Continuing our series of weekly summaries of startup news in English, here are some highlights from last week:
–Riverwood Capital, a US-based global investment group, has announced a plan to invest BR$100 million over the next three years. This includes their recent partial acquisitions of Brazilian startup Mandic which is now merged with their previously acquired business Tecla Internet. The merged business will use the name Mandic. The purpose is to create a leading cloud computing solution in the software/infrastructure as a service segment. Riverwood Capital has regional offices in São Paulo.
Full post in Portuguese.
–E-commerce startup Ningo, which had previous support from Aceleradora and was a regional finalist in the Desafio Brasil, has received new support from an angel investor. Ningo’s e-commerce solutions focus on price comparisons, keeping consumers engaged through check-out, and solving payment problems. The investment will allow Ningo to increase the number of stores that use the system.
Full post in Portuguese, including video.
–Startup Wabbers has received investment from Inova Venture Participações (IVP). Wabbers has been in business just six months, has been a participant in the Startup Farm accelerator program. Wabber‘s product is a mobile travel/transport app that uses input from participants to offer real-time route recommendations.
Full post in Portuguese (including subtitled video showcasing the app).
–Mukirana.com, a Brazilian penny auction site, drew attention last week when they auctioned off new iPads. The iPad 3 is not yet available in Brazil, and there is a great demand for electronic goods in general. Mukirana specializes in items such as laptops, game systems and cell phones.
Full post in Portuguese.
–Redpoint eVentures and IG Expansión have invested in online fashion retailer Sophie & Juliete. Sophie & Juliete – which intends to launch later this year – will incorporate a social element and multi-level marketing into e-commerce, with “stylists” hosting virtual parties and earning commissions on sales made through their networks. More on: Redpoint eVentures and IG Expansión.
Full post in Portuguese.
–The Circuito Startups series of events is expanding across Brazil, offering the opportunity for networking, talks and pitch evaluations in a happy-hour format. The founder of the event series, Tiago Asevedo, is keen to see a native Brazilian format grow (the Circuito Startups series currently takes place regularly in Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and São Paulo. Florianopolis will hold their first event in mid April.)
Full post in Portuguese.
–Sebraetec is a government program to support innovation in IT. In 2011 the program spent BR$520 million just in the state of Mina Gerais and that amount is expected to increase in 2012. Participating companies are assisted by affiliated non-profits which help refine the business models, deal with intellectual property issues, streamline productivity and management, and so forth.
Full post in Portuguese.
–Startup Farm’s accelerator program, most recently held in Brasília, will be coming back to São Paulo in April. The one month program will mentor accepted startups and assist them in networking with interested investors. The São Paulo event will take place April 21 through May 21. Applications are being accepted through April 12.
Full post in Portuguese.
–Artemisia is choosing a new round of startups for its accelerator program. The program, Aceleradora de Impacto, focuses on profitable startups with social impact that serve low income populations and operate in the areas of health care, education, financial solutions and access to technology. Applications are open through April 8.
Full post in Portuguese.
–New startup Dica X is about to launch, offering a combination of customer reviews of businesses with coupons and discounts. Romulo Mourão, the founder, pitches it as a combination of Facebook, Yelp, Groupon, Foursquare and Kekanto.
Full post in Portuguese.
–A deal between Samba Tech and Videolog has fallen through. Samba Tech announced the acquisition of Brazilian online video service Videolog back in November 2011. However, the negotiations were not finalized at the time of the announcement, and talks broke down over defining the operational model and the proposed financial agreement. Samba Tech meanwhile has taken up a joint venture with Adstream; Videolog has entered into a partnership with Highwinds.
Full post in Portuguese.
–Kekanto, a Brazilian recommendations startup with funding from several investors, was excited to see their Android app featured on Google Play. Their daily number of downloads went up by 100% as a result.
Full post in Portuguese (including demo video in Pt.).
