Olá and Welcome back to your Startup Digest Portugal!!

Last week the Founder Institute Portugal brought the community together in the heart of Lisbon for an evening of networking, learning, and meaningful exchange. The energy inside Fintech House was vibrant and full of momentum — with over 120 attendees, including founders, investors, mentors, and ecosystem enthusiasts.

But the real success of the event wasn’t just in the numbers. It was in the atmosphere — a clear sign that Portugal’s entrepreneurial spirit is alive, curious, and deeply collaborative. More than that, it was a powerful reminder that this momentum isn’t limited to Lisbon or Porto.

Innovation happens everywhere. Talented founders and promising ideas are emerging from every corner of the country — and that’s exactly the kind of geographic diversity Startup Digest Portugal aims to spotlight and support since week #1, year #1.

Founder Institute Portugal’s mission remains strong: to help founders at any stage build impactful companies. And to do that, I believe in taking the ecosystem beyond the capital — north to south, coast to interior.

Whether you’re a founder, a mentor, or a future partner — if you’re looking to be part of this movement, reach out. The next city we visit might just be yours. 💡

Final note: brilliant writer Mario Vargas Llosa died and because of that I wanted to select one quote from him for the 'Quote of the Day’. The one selected is a perfect bridge to the idea that talking about doing something is always easier than actually doing it. The same goes for building — it’s easy to talk about ideas, harder to bring them to life. That’s where real founders stand apart: they don’t just talk the talk, they build, iterate, and try again.

Coincidentally, this week’s Digest goes out on the same day a good friend of mine celebrates his birthday — someone who truly embodies the spirit of this week’s quote. He’s a 'Maker’ in every sense of the word, turning ideas into action with consistency and heart.

• 📣 sign up & spread the word - use this link: https://read.letterhead.email/techstars-portugal

• 🚨 Porto has been named the best European city for attracting investment by fDi Intelligence!

The jury highlighted the city‘s strong economic strategy and was particularly impressed by municipal initiatives supporting local startups. Another milestone for Porto’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

• 📍 SIM Conference is just one month away!! May 8 & 9, in Porto; more speakers confirmed

• 📍 Applications open for Founders Founders Scaleup Program

• 📍 After successful editions in Porto, Lisbon, Coimbra, and Albufeira Techstars Startup Weekend is set to make one more exciting weekend in Évora (May 16, 17 & 18). Apply here

Week highlights go to:

• 🔷 Book launch: “Inteligência Artificial Generativa com Confiança” by author Pedro Esteves; this Wednesday @AI_Hub (Alvalade)

• 🔷 first co-working day LisboaUX is here! If you’re in Lisboa, come and join and work alongside other designers at Casa do Impacto on April 21st

Congrats:

• 👏 Automaise raised €5M in Series A

• 👏 Lurdes Gramaxo re-elected as Investors Portugal’s President for the 2025–2028 term.

• 👏 Granter.ai selected for Techstars Transformative World Torino class

• 👏 Impacte won the Build Up Labs - venture studio & startup incubator prize at BET 24

• 👏 Emissium won the ABB Startup Challenge 2025 in the Smart Power category and took 1st place at START Global

• 👏 Lampsy Health raised 230k

Startup Funding in Portugal, featuring Plug and Play, Antler & PV

Looking for funding for your startup? Join our interactive, online fundraising workshop to gain practical, step-by-step advice on how to raise capital successfully. Learn how startup funding works, what you need to prepare before pitching, and where to find the right investors. Hear from successful entrepreneurs who have secured funding and investors who back innovative companies. Get insider tips, understand common pitfalls to avoid, and learn what investors are really looking for. By the end, you’ll have a clear grasp of how equity works and the confidence to take your next steps. Read more.

✍ Quote of the Day

It’s easy to know what we want to say, what’s difficult is to say it

Mario Vargas Llosa

📚 🎧 🎥

• 📚 Porto is the best European City of the Future for FDI, once again

• 📚 Adapt or fall behind - The case for youth entrepreneurship (a Malta perspective by Matthew Caruana)

• 📚 The potential of gen AI in insurance: Six traits of frontrunners

• 📚 Anthropic Education Report: How University Students Use Claude

• 📚 Comparing available LLMs for non-technical users

• 📚 Product analytics and the data warehouse

• 🎧 The untold history of how the internet almost didn’t happen

• 🎧 The Journey to Joy: Saj Shah’s Viral TEDx Talk & Transforming Stress into Success

• 🎥 BiTalk: Segredos juridicos que só os advogados sabem c/ Luís Roquette Geraldes

• 🎥 Product Interviewing Week by One Month PM

• 🎥 Transparency in Healthcare AI, with Jana Fehr