social development via initiatives integrated with the Sistema Mineiro de Inovação. Read more…

A few days ago we received a very interesting comment on the English post about “the year of the foreigner.” The commenter was Ago Cluytens, a Swiss consultant who specializes in “branding through people.” He lives in Geneva (with his Brazilian girlfriend) and is interested in joining forces with the Brazilian startup scene.

I contacted him to exchange more ideas, and he ended up writing this excellent post on his own blog: “Startup Samba: Ten Reasons to Invest in Brazilian Startups.”

(It is also available in Portuguese translation on the Portuguese version of Startupi.)

When the millenium turned we were in the midst of a flurry of investment in Internet-related businesses. Followed by a plummet as investors pulled their money for fear of a sudden devaluation due to lack of returns. The crash affected Brazil, too. Though some were able to withstand the hit, remaining strong and innovative. And I’m not just talking about Buscapé.

I had a nice conversation with Alexandre Canatella, CEO of e-Media (in partnership with Luiz Lapetina). E-Media is a content and online relationship business that’s been up since 1997, with services such as Vila Mulher, CyberCook and CyberDiet. Read more…

In September 2009 Naspers Group, already present in Brazil, acquired nearly all of Grupo Buscapé. It had been a while since we’d seen an acquisition as notable as that one here.

The whole world waited expectantly for more buys, which didn’t happen for a while but things are picking up again. Read more…

Here is another informative article from Pedro Sorrentino, written for Startupi.

Since the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, I have seen some speculation that now seems to be coming true. The future of the mobile market is indeed in software. The mobile market now includes cell phones, tablets, netbooks and the telecom providers and operators. Read more…