BayBrazil’s Sep 11 event An Evening with Brazilian startups is a collaboration with Initial Capital. Its Managing Partner Roi Carthy is also a contributor writer for TechCrunch and the mind behind the idea to create the Brazilian Pavilion at the TC Disrup 2012.
BayBrazil: How did you come up with the idea of having a Brazilian Pavilion at the TC Disrupt 2012?
Roi:I had founded the Israeli Pavilion as part of TechCrunch Disrupt and it was a great success for the participating companies. I told to the folks at TechCrunch about all the exciting startup ecosystem in Brazil and how it would make a lot of sense to have a Brazilian Pavilion as well. They thought it was a terrific idea and here we are with 40 Brazilian startups
participating!
BayBrazil: You’ve been investing in Brazilian startups for the past few years. Tells us a bit about the companies in Initial Capital’s portfolio.
Roi: We’re about to close our fifth investment in Brazil. They are varied, but all have one common-denominator, namely, a concrete business model. Two of these investments are Glambox.com.br & PrecisoDisso.com.br.
BayBrazil: Israel has been featured in the media as a “Startup Nation”. What does differentiate its entrepreneurial community? What can others learn from them?
Roi: The one thing that really blows people away is just how entrepreneurial Israeli are. It’s seared into our DNA. We also don’t frown upon failure and don’t give it easily. To that add creativity and a high aptitude for technological innovation, and you have a major differentiator compared to other tech centers around the world.
BayBrazil: During the TC Disrupt many startups will be looking to raise funds. As an investor, what’d be your advice for them to succeed?
Roi: The best advice I can offer is to be as clear and short as possible when explaining the venture. Investors avoid complicated ideas that are hard to communicate. The better your ‘elevator pitch’ is, the better.
BayBrazil: Now we’d like to ask you to use both of your hats as an investor and as a writer for TC. How does the media influence the investment community & vice versa?
Roi: I see the media’s influence in two respects. The first is that it raises a company’s visibility. Investors rely on blogs to enlighten them about new companies. The second is that the media may have a positive impact on attaining users. That said, it shouldn’t be relied upon exclusively by any respect.
