If Brazil Sounds Like Beaches and Carnaval to you, Think Again.

Recession has hit Europe, the US and Asia badly, and it seemed like the whole World was struggling... But it wasn't - Brazil has not only avoided recession, it has also seen a rise in web start-ups with the fast broadband expansion and internet adoption it has experienced in the past 5 years. You can now find free Wi-Fi throughout Rio de Janeiro's beaches and favelas, such as City of God which was made famous after the film.

While visiting women-led start-ups in Brazil, you can re-live the year 2000 web excitement. For most of them, 2009 has been a great year, with significant traffic and turnover growth, with the only struggle of hiring people for the many vacancies they have. Even funding hasn't seemed to be a problem lately, with Brazilian investors moving away from their usual international focus to invest in local start-ups.

With The NextWomen COO launching a new business in Brazil, online marketplace for domestic services AchaLa.com.br, we have decided to launch a new series on Brazilian Female Entrepreneurs and Investors to remind us all of the excitements of non-recession years that are about to return.

With the support of our NextWomen Internet Hero Andiara Petterle, IDG brazil and Startupi we have started interviewing Brazilian Female Internet Heroes, who may inspire you to expand your business to this ever-growing country or invest in its web start-ups.

If you know any interesting web businesses founded, led or invested in by women in Brazil, send them our way.