This is the first of a new series of posts in English highlighting significant recent news from the Brazilian startup scene.

• The accelerator 21212 held a Demo Day in Rio on March 16, featuring their stable of startups. The event was very well attended by VCs and entrepreneurs from around Brazil and abroad. 21212 was inspired by American accelerator Y Combinator and has funding from numerous sources. It is based in Rio (area code 21) and NYC (area code 212), and was co-founded by American Benjamin White and Brazilian Marcelo Sales. For more information visit their site: http://21212.com. (full post in Portuguese);
• Elo7, an online marketplace for buying and selling handmade items (similar to Etsy) has received a second round of investment, in this case from Insight Partners. They received their first round in September 2011 from Monashees Capital and Accel Partners. (full post in Portuguese);
• Mobile apps startup I.ndigo is getting more international attention after landing a partnership with AT&T. They first came to notice with their Royal Wedding app which was launched on the Today Show in the US. It reached number one in the lifestyle category. The company now has offices in Seattle and São Paulo. Read more about I.ndigo and mobile apps on their own blog. (full post in Portuguese);
• Self-taught serial entrepreneur Patrick Negri has launched yet another innovation. This time it’s a simple app for creating custom mugs. He started in business at the age of 16 with a search engine  that earned him thousands a month in ad revenue; an online game called Netherdeep, which earned him $350,000 back in 2002; and more recently the launching of Iugu (which he calls “SalesForce meets AppStore”). His new project, atwww.kupz.com, has only been out for two weeks but he is already seeing a positive response. Full post in Portuguese;
• Model and TV presenter Ana Hickmann will be the official model (in virtual form) for fashion social network Fashion.me. The startup (run by founders Renato Steinberg and Flávio Pripas) has recently arranged a partnership with Intel which will support their plans for global expansion. On Fashion.me users can create and share looks. Various brands and stores are integrated into the network. The new virtual model only adds to the fun and makes the Fashion.me experience more unique and engaging. Visit http://fashion.me. Full post in Portuguese;
• On March 13 new numbers for e-commerce in Brazil were released. With a growing middle class in Brazil e-commerce grew 26% in 2011, with earnings of BR$18.7 billion. The average purchase was BR$350, with 9 million new e-consumers participating. Fashion and accessories were growing areas for new sales, in addition to other top categories like consumer electronics and cosmetics. The information comes from the Webshoppers report, produced by e-bit and the Brazilian Chamber of E-Commerce. More information from e-bit: www.ebit.com.br. Full post in Portuguese;
• Axado is developing new B2B tools for shipping. The Florianopolis-based startup received funding in 2011 from Jacard Investimentos. Axado’s shipping simulator lets clients compare freight transport options rather than having to contact numerous shippers for individual estimates. They are planning to expand the service nationally in the coming months. See http://www.axado.com.br. Full post in Portuguese;
• The Intel Developer Forum will take place in São Paulo on May 15th at the World Trade Center Complex. Click for more information;
• A recent Forbes article highlighted the enormous amount of money lost due to online security problems in Brazil. A third of companies suffered cyber attacks and $1 billion was stolen in 2011. The PriceWaterhouseCooper study revealed similar problems internationally, with digital thieves often employed within the companies themselves. However Brazil’s rates were worse than many other nations. Read the Forbes article;
• The Founders Forum was held in Rio de Janeiro March 7-9, bringing together investors, entrepreneurs and digital startups from Brazil and abroad. This was the first time the international event was held in Brazil. Founders Jonnie Goodwin and Brent Hoberman of PROfounders Capital invited participants including investor Jose Marin of IG Expansión, Romero Rodrigues of Buscapé Company; Kevin Efrusy of Accel Partners; Jeff Brody of Redpoint Ventures; Jon Karlen of Flybridge Capital Partners; Alexandre Hohagen of Facebook Latin America; Julio Vasconcellos of Peixe Urbano; Alec Oxenford of OLX; Martin Escobari of Latam General Atlantics; and Stelleo Tolda of Mercado Livre. The event will take place in Rio again next March. See http://www.foundersforum.eu for details. Full post in Portuguese.

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