A newsletter covering all things startup in Portugal

Olá and Welcome back to your Startup Digest Portugal!!

Next Friday, on Valentine’s Day, we celebrate a unique love story—the profound bond between a founder and their startup. It’s a tale of passion, courage, and an unyielding commitment that goes far beyond mere business. From the very first spark of an idea to the relentless pursuit of turning dreams into reality, the founder puts one’s heart and soul into every detail, nurturing the startup as one would care for an adored love. In this journey, challenges become the trials that deepen the connection, and every setback is met with a resilient determination to rise again. The founder’s vision and the startup’s evolution are intertwined in a dance of creativity and perseverance, where even the smallest victory feels like a heartfelt embrace. Through countless nights of uncertainty and moments of doubt, the unwavering belief in the potential of their creation fuels an enduring romance—one that transforms obstacles into opportunities and passion into lasting impact.

Happy Valentine’s Day 💖 to every founder who dares to love boldly and dream fearlessly.

• 💙 SIM = Startups & Investment Matching! Powered by @Startup Portugal, this conference connects startups, entrepreneurs, and investors for two days of networking, insights, and opportunities to grow your business. Tickets are available. Secure your spot !

• 💙 GeekSessionsConf - Tech Conference in Faro. A must-attend event for software developers and tech enthusiasts

• 💙 Geek Girls Portugal Conference 2025: Apply to give a talk or a workshop! Submissions until Feb 22

• 💙 Impact Hub Penha de França is troughing a whole week of free cowork (will run out fast)

Week highlights go to:

• 🧡 deadline to apply for the European Startup Prize for Mobility is just around the corner, Feb 07

🧡After two successful editions in Porto and Lisbon, Techstars Startup Weekend is set to make an exciting return, expanding to three cities: Coimbra (Mar 14), Albufeira (Apr 04), and Évora (May 09)

Congrats:

💟 MONDRAGON Corporation has successfully acquired SENTINEL, the Portuguese startup specializing in vision solutions

✍ Quote of the Day

Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the face

Mike Tyson

📚 🎧 🎥

• 📚 Captar recursos e escalar: como as startups podem abrir as portas certas by Fernando Jardim (351 Association)

• 📚 AI Master Class: Down the Rabbit Hole of AI (at NOVA FCT) by João Fernandes (DocDigitizer)

• 📚 70 questions with Vitor Soares, co-founder and CEO of AskCory

• 📚 Emerging HR trends for 2025 by Landing.jobs

• 📚 Amazon sensors will track every tackle at Super Bowl LIX

• 📚 Why Big Tech Thinks Augmented Reality is the Next Big Thing

• 📚 DeepSeek and fintech: Marquette University’s David Krause looks into the democratization of AI and its global implications

• 🎧 Inteligência Artificial: como está a correr esta revolução? w/ Arlindo Oliveira & Helena Moniz

• 🎧 Rohit Malhotra interviews Stephan Moraes, who shares his journey and his views about the VC market

• 🎥 Axios’ AI+ NY Summit about their Digital Athlete technology and how it uses AI to help ensure the safety of football players

Plan your week 📅 Fev 11>>

Fev 11

EU Grants Landscape for Early-Stage Founders: How to Secure Equity-Free Funding in 2025? ULTRA.VC is excited to collaborate with Sofia Drobychevska, founder of DeepSync_EU, to empower impact-driven founders with the tools they need to secure… Read more.

Huddle #1 - How Culture Drives Sustainable Tourism

The aim of the event is to: “Foster an informal discussion on the role of cultural offerings in influencing the average profile of tourists, their length of stay, and, consequently, their average spending in the tourism sector.” Read more.

Let’s Talk “Proteção de Tecnologias e Transformação Digital: Oportunidades na Cooperação Academia-Indústria” This edition’s guest speaker is Telmo Santos, head of the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) at CCG/ZGDV Institute, an applied research institute based in Guimarães that promotes innovation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by designing and prototyping new high-value processes, services, and products. Read more.

Live Demo: Automate compliance to fuel your startup’s growth Learn why compliance is critical to growing your business, and how automation can simplify the time-consuming process. In this 45-minute live product demo Read more.

Fev 12

Sparking Innovation - Come to meet the best way to innovate over Energy Transition with Repsol Foundation and Unicorn Factory Lisboa. Read more.

System thinking in marketing: how to find simple solutions in unclear situations 19:15 closing of doors**System thinking in marketing: how to find simple solutions in unclear situations** At the master class we will analyse typi Read more.

Feb 13

(Porto) SITIO Gaia | Coworking Thursdays A workspace that extends over eight floors, located in the heart of Gaia. This coworking space is designed to promote collaboration, creativity and productivity. Read more.

(LISBON) Idea Spaces São Sebastião | Coworking Thursdays IDEA São Sebastião rooftop, in a 14-story building, where you’ll find the cafeteria, the coworking area and the perfect lounge to meet with our incredible IDEA Community. Read the full text below. Read more.

A desmaterialização do dinheiro e os pagamentos digitais Feb 13 Pense connosco e melhore a sua experiência de pagamentos com soluções que podem ser co-financiadas pelo Test Bed da SIBS… Read more.

Private Capital Predictions Webinar 2025 Many private capital firms took a more cautious approach to dealmaking in 2024 – will 2025 be the same? Join us as we sit down with Keith Camhi, Managing Director at Techstars, on the trends he’s expecting for 2025. Read more.

THE BREAK

Do you believe in life after work? At SITIO, we certainly do! Let’s relax, unwind, and have a blast at “the break” Read more.

Feb 14

LACS Cascais - Prototipagem rápida: O pagamento não é um atrito O seu negócio precisa de inovar na experiência de compra? Passe de um problema identificado à uma… Read more.

PITCH PERFECT SHOW X TRIBE SOCIAL - CHIADO ( 8 Tickets Left) · What is Pitched Perfect? It is the ultimate matchmaking event where friends take the stage to hilariously (and persuasively) pitch their amazing single… Read more.

Feb 15

+ Ideias ’25 | Reformar Portugal Feb 15

+Ideias’ 25 assinala o 4º aniversário do Instituto +Liberdade numa conferência que procura estimular uma reflexão reformista para Portugal Read more.

Open Startup Community Wanna build an app with complete strangers? Join the ongoing experiment that is OpenStartup Community. A community of strangers building startups together in an open, transparent way. Read more.

Feb 17

Launch in Lisboa: Gaming Track · Welcome to Launch in Lisboa: Gaming Track! Join us for an immersive 3-day program designed for anyone in the gaming community curious about Lisbon’s thriving… Read more.

Feb 18

FuckUp Nights Porto Fuckup Nights (FuN) is a global movement and community that shares stories of professional failure. F Read more.

#9 Lisbon GenAI Meetup | Tech Pannel: AI & Organisations 🤝 SITIO; ai.pt; AIhub Lisbon GenAI Community is back with a powerhouse panel!** The #9 Lisbon GenAI Meetup is kicking off 2025 with an unmissable discussion on how businesses can strat Read more.

Feb 19

• 💡 I have an idea, now what? | Startup Grind In-person Event - Got an idea but don’t know where to start? Join “I Have an Idea, Now What?” to learn the first steps to turn your idea into action! Le Wagon Lisboa Read more.

Scaleable Leadership Workshop: Helping Founders Build Thriving Companies

Event by COREangels Read more.

LACS Porto - A desmaterialização do dinheiro e os pagamentos digitais Evento grátis com registo obrigatório (lugares limitados). Pense connosco e melhore a sua experiência de pagamentos com soluções que podem ser co-financiadas… Read more.

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Light Dao Gathering: Unlocking the Science of Going Viral (Lisbon) Guest Speaker: Brendan Kane A much sought after speaker, we are fortunate to have Brendan with us on Friday Feb 21st in Lisbon. Founder and Managing Director… Read more.

GeekSessionsConf - Tech Conference in Faro, Portugal - Feb 22 A must-attend event for software developers and tech enthusiasts. GeekSessionsConf will take place in Faro, Portugal, on February 22, 2025. Join us! Read more.

Networking PitchDay.PT #5 | The Lisbon Founders Club Feb 25

This event is perfect for connecting with like-minded founders and investors. Read more.

Problemattic Lightning Talks

- Feb 26

Helping democratize who can build software Read more.

Startup AI Live Lisbon - Feb 27 Ready to scale your startup’s AI capabilities? Immerse yourself in the world of Artificial Intelligence at Google’s premier event in Lisbon. We’re bringing together top experts from DeepMind, Product, Ventures, and Cloud to unveil the latest advancements, explore the impact of AI on industries, and discuss the investment landscape shaping the future. Discover the power of multimodal AI, the rise of intelligent agents, and gain insights into the rapidly evolving AI market. Join us at the forefront of AI innovation. Read more.

State Budget 2025: Why this is the Right Time to set up your Tech Hub in Portugal: Why this is the Right Time to set up your Tech Hub in Portugal on crowdcast, scheduled to go live on Feb 27, 2025, 03:00 PM GMT. Read more.

InnoWomen Hackathon 2.0🚀 · Mar 07

• 🌊 Hackathon by the beach? Yes, please! 🌴 Win prizes by solving real-world challenges with no-code and AI. No coding skills needed. Next March, the… Read more.

⏳ Local & International Applications

Deadlines coming up soon:

• 🔜 GLOBAL HEALTH ACCELERATOR by STARTUP BRAGA is designed to help early to mid-stage startups address global health, biotech, and nanotech challenges. It offers three months of tailored entrepreneurship training, followed by a six-month pilot/POC development phase. Startups gain access to labs, industry partnerships, expert mentorship, and regulatory expertise to refine their products and scale. The program culminates in a Demo Day to showcase innovations to investors and stakeholders. Apply here until Feb 28

• 🔜 Healthtech founders, this is your chance! Innovation in healthcare is not just an opportunity—it’s a necessity. Portugal has the talent, the institutions, and the ambition to be a global reference in healthtech. Startups like Sword Health, PeekMed®, IPLEXMED, Glooma, and BestHealth4U started their journeys here and are now making an impact worldwide. That’s why Startup Braga designed the Global Health Accelerator to help the next wave of healthtech innovators do the same! 💡 Why to you apply? ✅ A tailored 4-month acceleration program focused on go-to-market strategies ✅ Access to key industry players, investors, and healthcare specialists ✅ A network of credible institutions that can be the turning point for your success ✅ The chance to be part of a thriving ecosystem in a region with huge potential for health innovation

Portugal is building a strong, globally competitive healthtech sector—and this is your opportunity to be part of it. Applications are open until Feb 28th!

• 🔜 Pitch your BIGidea at Lead Today. Shape Tomorrow. 2025, 8-9 May in Vienna! Are you a female-led or gender-diverse startup in the pre-seed or seed funding stage? Then apply to the

LTST25 Startup Pitch Track and get a chance to showcase your innovation in front of an international audience of entrepreneurs, VCs, and business leaders from the European tech and innovation ecosystem. Apply here by Feb 28th

• 🔜 Lisboa Innovation takes startups to the global stage and aims to support and foster the city’s innovation ecosystem by ensuring the free participation of Lisboa’s startups in international programs, propelling the city’s startups onto the global stage. Participation on the following program includes free entries for the team, exhibitor presence, and networking opportunities at one or more of the events. Apply here

• 🔜 Media Open Call 3 AMCC Test Bed, integrada na rede nacional de test beds, é um consórcio formado pelo PCI- Creative Science Park Aveiro Region (PCI), NOS Comunicações e NOS Technology (NOS Group) em parceria com a Universidade de Aveiro (UA), Aveiro Media Competence Center (AMCC) e Google, que consiste num conjunto de infra-estruturas, equipamentos, serviços e conhecimento especializado disponível para as PME e start-ups do setor dos media, para o desenvolvimento e teste de novos produtos e serviços, possibilitando a aceleração do processo Go To Market. Candidaturas aqui

• 🔜 Business Abroad assegura e apoia a presença de startups portuguesas em conferências internacionais de tecnologia, criando assim um impacto mais significativo nas representações fora do nosso país e permitindo-lhes coordenar as suas comunicações com os ecossistemas internacionais e com os meios de comunicação locais. Candidaturas

• 🔜 CESAR Europe is looking for innovative startups to join the Test Bed Program, in partnership with MC Sonae, the largest retail group in Portugal. Startups with solutions for retail and wellness now have an opportunity to develop and test their technologies, with the potential to roll-out through the Test Bed. By joining this pilot, companies gain access to expert support and experience for developing a Proof of Concept (PoC) and advancing their TRL. To participate, the company must have a Portuguese Tax ID (NIF) and SME Certificate.

Know someone who could benefit from this opportunity? Spread the word!

• 🔜 NGI Trust Chain Calling all developers, innovators, researchers, SMEs and entrepreneurs! €1.989.000,00 to employ digital identities, trustworthy data, and already designed novel mechanisms for the ecosystems’ economy, in order to achieve high energy efficiency and optimisation of particular DLTs. We are looking for the most appropriate, relevant and pertinent tradeoffs between the use of technologies, the security of consensus protocols on one side, and the sustainability requirements on the other. A user-centric design, focused on energy efficiency, trustworthiness, and scalability, will guide the development of solutions.

• 🔜 Applications are now open for the 2nd edition of Bloom Your Biz, a program of the Aga Khan Foundation Portugal in partnership with Unicorn Factory Lisboa! This accelerator program supports startups in the creative industries and technology sectors by providing mentorship, specialized training, resources, and a collaborative community

• 🔜 local.foundation just released a program that grows your founder mindset. The hands-on workshops have a good balance between personal development, tools and practices that help you to become a more resilient founder. Sign up for a weekend here or choose a week long retreat style course here Both will happen in February

and not so soon: 

• 📌  EIC Service Catalogue to Accelerate Deep-Tech Innovation Exciting opportunity for deeptech innovators! If you’re a deep-tech startup or SME, this is your chance to access up to €60,000 in funding to scale your innovation with specialised services from the EIC Service Catalogue.Take the chance to accelerate your growth and overcome scaling challenges. Apply today and make an impact

• 📌   Snowflake and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) join forces once again to ignite innovation and empower AI startups around the world with the Snowflake Startup Challenge! It is a contest for early-stage startups that are building innovative applications and products powered by Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud

Apply today for a chance at $1 million in shared investment, mentorship, and global marketing opportunities with NYSE and Snowflake. Apply before March 1st to be considered!

• 📌   5.ª edição da Call INNOV-ID, promovida pela Portugal Ventures em parceria com a ANI – Agência Nacional de Inovação e com a colaboração da Startup Portugal. Os projetos e respetivas soluções devem contribuir, de forma direta ou indireta, para um destes eixos: descarbonização da economia; sustentabilidade de processos, produtos e materials;

eficiência e sustentabilidade energética; circularidade da economia. Candidaturas até Mar 02

• 📌   Building a Community and need help to grow? The Product Folks have your back with everything you need, with mentorship, funding, and everything else. Apply here

• 📌   Netmentora Lisboa by Réseau Entreprendre for women entrepreneurs. Take a look @Wom’Energy

• 📌   Baby VC Venture Capital has little to no transparency. It is difficult to know the skills required to do the job and it’s even harder to build a network, especially if you have a non-business background. Baby VC exists to bridge this gap. We want to help people from all backgrounds get the insights and connections that are typically hard to access when you are not an insider. unite young and ambitious talent from diverse backgrounds, offering them opportunities to connect and learn from leading investors and entrepreneurs in the two ecosystems. Apply here

• 📌   Sogrape, in partnership with Beta Capital, is investing in high-potential start-ups that present innovative solutions within the value chain of the wine and beverage sector. Innovators, entrepreneurs, and start-ups are invited to present their projects. Apply to Sogrape Ventures

• 📌   BioHackathon Europe is an annual event that brings together life scientists from around the world. It is organised by ELIXIR Europe, and offers an intense week of hacking, with over 160 participants working on diverse and exciting projects. The goal is to create code that addresses challenges in bioinformatics research. This year at Campus Belloch near Barcelona, with remote access available if you cannot attend in person. Apply here

• 🚩  INOVA Quality HUB, incubadora promovida pelo Instituto Português da Qualidade, I.P. (IPQ), tem por objectivo incentivar a criação de negócios inovadores e o desenvolvimento de startups, através da disseminação de uma cultura empresarial para a Gestão da Qualidade. enfoque nas áreas prioritárias da Saúde, Energia e Ambiente, promovidos por empreendedores individuais, estudantes (mestrandos ou doutorandos), startups e spinoffs de empresas. Apply here

• 🚩  Startup Wise Guys Web3 Accelerator Program: Elevate your Web3 startup to the next level, transform your business, and discover your potential. Apply here

• 🚩  Future Innovators Program is looking for university students who want to develop a problem-solving mindset to join this journey through a 3-stage Innovation Program that takes you from real-world challenges to developing your business idea. The 1st phase - the Online Academy - is available here

• 🚩  The Collider Venture Builder – Call for Technologies: Are you a researcher or part of a research team with promising results? Do you want to bring these results to the market so they can have a positive impact on society? The call for technologies is your chance to be considered for The Collider Venture Builder programme. Apply here

• 🚩  IH Sensor Tech Partnering with the Instituto Hidrográfico from the Portuguese Navy, this open innovation edition drives maritime innovation across five areas: augmented reality software, hydrographic data consolidation, GNSS-denied navigation, real-time data processing and decision-making. Apply here

• 🚩 consolid8 Deep & inclusive social innovation ecosystems

Please submit your event as early as possible so that we can communicate timely

Techstars Startup Digest Portugal newsletter is curated by:

Carlos Resende

• 📭 [email protected]

@ LinkedIn