International Women’s Day

Last Sunday, the world celebrated International Women’s Day, a moment to honour the women who have shaped our past and continue to push our societies toward a fairer and more ambitious future. The date has passed, yes, but the mission doesn’t pause on Monday. Supporting, uplifting and giving visibility to women is something that must happen every single day, especially in entrepreneurship, where recognition is still far from balanced.

At Adamastor, we take this seriously. We see the resilience, the courage and the persistence of women founders who keep building, even when the path is harder than it should be. Your work matters. Your leadership matters. And your impact is felt across the ecosystem, whether or not the spotlight is always there.

This week, we also celebrate four incredible women from our community; Cintia Mano, Cristina Fonseca, Elisa Tarzia and Joana Pinto, who were named among the 100 most influential women shaping the European startup and venture capital ecosystem in 2026. A well‑deserved recognition and a reminder of the talent that exists right here.

International Women’s Day may be one day on the calendar, but our commitment is daily. At Adamastor, we stand with women who build, who lead, who challenge the status quo, and who inspire the next generation to do even more.

Let’s keep championing equality, advocating for change, and empowering one another.

• 💡 Founder Institute Portugal - Portugal Spring 2026 Program is accepting applications

• 💡 Money Talks the biggest financial literacy event in the country, takes place on April 11 & 12. Tickets are now on sale use promocode: ADAMASTOR

• 💡 Applications are open for EUDIS Defence Hackathon 2026 – Portugal Roadshow

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

See you at the next event.

✍ Quote of the week

“To all women, don’t short yourself. Think big. Take risks”

Christine Lagarde

Highlights of the week

• 🔷 Defencetech Meetup Portugal will take place at Critical Software Lisbon, Wednesday at 18:00, with the theme ‘Maritime Defence

• 🔷 P-Talks na Feedzai take place this Thursday with top speakers like Mike Pilawski (ex-Miro) and Feedzai’s Head of Research

• 🔷 Founder Institute: Pitch Your Ideas to Portugal’s Investors & Experts, Online this Wednesday

• 🔷 Sword launched Dawn. Join the waitlist at JoinDawn.com

• 🔷 “Closure.” with Founders Mima Cibic; ⁠Kamran Thomas Alimagham; ⁠Sophie Dermaux; and ⁠Victoria Robinson were the winning team from the Startup Weekend Women Loulé and ⁠now they will prepare to get into the Techstars Weekend Global Online pitch

• 🔷 Demo Day Set.Up IN(dustry), today in Guimarães

• 🔷 FabStartLab 2nd edition - applications are open

• 🔷 Startuppers is your launchpad, fueling ambitions with expert sessions, real cases, and community support. The journey kicks off on March 10th with our first session!

• 🔷 The networking secret: How communities can elevate your career with Tzufit Herling

• 🔷 3 Portuguese projects listed for Investment Impact Awards 2026: Operational Small Projects

Congrats

• 👏 Premios Empreende XXI finalists: AuroraMed | Immersiv Studios | Invisible CFO | Lampsy Health | SentiVue | Usawa Care | eDynamics Technologies | HUMIVERSO | Medcei | PluggableAI | VaultHaus

• 👏 Altice Labs; NOS Inovacao; e Sword Health listed on TOP20 on Barómetro Inventa – Patentes Made in Portugal

• 👏 Cintia Mano, Cristina Fonseca, Elisa Tarzia, and Joana Pinto were named among the 100 most influential women shaping the European startup and venture capital ecosystem in 2026

Something to read, listen and watch

• 📚 2% do capital, o dobro da performance: O paradoxo das fundadoras em tech

• 📚 How I Almost Broke My First Company And How I Chose My Co-Founder Differently the Second Time by Raza Haider

• 📚 Critical Software and Stadler Launch Stadler Digital Labs

• 📚 People gathered in Copenhagen to support a simple idea: Europe needs its own social platforms. This is about more than technology; it is about values, trust, and democracy. Take a look at the Rebuild Letter

• 📚 Sequoia Capital: The next $1T company won’t sell software. It will sell the work. by Guillermo Flor

• 📚 The Real Numbers: What Happens to Solo Founders (And Why It’s Better Than You Think) by Luis Goncalves

📚AI Doesn’t Reduce Work It Intensifies It by Aruna Ranganathan and Xingqi Maggie Ye

• 🎧 Margarida Barreto 'Se a criatividade humana não estiver lá, a IA não serve de nada’

• 🎥 Dengun: Cria Silicon Valley português no algarve e atrai investidores globais com Miguel Fernandes

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.