Unless we live in a cave, you’ll have beheld that Brazil is now welcoming a FIFA World Cup 2014. For some reason we was awaiting it would outcome in a news slack and well, we couldn’t have been some-more mistaken. Not usually did this hulk eventuality move a satisfactory share of tech-related announcements, yet startups also kept on working and shutting new deals. Here are a news we can’t skip among all a noise:
A tech-heavy World Cup
Let’s start with some engaging news pieces from a World Cup itself. As we reported, any diversion has resulted in a outrageous volume of amicable gibberish all around a world, with both Twitter and Facebook reaching annals and awaiting new heights over a subsequent integrate of weeks.
Football aside, a mega-event has also been putting scholarship in a spotlight, with coaches and referees relying on innovations such as goal-line technology, intelligent watches and wearable speed sensors to make fact-based decisions.
Still, creation hasn’t been stealing as many courtesy as some of us wished. Indeed, debate emerged on day one around a competition’s initial kick. The fact that it was done by a authority with stoppage regulating a mind-controlled exoskeleton was apparently not adequate to extend it some-more than a few seconds atmosphere time. Here what you competence have missed:
As we can see, they are not totally self-explanatory, that competence be one of several reasons because TV channels hardly mentioned them during live coverage. Still, it would have been good to hear some-more on a ongoing work behind them – a Walk Again Project, led by Brazilian neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis from Duke University.
It wasn’t a usually debate around a World Cup, whose extensive cost spurred countless protests in Brazil over a final few months. This displeasure also echoed online, when hackers took down a event’s central site for a few hours on Jun 20.
While there is no doubt that many Brazilians have some-more dire needs than new stadiums, it still had a really certain impact for some of them. According to Airbnb, a height reached a whole new scale with a event:
20% of World Cup attendees are staying in an Airbnb listing. Based on # of listings, Airbnb has spin Brazil’s largest liberality co.
— Chip Conley (@ChipConley) June 17, 2014
Interestingly, some of Airbnb’s newest hosts are favela (slum) residents who detected a wonders of a ‘sharing economy’ by renting out bedrooms to unfamiliar tourists who couldn’t means overpriced hotels – or were captivated by a monumental views we can get from a hills.
Hyperactive Google
Google done so many moves in Latin America this month that it deserves a possess chapter. To start with, it announced that it would finally pull a retard on Orkut, a initial amicable network. As we might remember, Orkut was built 10 years ago as a ’20% project’ by a Google operative named Orkut Büyükkökten.
Although it never utterly took off in many countries, it gained extensive recognition in India and Brazil, where it took years for Facebook to take a crown. It eventually did in early 2012, and Orkut entered a delayed and solid decline, accelerated by Google’s indecisiveness.
Considering a tiny array of active users left, a shutdown has been seen as rather of a non-event in many of a world. However, a greeting was opposite and some-more romantic in Brazil, where users took to… Twitter to share lustful memories of their initial amicable network.
Meu internal de nascimento na internet foi o orkut 
#RipOrkut
— Biqui Míler (@bicmuller) June 30, 2014
[Blogger Bianca Müller: "My hearth on a Internet was Orkut."]
As for Orkut Büyükkökten, we recently learned that he was operative on his subsequent venture, Hello, a “one-of-a-kind village of users who applaud friendship, imagination, self-expression, and authentic rendezvous in a protected environment.”
Some of a other announcements done by Google this month were associated to a World Cup, such as a further of a event’s 12 horde stadiums to a Street View service, following progressing updates to Google Transit and Google Indoor Maps.
It is also value mentioning that Google has been conducting a singular beginning to showcase Brazil’s World Cup by a now famous doodles. As Brazilian repository explained in an engaging post (in Portuguese), a organisation of 4 doodlers even flew to Brazil to get closer to a movement and emanate singular charcterised drawings. Unfortunately, they got quickly held in debate when one of a sketch poorly attributed an Argentine range to Chile. However, a association was prompt to apologize and scold a error.
Still in Brazil, Google recently conducted LTE tests in a state of Piaui as partial of Project Loon, a beginning to yield balloon-powered Internet access. As we reported, Google was means to propel a high-altitude balloons into a atmosphere and bond a internal propagandize to a Internet for a really initial time.
The association also expelled a TV dongle Chromecast in a country, Estadão’s tech blog Link reported. The device is now accessible in several stores for R$199 (around $90 USD). Google is operative on partnerships to enhance a internal calm offering, now singular to a renouned kids’ show.
Google also had news for Spanish-speaking countries, that accounted for 11 of a 12 new countries in that it recently rolled out Google Play’s bookstore. In further to a Netherlands, a use is now accessible in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Other large players
A new pursuit posting speckled by Link suggested that Apple was looking for a Brazilian engineer to “join a organisation that teaches Siri how to know and pronounce new languages,” hinting during an arriving recover in Brazilian Portuguese.
The association perceived churned news per a iPhone brand, with Mexican association iFone winning a lawsuit opposite a country’s telcos for unapproved use. On a other hand, a Brazilian decider reliable that Apple could keep on regulating a “iPhone” formula in Brazil.
Amazon is pronounced to be negotiating with Brazilian manufacturers to start producing Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire and a smartphone in a country, Blue Bus reported. This would paint a R$200 million investment (around $90.5 million USD).
Telefónica introduced a mobile network Tuenti in Mexico, with a concentration on young, connected users. Tuenti started out in Spain as a amicable network, before branch mostly into a niche pre-paid mobile user following a merger by Telefónica. The use captivated around 200,000 clients in Spain, tech blog Hemerotek reported.
Pinterest announced it would open an bureau in Brazil after this year, Telecompaper reported. According to Brazilian journal Folha de São Paulo, a amicable network has been operative on employing a organisation of 3 to 4 internal employees.
Starbucks’ clients in Mexico will shortly be means to compensate for their drinks by their smartphone,. Indeed, Mexico is about to spin a 4th nation in that a coffee sequence rolls out a faithfulness app, CNN Expansión reported.
Still in Mexico, Sony launched a Video Unlimited film service, giving business in a nation a ability to lease or squeeze film titles yet a PlayStation Store, HD Report informed.
Lastly, some companies enclosed Latin American countries in new tellurian rollouts. PayPal stretched into 10 new countries, including Paraguay, Pulso Social reported. Line extended sales of a user-created stickers use Creators Market into 9 countries including Brazil. As for Microsoft-owned Yammer, a Web and mobile platforms now support Spanish and Portuguese, among other languages.
Startup expansions and launches
Gone! expelled a new iOS app that lets users bond with intensity buyers sell things they wish “gone”, TechCrunch reported. As a app outline page warns, a use is usually accessible to invited users in SF and Austin (where Gone graduated from TechStars). However, it will be engaging to see possibly it expands elsewhere in a future, deliberation that a founders are Argentine entrepreneurs.
LATAMup’s startup map platform is now accessible in 6 cities: Buenos Aires, where a beta contrast took place, as good as Bogotá, Lima, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and São Paulo. Just like Represent.la, on that it is based, LATAMup’s maps let users locate pivotal members of a internal tech ecosystem, from accelerators and incubators to startups and co-working spaces. In Latin America, a categorical aspirant is Startupmap.la, that fulfills the same mission.
Brazilian conform find startup Dujour launched a new e-commerce underline named Shop The Look to let users find identical equipment accessible to squeeze in partner online stores. As we might remember, we formerly listed Dujour as one of 12 Latin American startups to demeanour out for in 2014.
Mexican mobile indicate of sale association Sr. Pago launched an innovative product called Sr. Pago Card System. According to a company, it is “the initial use in a Americas that combines a smartphone chip credit label reader with a withdraw label that can be reloaded with payments supposed by a label reader.” In unsentimental terms, it means that tiny business owners could collect payments by a Sr. Pago terminal, and spend their gain as they greatfully with their connected withdraw card.
“While a Sr. Pago label is accessible to consumers and tiny businesses in Mexico with normal bank accounts, we see a biggest eventuality for impacting a underserved race in Mexico,” pronounced Antonio Flores Aldama, CTO COO of Sr. Pago. “This shred comprises approximately 61% of a race (more than 73 million people) whose remuneration and spending exchange are mostly money based.”
Argentine 3D copy association Trimaker partnered with Staples to commercialize a T-Element indication in a home country. In addition, clients will be means to go to one of Staples’ stores in Buenos Aires to imitation 3D objects.
Fellow Argentine startup Satellogic announced a successful launch (literally) of a third imaging nanosatellite, TechCrunch reported. Quoting a article: “The association was founded by CEO Emiliano Kargieman, who formerly founded Core Security Technologies and came adult with a prophesy for Satellogic while attending Singularity University in 2010. Describing existent satellite record as “archaic,” Kargieman pronounced he wants to launch a network of hundreds of satellites in Low Earth circuit that will concede business to get “an picture of any place on Earth in high-resolution and in real-time.”
Some got acquired…
Brazilian blurb automation resolution provider Bematech bought ERP module expansion association Unum, Exame reported. The understanding carries an initial value of R$30 million ($13.6 million USD), that could followed by an additional R$10 million ($4.5 million USD) remuneration if certain goals are reached.
Danish daily understanding aggregator Bownty acquired Spanish aspirant Yunait for an undisclosed amount, TechCrunch reported. In further to a UK, Yunait operates in Southern Europe and in Latin America, that should assistance Bownty enhance a general reach.
CNN Expansión.com reported that a primogenitor association Grupo Expansión was set to be acquired by investment account Southern Cross tentative on capitulation from Mexico’s antitrust commission. Grupo Expansión is a multi-platform publisher whose properties embody 17 magazines and 11 websites. The understanding would put an finish to Time Inc.’s 9-year tenure of a company, yet not to Grupo Expansión’s exploitation of Time media brands.
European food grouping height Delivery Hero acquired a Latin American reflection PedidosYa, following a trusted partnership in place given 2013, a association announced on a blog. Originally from Uruguay, PedidosYa had stretched to Argentina Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. It had perceived appropriation from Atomico and Kaszek Ventures.
Meanwhile, Rocket Internet’s food smoothness use Foodpanda bought a Ecuadorian reflection DeliYami, Gründerszene reported. Operating in Latin America underneath a HelloFood brand, Foodpanda was already benefaction in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.
In an engaging spin of events, Shoes4you is behind from a dead. As we might remember, we wrote a autopsy story about a company’s preference to tighten emporium one year ago. However, it is now behind online with a new owner, practical selling site MuccaShop, and a new business model. Instead of a Brazilian Shoedazzle, a site now operates as a normal online tradesman for third-party accessories – women’s boots of course, yet also valuables and bags.
Brazilian online promotion startup Adtrade was bought by French online selling organisation ESV Digital, LAVCA reported. The value of a transaction was not disclosed.
…and some got funded
Latino YouTube network MiTú lifted $10 million in new appropriation turn led by Upfront Ventures, with appearance from prior backers, Recode reported. According to Crunchbase, “MiTú is one of a largest media brands dedicated to Latino content, with over 40 million subscribers and 400 million monthly video views, and covers topics from heath and food to cocktail culture. Founded in 2012, MiTú will use a latest appropriation to enhance a appearance in Los Angeles and Mexico City and build out engineering and sales efforts.”
Event government startup Ingresse lifted R$10 million ($4.5 million USD) in new funding, Startupi reported. The array B turn was led by led by e.Bricks Early Stage, with appearance from DGF Investimentos and Qualcomm.
Wine e-commerce height Evino lifted R$10 million ($4.5 million USD) from a private financier who chose to sojourn anonymous, Startupi reported. In addition, co-founder Marcos Leal suggested that a association had formerly perceived R$2 million ($908k USD) in appropriation from Project A Ventures.
Start-Up Chile’s alum Review Trackers raised a $2 million investment round, the government-supported module reported. The appropriation turn was led by Milwaukee’s CSA Partners, with investments from American Family Ventures, Jeff Rusinow, and SymphonyAlpha Ventures.
Brazilian bonus bar Piggme lifted R$ 3,2 million ($1.44 million USD) from Haya Investimentos, whose owner Marcelo Hayashi will join a association as Chief Strategy Officer, Startupi reported.
Argentine association builder Quasar Ventures launched a new venture called Rodati.com with a $1 million investment. Participants embody Quasar itself as good as NXTP Labs, Richmond Global and a organisation of angel investors formed in both a USA and Latin America (disclosure: NXTP Labs is an financier in my startup, MonoLibre). According to a founders, Rodati is an Internet association that seeks to facilitate a new automobile shopping knowledge in Latin America.
Miami-based venue recommendation startup Posto7 lifted $925k in seed appropriation from NXTP Labs and other investors in New York City, San Francisco, Brazil and Miami, TechCocktail reported. The association recently graduated from NXTP Labs as partial of a 6th acceleration batch (Disclosure: so did my startup).
Argentine startup BitPagos lifted a seed turn of $600k led by Pantera Capital, Tim Draper, Barry Silbert, Boost Bitcoin Fund, Amasia and others, Venture Capital Dispatch reported. The association lets hotels accept bookings paid possibly in dollars or with bitcoins to bypass Argentina’s banking hurdles.
Spanish expansion outsourcing height Yeeply lifted €320k ($437k USD) from several sources. According to Pulso Social, a Plug Play Spain alum skeleton to use this appropriation to grow a freelancing village in Latin America.
Colombian online pharmacy Pidefarma.com lifted investment from Axon Partners Group, Pulso Social reported. The Wayra Colombia alum skeleton to use this appropriation to boost a expansion and enhance into other countries.
Brazilian mobile calm association Movile and Brazilian-American accelerator 21212 co-invested an undisclosed amount in personalized playlist generator Superplayer. The startup hopes to boost use of a mobile apps following a investment.
Corporate preparation association Inbep received investment from Altivia Ventures, Startupi reported. It formerly perceived appropriation from an angel financier and a personal investment from Altivia Ventures’ owner Cassio Spina.
Competition, acceleration and incubation
Miami-based mobile wallet resolution Waleteros won this year GeekTank’s competition, the Miami Herald’s blog Starting Gate reported. As publisher Nancy Dahlberg noted, “Waleteros targets a 5 million Hispanics in a United States who are unbanked or underbanked, many of whom understanding with check cashing stores now.”
Latino-focused beginning Manos Accelerator announced a list of companies that would join a Silicon Valley-based program, Pulso Social reported. While US-based companies accounted for half of a applications, 4 of a 7 comparison startups come from Latin American countries.
Government-backed beginning Startup Brasil had to rectify a list of partner accelerators, Startupi reported. The module took to a blog to announce that Pipa would reinstate Papaya Ventures, that apparently “interrupted a activities” (see a previous post mentioning both accelerators).
The Multilateral Investment Fund (FOMIN in a Spanish acronym) approved a $2 million equity investment in Venture Innovation Fund II. The account will be managed by Venture Partners, LP, founders of a Venture Institute accelerator in Mexico City, and support adult to 14 early-stage startups.
Journalism 2.0
Newsgames are on a arise in Latin America, with some-more and some-more media outlets carrying a gash during formulating innovative formats. A integrate of weeks ago, Argentine fact-checking height Chequeado launched Chequeate, a trivia ask diversion accessible on a website and as an Android app, Infotechnology reported. As for Brazilian journal Folha de São Paulo, it unveiled a newsgame called ‘O Mundo da Copa’ to let readers (and football fans) learn some-more about “World Cup’s world”.
A new height was also innate to keep adult with this surge: Newsgame Vault, an online office of newsgames. It was created in Brazil by Mario Lima Cavalcanti, editor of website for Brazilian online journos ‘Jornalistas da Web’. However, a viewpoint is tellurian and it facilities projects from all around a world.
Government news
Argentina’s National Communications Commission asked ISPs to retard entrance to The Pirate Bay, newspaper La Nación reported. The argumentative magnitude is partial of an ongoing lawsuit filed by a Argentinian Chamber of Phonogram Videogram Producers (CAPIF in a Spanish acronym). In retaliation, a website was temporarily hacked… and incited “into a entirely functioning and blockade-circumventing Pirate Bay proxy,” TorrentFreak reported.
Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT in a Spanish acronym) distanced itself from a sexist lecture given during a 5th book of Campus Party that took place in Zapopan a few days ago, while arising an reparation and reinstating a support for gender equality. The eventuality organizer Movistar Campus Party also apologized while stealing all references to a talk, patrician “Como hackear al sexo femenino” (which roughly translates as “How to penetrate females”). Many voices had voiced snub during this incident, yet also during a company’s abominable preference to sinecure a ‘booth babe’ and place a hulk QR formula on her buttocks.
In reduction joyless news, San Francisco is setting adult a new structure called LatinSF to attract Latin American companies, SFGate reported. It is identical to ChinaSF, that brought 47 Chinese companies to a city so far. According to SFGate, San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development is “in a “final stages” of employing a conduct of a LatinSF operation and is rounding adult $100,000 from private donors to compare a city’s contribution, seems all set to go.”
Puerto Rico unveiled a plan nicknamed ‘Gigabit Island.’ It consists of a $17 million investment to emanate an ultra-high-speed Internet network to offer a tech sector. The proclamation was done during a island’s annual Tech Summit event, that also featured a hackathon focused on open services. According to a promoters, a new network will strech a same speed of one gigabyte per second as Google Fiber’s commander plan in Kansas City.
Cuban authorities announced seductiveness in attracting unfamiliar investment in a array of sectors, including electronics, the Latin American Herald Tribune reported. However, it stays to be seen that companies could be penetrating to deposit in a nation that recently clamped down on Wi-Fi networks. In a long-planned revisit on a island, Google’s executive authority Eric Schmidt “promoted a virtues of a giveaway and open Internet”, independent Cuban media opening 14ymedio reported.
Also on TNW:
32 of a best apps for Google’s Chromecast
Akamai: Global normal web speed adult 24% annually to 3.9 Mbps, 20% of connectors now above 10 Mbps
DreamIt Ventures’ Slidebean hopes to be Instagram for presentations
Facebook retools a Android app so it works improved in Africa and other rising markets
World Cup in transition: How amicable remade a World’s biggest game
Good reads from opposite a Web:
A cara do Brasil em tecnologia em 30 grandes números [Exame, in Portuguese]
After building a Chinese web empire, Qihoo looks to new markets in building nations [TechInAsia]
Bing Looks Abroad [TechCrunch]
Can Brazil spin THE startup heart for Latin America? [Fundacity Blog]
Cass students’ try has no comparison in Latin America [Financial Times]
Colombianos crean una de la plataformas de educación en línea más exitosas [El Tiempo, in Spanish]
Fuga de talento emprendedor en Bolivia: ¿Cómo fortalecer el ecosistema de startups? [Pulso Social, in Spanish]
Infographics: Internet Access in Latin America [AS/COA]
Interações com as vitrines da Chaordic na abertura da Copa [Chaordic Code Monkeys, in Portuguese]
LinkedIn se torna a segunda maior rede amicable do Brasil [Link, in Portuguese]
Marcus Dantus de Startup México: “La visión es convertir al país en un puente de innovación mundial” [Pulso Social, in Spanish]
‘Startups’ foráneas aceleran en México [CNNExpansión, in Spanish]
Two-thirds of a world’s mobiles are reticent phones. Meet a association stealing them online [Quartz]
Why Brazil Is Actually Winning The Internet [Buzzfeed]
Image credit: Gabriel Smith on Flickr