Companies and entrepreneurs from Paraná that you should know

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When we wrote this post, we thought about highlighting the biggest entrepreneurs in Paraná. But are the biggest entrepreneurs also the biggest companies?

We see large institutions causing a profound economic and social impact on the state. But we also see “small” initiatives that, precisely because they are closer to the community, generate transformations from the inside out.

Both roles are important for entrepreneurship in Paraná, as they have a positive impact on society to a greater or lesser extent. They all contribute to our state becoming a national reference in business .

Here, we see public and private initiatives supporting student database entrepreneurs, startups, SMEs and even century-old companies.

ACP , for example , has more than 30,000 members , most of whom are small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. In addition to offering solutions to everyday problems, such as defaulting on payments and prospecting for clients , we also promote actions to bring institutions and people together. For us, entrepreneurship promotes connections and makes society more fair and democratic.

In the following lines, we have: the profile of entrepreneurs in Paraná; a list of the largest companies in the state; and a list of some of the people who are innovating in commerce, industry and services.

We know there are many of us, so feel free to share, in the comments, the companies and entrepreneurs that inspire you – or even suggest your own business.



The profile of entrepreneurs in Paraná
Entrepreneurship in Paraná is growing exponentially. According to Boa Vista, in the first half of 2019, more than 100,000 companies opened their doors. This number doubled by the end of the year. We ended 2019 with more than 200,000 companies open and in operation.

Despite this, entrepreneurs from Paraná face many challenges. 22% have not yet reached the break-even point and, even with difficulties, only 55% seek help from entities such as ACP and Sebrae to undertake.

This data is part of the X-Ray of Entrepreneurship in Paraná , an internal survey that we conducted with our associates. More than 400 companies revealed that their main pain points are:

Outperform the competition (38.3%);
Create new products and services (25.8%);
Develop marketing campaigns (25.8%);
Dealing with day-to-day bureaucracy (25.8%);
Recruit and hire employees (25.6%).


As for the business profile, we have:

59% of companies have partners , most of whom are family members (48%).

49% have partnerships that mainly help in promoting products and expanding networking.

8% of entrepreneurs turned to investors and 16.4% took out loans of up to R$500,000 in the initial stages.

53.3% operate in the B2C segment , that is, they offer their products and services directly to the end consumer. 52.3% are service providers .



The X-ray of entrepreneurship in Paraná was launched by ACP in the second half of 2019. See the full study .



Greater results in sales, profit and equity


Every year, Grupo Amanhã, in partnership with PwC, announces the main indicators of the 500 largest companies in the South region.

In 2018, entrepreneurs in Paraná totaled R$207.4 billion in net revenue , 12.5% ​​more than their counterparts in Rio Grande do Sul and 18.3% more than those in Santa Catarina.

Paraná also had an advantage in profitability over revenue. The average index was 17.1% – more than double the average of Santa Catarina (8.2%) and triple the average of Rio Grande do Sul (5.8%).

In terms of net worth, the ten largest companies in Paraná achieved a VPG* of R$14.3 billion . Here is the ranking:



Position Group/Company VPG* 2018 R$ Million
1 Copel and Subsidiaries 14,286.42
2 Coamo – Agroindustrial Cooperative 8,259.22
3 Klabin S/A 7,291.88
4 Rumo Inc. 6,808.58
5 Itaipu Binational 6,457.78
6 Renault of Brazil 6,329.97
7 Fertipar 4,718.86
8 Sanepar – Paraná Sanitation Company 4,612.72
9 Kirton Bank S/A – Multiple Bank 4,454.18
10 C.Vale – Coop. Agroindustrial 4,249.10


*VPG = Weighted Value of Magnitude


Check all indexes.



Entrepreneurs who inspire
Keeping an eye on the biggest companies in Paraná is important, but we also need to keep an eye on the entrepreneurs who are transforming the state.

These people are at the forefront of institutions, fintechs, startups, groups, networks and socio-cultural movements, innovating commerce, industry and services.

On our list, we have:

Cris Alessi, from the Pinhão Valley
Alphonse Voigt, Wagner Ruiz and João Del Valle, from Ebanx
Maria Teresa Fornea, from BCredi
Daniel and Marcelo Scandian, from MadeiraMadeira
Tiago Dalvi, from Olist
Alcântara Sisters, from the Orna Group
Ricardo Doria, from the Village
Bruna Calegari, from the Subtropikal Festival


Do you know who they are?



Cris Alessi




When it comes to female leadership, Cris Alessi is one of the leading names in Brazil. President of the Curitiba Development Agency, Cris Alessi heads Vale do Pinhão , an innovation ecosystem in Curitiba that has been generating new businesses, jobs and revenue for the city for the past two years.

In 2019, the Agency managed, for the first time since its foundation, to close the year without losses. For 2020, the goal is to record the first profit and advance in public management 4.0.