Apex-Brasil supports participation of startups in SXSW

Deadline for submissions is November 14th for the festival in March in Texas

The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) will support the participation of 15 Brazilian startups in the March 2015 edition of South by Southwest (SXSW), music, technology and film festival, held annually in Austin, Texas (USA), since 1987. Entries can be sent until November 14 at the link http://n.startupbase.net/arena/brasil-no-sxsw-2015.
 
Projects will be evaluated on maturity, business model and team members' CVs. Those selected will receive training to present themselves to foreign investors (pitch training) and register for the event. In addition, they will integrate the agenda prepared by the Agency with important players in the market, and participate in the Platinum Startup session, in which they will have individual access, for five minutes, to foreign investors, mentors and strategic partners. Travel and accommodation expenses are not included.
 
Jayme Queiroz, from Apex-Brasil's Investment Management, explains that ensuring the presence of Brazilian startups in an already consolidated environment such as South by Southwest helps to position Brazil as a relevant market in the innovation scenario and enables the generation of business. “Apex-Brasil continues to play a significant role in promoting Brazilian startups and strengthening the ecosystem. One of our main jobs is to bring our entrepreneurs closer to foreign investors, so that they can develop, consolidate and grow even more”, he evaluates.
 
For the 2015 edition of SXSW, it is expected that topics such as technology and the internet, with an emphasis on smart data technologies, entertainment, social networks and content, will be very relevant. But there will also be guaranteed space for products or services related to the health complex, for wearable devices and, “without a doubt”, adds Jayme, “for highly innovative startups”.
 
As in the 2014 edition, there will be an exclusive program for these companies, called Startup Village, containing panels and conferences. Among the actions scheduled, there is also the SXSW Accelerator 2015, a competition that brings together startups from all over the world, directly promoted by the organization of the festival. According to data from the event itself, since 2009 approximately 260 startups have participated in the accelerator competition, of which almost half received funding and, together, the finalists received US$ 1.75 billion in resources.
 
SXSW has been held for 27 years and today it is consolidated as an event that promotes the convergence of new technologies, films, music, games, social media, etc. In 2014, Brazil's first major participation in the festival took place. Coordinated by Apex-Brasil, 28 companies, 16 of which are startups and the other 12 linked to the creative economy sector, took part in SXSW.