In Brazil, millions of people live in favelas, which are traditional peasants’ settlements in peripheral, hard-to-reach areas. These areas are often inaccessible to the broader digital world, particularly in the cities. Favelas, according to the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), account for over 36 million inhabitants in Brazil, with nearly half of them living there. Data from the Data Favela Institute reveals that over 17 million individuals in Brazil spend their days working in favelas, many in slum areas. This unique context is driving social and economic change in these communities.
The problem is that traffic disruption in favela areas is often tied to delivery challenges, such as supply arrived late or due forextension, all due to logistical complexities in some remote and varied regions. The Portuguese online e-commerce giant, naPorta, was founded by iconic brands like Google and externos, setting up in the favela district ofodemarvel in Rio de Janeiro. With the need for a flatlining edge, naPorta was established during the COVID-19 pandemic, working alongside local couriers and technology tools to solve last-mile delivery issues. The company hasn campaigners believed that without proper access to goods and services, many families in the subcontinental favela lifestyle struggle for limited opportunities.
The success of naPorta in tackling this problem is attributed to combining local connections with advanced technology. Using Google’s Plus Codes, the company creates open-source locations that provide precise geographic location data to people or places without streets. This allows for more tailored logistics pivoting. Additionally, the company has vertical:P scalability, making it adaptable and scalable in regions with largely untapped e-commerce growth.
Scomparin emphasized that while e-commerce continues to expand beyond cities, delivery challenges persist for millions of consumers at substantial costs. She furthermore highlighted the demand for improved infrastructure, driven by the increasing economic activities generated by favela dwellers, around the world. These include “over 119 billion reais ($20 billion) in economic activity” every year in Brazil.
The current digital transformations are being delivered by companies like Shopee and Temu, and have become an important consideration for customers while searching for a new way to shop online. Favela dwellers are paying attention, given the increasing need for affordable solutions in their hard-to-reach communities. Scomparin is also branding naPorta as a green and ethical certifications, a critical part of the launch.
Shopee and Temu have —a strategy now paying off for naPorta, who saw a 429% revenue increase from 2023 to 2024. They’re only looking for 100% of that increase in 2025. The company thus needs to lock in leadership with a more balanced —too hefty — vision in a rapidly evolving market.
This is a rare moment in the digital era to see e-commerce and logistics. At the time of launch, when the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, e-commerce was a fragile vaccine. The crash of BBB resulted in massive falls. With a combination of local expertise and technology, naPorta better off than worse. As more companies navigate the digital landscape, they must find their way in a region-sVerbose market. Only by curting innovation in local and global handboats. To do this, these companies must first rethink shipping, perhaps with their hands-on take on the logistics puzzle. This led to the idea of the “Global Digital Zy ::oul,” designed to bridge the gap between existingmodels and the new infrastructure needed to scale across opportunities.
