rodrigo almeida: the creative entrepreneur who started dreaming big as a teenager

e-Residency • Apr 24, 2025 • 5 min read

Brazilian-born, Madrid-based e-⁠resident Rodrigo Almedia provides communication and advisory services to clients across Europe through his company 011House

E-resident Rodrigo Almeida (sitting at the front on the right) and his team at 011House

Originally from Brazil, Rodrigo is a digital nomad invoicing clients across Europe from his base in Madrid, thanks to Estonia’s e-⁠Residency programme. Through his Estonian company, 011House, he offers integrated communication services and advises other entrepreneurs looking to expand internationally.

Rodrigo Almeida was born in 1996 in Goiânia, a small city in central Brazil. As a child, he dreamed of becoming an airline pilot, but he soon discovered a stronger calling: entrepreneurship. From age 15, he began attending start-up events, although at first, he couldn’t formally take part due to being underage.

At just 17, determined not to delay his business ambitions, he requested legal emancipation from his parents to register his first company in Brazil. “I never wanted to be tied to a fixed schedule or the idea of working for someone else. My dream was to have my own business, find my own clients, and manage my time freely,” says Rodrigo, who a traditional organisation has never employed.

Entirely self-taught from an early age, he learned programming and web development by watching tutorials on YouTube. His first company focused on website design and small-scale digital solutions. But the real turning point came at age 19, when he attended his first Campus Party in São Paulo. “We spent a week camping at the venue—around 5,000 people. I listened to talks that completely changed my life,” he recalls. So inspired was he that, upon returning home, he packed up and moved to São Paulo to be closer to the start-up ecosystem.

From Web Development to the Audiovisual World

In 2016, Rodrigo discovered the power of audiovisual storytelling.

Rodrigo Almeida

“I was fascinated by the ability to connect ideas visually, to tell stories,” he explains.

His company—which initially focused on web development—began to evolve, first into a production studio, then into a fully-fledged communications agency. He brought together marketing and events specialists and expanded his services, building a reputation for delivering comprehensive 360-degree communications—from audiovisual content to content strategy, copywriting, and digital campaigns.

Among his most notable projects is one for Suvinil, a paint brand owned by BASF. He organised an innovative training programme for painters that combined live events and podcasts. “We had to improvise a recording studio in a WeWork space over a weekend. We put everything together — equipment, production, presenter — it was a real but exciting challenge.”

Discovering e-⁠Residency and the Leap to Europe

Rodrigo first learned about Estonia’s e-⁠Residency programme in 2019 at a WeWork event in São Paulo. He was fascinated by the idea of running a fully digital European company — although he didn’t need it at the time. Five years later, that idea became a reality.

“Since 2019, I’d been saying, ‘One day I’ll have a company in Estonia. ’ And now I do.”

The opportunity came in 2023 when he travelled to Madrid for a project with pharmaceutical company Belpharma. With no plans to stay, a stroll through Plaza de Santa Ana in the heart of the Spanish capital changed everything. “I was having a glass of wine with a friend and said, ‘I want to live here, but I don’t know how. ’ He told me about the digital nomad visa, and within 20 days, I was already planning my move.”

He applied for e-Residency in October 2023. By February 2024, he had officially registered his Estonian company, 011House — named after São Paulo’s dialling code. “Invoicing international clients from Brazil was always tricky. Having a company in Estonia opens up the European market and streamlines everything since it’s all handled digitally and efficiently,” he explains. In his case, the whole process — from application to having a company and bank account — took three days (only delayed slightly by the weekend).

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Remote Entrepreneurship: From Madrid to the World

Rodrigo works from Madrid on a digital nomad visa, managing international projects while coordinating a team of collaborators — mainly based in Brazil — and producing content for his digital platforms. He strongly believes in remote work, though he’s also excited about combining it with in-person events across Europe. “I’d love to open a podcast studio in Madrid but continue offering remote communications solutions. That’s how we worked with Heineken Brasil — producing a programme with people connected from different cities across the country.”

He especially values how easy Estonia’s system makes things:

“Becoming self-employed in Spain was a bureaucratic nightmare. In Estonia, everything is digital, quick, and frictionless. But beyond that, what I value most is the community.”

Through e-⁠Residency events, local meetups in Madrid, and his social media platforms, Rodrigo has built a network that inspires and helps him grow.

People networking - view through a transparent wall

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Rodrigo shares his experiences on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, discussing digital nomadism, e-⁠Residency, and life as an international entrepreneur. He recently launched a weekly video podcast as well.

“My goal is to inspire other digital nomads, share real stories, and show that it is possible to build a remote business, live wherever you like, and run a global company.”

Many of his followers — in Brazil and Spain — are curious about his migration and internationalisation process. That’s why he’s also started offering informal guidance to those interested in applying for a digital nomad visa or setting up a company with e-⁠Residency. “I don’t earn money from it directly, but I love helping people. It brings visibility, connects me with my community, and creates new opportunities.”