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 companies attract and what enterprise value they provide to our economy.

Topping this year’s ranking is Universidade de Lisboa (ULisboa) with an impressive 1.292 alumni-founded startups, of which 326 have raised investment and a total combined enterprise value of 30B. Both of these are not just statistical wins; it signals the scale at which Portugal’s largest university is shaping entrepreneurial talent. Close behind, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) and Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA) demonstrate that entrepreneurial excellence is not confined to size. UCP’s 807 startups and NOVA’s 760 highlight how diverse academic environments are contributing to Portugal’s innovation narrative.

Honestly, this isn’t news to us. We’ve seen this firsthand, founders telling us their classrooms were the real launchpads and we’ve been talking about it for a while. Earlier this year, we brought in Luis Lamy, a student who made the leap from the classroom to the startup world to tell his story. He made it clear: “entrepreneurial university” isn’t just a buzzword. It’s real. Classrooms can become launchpads. Students turn into founders. And when these founders go out there, they carry their university’s reputation everywhere they go. By sharing stories like Luis’s, we’re proving that this ranking isn’t just a list of numbers. It’s about ambition. It’s about people deciding to build something new.

Startup Portugal unveiled its latest university ranking at Web Summit 2025, using data from its Ecosystem Mapping Platform (Dealroom) and direct input from the schools themselves. It’s a big moment, Portugal’s top tech event shining a light on the institutions that help launch the country’s founders. But there’s something telling hidden in the numbers: only 13 universities even bothered to send in their data. That’s a red flag. Are these schools really ready to put entrepreneurship at the heart of what they do, or are they just not paying attention?

So why does any of this really matter? Because universities aren’t just places to sit through lectures, they’re where big dreams start. When a graduate’s startup goes global, it’s not just their win; it’s a win for their university, too. A unicorn out of ULisboa doesn’t just make headlines, it puts the school on the map and gets future students excited about what’s possible.

For the ecosystem, this ranking is both a celebration and a challenge. Celebration, because it validates the maturity of Portugal’s startup scene: founders are no longer isolated dreamers but products of structured environments. Challenge, because it demands that universities across the country step up. Entrepreneurial education cannot be an optional add-on; it must be embedded into every course, supported by incubators, and celebrated as much as academic research.

As Portugal positions itself on the global innovation map, the role of universities will be decisive. The 2025 ranking is more than a scoreboard, it is a mirror reflecting how knowledge is being transformed into companies, jobs, and economic value. The next step is clear: ensuring that every university, from Algarve to Minho, sees entrepreneurship not as a side effect but as a defining mission.

💡are you a Porto University student? this is for you! BOSS: Board of Students is accepting applications until Dec 03

💡StartUP Voucher 25/26 supports young entrepreneurs in creating tech-based businesses is still accepting applications

💡SCALE UP NOW, promoted by Startup Portugal in collaboration with Plug and Play, is a program designed to prepare Portuguese startups for the challenges and opportunities of expanding into the United States market - the world’s largest innovation ecosystem. 🇺🇸

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✍ Quote of the week

“Only the humble become learners, and only learners adapt.”

John C. Maxwell

Highlights of the week

• 🔷 every Thursday - Coworking Thursdays Lisboa & Porto

• 🔷 Meet Up LISPOLIS: “1500M€ de oportunidades para PMEs e startups na Defesa em 2026”, this Thursday

• 🔷 Protechting open innovation program is looking for Startups in Insurtech, Healthtech, Tech, and Sustainability. Apply until Dec 05

• 🔷 Discoveries, the acceleration program that helps tourism startups grow, connect and go global powered by Fabrica de Startups is open until Dec 12

• 🔷 Fundação Jornada has opened applications for its support program for projects led by or focused on young people aged 15..35 with grants of up to 30K. Apply until Dec 16

• 🔷 Portugal & USA: Learnings from an Operator with João Camarate, Dec 19 @UPTEC

• 🔷 Applications are now opened for the UEFA’s innovation programme, Champions Innovate.

Congrats

• 👏 TUMO awarded the WISE prize for Education

• 👏 Lampsy is the winner of the Epilepsy Foundation Accelerator

• 👏 Luca raised 6.8M

• 👏 Indie Seguros is expanding to Spain with Hiscox and OSCAR

• 👏 PCI · Creative Science Park Aveiro Region launch Digital Factory

Something to read, listen and watch

📚Portugal’s Entrepreneurial Universities Ranking 2025 report

📚From Lecture Halls to Startup Calls: The Journey of Being a University Founder by Luis Lamy

📚Júnior Empresa: o futuro constrói-se desde cedo by Carlos Rebelo

📚What Web Summit Really Gives Us and Why We Keep Coming Back by Sal

📚Building Resilient Execution Culture: How to Survive the First Big Hits by Carlos Mendes

📚How China Captured Apple: A giant firm and a superpower have become deeply entangled.

📚Databricks is apparently worth $100B. What do they even do?

• 🎧 Masters of Scale: the power of mentors

• 🎥 Startups x Healthcare: Driving the future of health

• 🎥 Building an AI Startup in Portugal with João Graça (Co-Founder, Unbabel)

💡Looking for your next spark of inspiration or connection? Discover what’s happening in the ecosystem—check out the Adamastor Events Calendar and find the perfect event that fits your goals, your vibe, and your stage. From founder meetups to investor talks, there’s something for everyone.