Green Pass is an Opportunity

This week, the Government launched the Green Rail Pass inside the gov.pt app.

A small feature, yes, but also a moment when a public digital service feels… well, like a service. Useful, simple, and where citizens already are.

It’s a reminder of something we often forget: digital innovation in the State is not about new portals or new slogans. It’s about removing friction from people’s lives. One tap instead of three forms. A pass instead of a process. A product instead of a PDF.

But there’s a deeper point here.

Portugal has a Startup ecosystem capable of building world‑class digital products; fast, user‑centric, measurable. Yet the State looks like feeling tied into a straitjacket as if it must build everything alone. Slowly. Expensively. With the usual choreography of procurement, delays, and committees.

The Green Pass, and a few other recent launches, shows what’s possible and it also shows what’s missing.

If the State truly wants to accelerate digital public services, it needs to treat the ecosystem as a partner, not an second thought. That means:

• opening APIs instead of closing systems.

• running pilots with startups instead of multi‑year tenders.

• share and publishing real data.

• inviting product teams into the room, not only consultants.

• building with the country, not just for the country.

Portugal has the talent, the Startups, and the ambition to help modernise the State.

What we lack is a mechanism, and the political appetite to make collaboration the norm.

The Green Pass is a good step, but the real innovation will come when the Gov/State stops reinventing the wheel and starts co‑creating with the people who already know how to build it.

And a final note: Adamastor has a new layout. Lighter, faster, and (we hope) more useful, just like the digital services we keep talking about. Thank you for all the feedback you’ve shared over the past days. Keep it coming; Adamastor grows the same way ecosystems do: through iteration, collaboration, and a community that cares enough to improve it.

Keep following Adamastor to stay up to date with our ecosystem.

See you at the next event.

Quote of the week

“Digital transformation is not about technology. It is about people”

Ursula von der Leyen.

Highlights of the week

• startup 23 accelerator 2nd edition DEMO DAY, June 11 at Fintech House.

• STCP The Mobility Hackathon 2026 is looking for cutting-edge startups and innovators ready to shape the future of mobility. Apply until June 11

• Last days! Applications open until June 13 for the European Startup Prize for Mobility.

• If you’re a Bachelor student passionate about innovation, sustainability, and the future of urban mobility, this is your chance to join an international programme designed to turn real-world challenges into impactful solutions: 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝟰𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: June 15.

• PRODUCTIZED CONFERENCE | 18-19 June (www.productized.co) returns to Lisbon for two days focused on product strategy, AI, and the future of building great products. Get your ticket with 15% exclusive discount here.

• Lab2Market@Tecnico has new date: June 24 15h00 @TIC

• Santander X Do you want to take your startup or scaleup to the global stage of innovation? Applications open until June 30.

• Know a teenager with big ideas? Unicorn Factory Lisboa is running the Innovation Summer School, a 2-week hands-on bootcamp in Lisbon and Porto where high schoolers (14–18) team up to build real startups, tackle corporate challenges, and pitch to experts. Check available dates and apply here. 

Congrats

• Porto is one of the fastest-rising tech ecosystems in the world. According to Dealroom.co's Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2026

• Naide Vieira (Iplexmed) distinguished with the EIT Women Leadership award

• Humanos won the Mastercard For Fintechs 2026 competition

• Augusta Labs raised 5M and reached 50M valuation

• CATÓLICA-LISBON and Fundação Santander Portugal launched the Innovation for Sustainability Award – Climate Resilience

• BRAINR, Biocol Labs, Bloq it, Ascend, sheerME, Lyzer, Coverflex, knokcare, Akurateco; listed at Sifted 100: Southern Europe Leaderboard (100 fastest-growing startups and scaleups by revenue growth over the past three financial years).

• Investors Portugal Awards: ESG Award – GoParity; Investment of the Year – Tekever

  ; Business Angel of the Year – Nuno Sebastião; Early Stage Investor of the Year - LC Ventures

• VetBeforePet won Omplo National Pitch Competition in Viseu

• Closure has won 2nd place at Techstars Global Pitch Competition. They were selected after winning Techstars Startup Weekend Women Loulé in March

Something to read, listen and watch

📚Escalar sem reinventar a roda: o caminho mais eficiente para startups em Portugal por Eduardo Barroso e Norton Amato

📚É o talento português que posiciona o país como hub estratégico em tecnologia por

📚The Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2026 by Dealroom.co

📚Not every company needs Venture Capital and that’s fine by Pedro Coutinho

📚The making of ‘Acquired,’ the No. 1 tech podcast sensation

📚State of play of the implementation of the EU Startup and Scale strategy

• 🎧 Tim Ferriss on taking risks

• 🎥 Grants, VCs, and the future of markets with Bernardo Seixas from Granter and Leanne (Si Ying) Zhang from Bank for International Settlements

• 🎥 How to Build a Remarkable Brand in the Age of AI with Seth Godin

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.