Weekly Digest
Week 3
I’ve been following the Scale Up Now initiative from Startup Portugal. Their ambition is clear and aligned with what our ecosystem needs: a bigger and more powerful presence in the USA. On day one, one of the topics on the table was Startups & Corporates — a partnership still undervalued, in my opinion. Some of the insights shared by Ana Simões (Brisa) and…
January 19, 2026
Guest Article
In 2024 at a Web Summit side-event for venture studios, something became obvious: the gap between American and European studios, and Portuguese studios was huge. We were behind… way behind. Portugal has maybe 10 to 15 venture studios right now. That's not enough. Not even close. So myself and João Pereira from Build Up Labs together with João Neves…
January 15, 2026
Weekly Digest
Week 2
For years, the startup core ideology was clear: you need a co‑founder. YC said it. Founder Institute said it. Investors repeated it so often it became muscle memory. Even I, wearing my investor hat, instinctively flagged solo founders as “riskier.” But something is shifting and not slightly, it’s more a structural change in how companies are being…
January 12, 2026
Weekly Digest
Week 1
Last year, I highlighted how Portuguese startups continue to prove the country’s ability to turn bold ideas into real, impactful solutions and how that momentum is setting a global standard for innovation. I also noted how investors are paying closer attention to Portugal, drawn by our strategic location, strong talent pool, and increasingly pro‑business…
January 5, 2026
Weekly Digest
Week 43
As 2025 comes to an end, I keep coming back to one thing: this ecosystem grows because people show up. Founders who push through uncertainty, mentors who give without expecting anything back, and a community that keeps raising the bar year after year. We’ve had our share of challenges, but we’ve also seen ideas mature, teams evolve, and connections turn…
December 15, 2025
Weekly Digest
Week 42
According to The Economist, our country was named Economy of the Year among 36 developed economies. Strong GDP growth, low inflation, and a stock market up more than 20% are clear signs that we’re attracting talent and investment, and that the economy is gaining real momentum. Good news, and great publicity. But let’s stay grounded. This isn’t a medal to…
December 8, 2025
Weekly Digest
Week 41
The new 2025 Entrepreneurial Universities Ranking is a milestone in how we measure higher education’s impact in Portugal. How a nation’s universities are valued has long been determined by their research output, academic standing or global rankings. Today, the model is moving: how many startups come out of their halls, how much investment those…
December 2, 2025
Weekly Digest
Week 40
Sword Health has announced a landmark partnership with the Greek government to deploy its AI care solutions in the Greek National Health System. This bold step points to a future where artificial intelligence and human clinical teams work side by side, breaking barriers of access, cost, and geography to deliver high‑quality care. Virgílio Bento, Sword’s…
November 24, 2025
Guest Article
Degrees and Dreams Balancing the demands of your studies with the challenges of building a startup is not a common path, yet it’s an incredibly rewarding one. More and more students are starting to ask themselves: “Why wait until graduation to create real impact?” Being a founder while studying can (and will) be chaotic, exhausting and, at times,…
November 15, 2025
Weekly Digest
Week 39
I return from this week with a reinforced conviction: the local ecosystem matters. Deeply. It’s where we start, test, fail, and build the resilience needed to reach bigger stages. It’s where founders learn to pitch without slides, build without sleep, and dream without limits. And it’s where global ambition is born; not in isolation, but in community.…
November 14, 2025