Portugal in the Spotlight — Cloudflare CEO’s Post Goes Viral | Week #19

It’s not every day that Portugal grabs global tech attention, but that’s exactly what happened yesterday when Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince posted about our country on X. With +3M views and counting, with strong criticism of our bureaucracy, nonetheless, the country’s talent, quality of life, and potential as a tech hub have brought global attention to something we in the ecosystem have known for a long time.

But why does this matter?

This level of visibility can have a real impact. Global founders, investors, and remote-first companies are constantly seeking stable, innovation-friendly environments and Portugal is becoming a top contender. But Matthew’s post also highlighted the contradictions we live with: while he admired what’s working, he didn’t hold back on pointing out the issues we’ve been too slow to fix. That mix of admiration and critique sends a powerful message not just to the world, but to ourselves.

Imagine if Portuguese people could do at home what they already do abroad.

We’re a country of contrasts. On one side, bold, resourceful individuals who thrive anywhere. On the other hand, those who latch onto others’ success and drain it until the dream is gone. And somewhere in between, a crowd with outstretched hands, waiting for crumbs to fall. Portugal has always been built by extraordinary Portuguese, often underappreciated or even sabotaged by their own. We still live in the shadow of King Sebastian, waiting for someone to emerge from the fog, while so many are already out there building the future even if few truly understand what they’re doing, and many are quick to take the credit. Now, imagine a Portugal that celebrates its risk takers. That lifts them up. That invests in its best.

I’ve been part of the Portuguese startup ecosystem for many years, and I believe this moment matters. Let’s use this spotlight to build, to connect, and to prove to the world and to ourselves what’s possible when talent, vision, and purpose come together.

If you haven’t seen Matthew’s post yet, it’s here. It’s well worth the read — and the reflection.

• 
  🚨 Reverse Pitch MEO Want to pilot your solution with MEO? They’re looking for startups to co-create PoCs across 9 key themes! ​Learn more here

• 🚨 Applications are open for JournalismAI Skills Lab A 12-week, free, virtual programme designed for professionals to learn how to practically implement LLMs and GenAI in their work and adopt AI technologies in their daily newsroom context. Apply here

• 🚨 Unicorn Day, the biggest event of the year for JUNITEC’s innovation department and the APOLLO program startups, with invited Portuguese startups also attending. The event will be on June 16th. Stay tuned to Startup Digest for more info

• 🚨 StartUP23 has just launched the S23 Accelerator, a new online and free acceleration program designed to support entrepreneurs at different stages of their business

• 🚨 The Product Buildcamp: Go from idea to MVP under 48h with AI; this Friday. Secure your spot

• 🚨 Deadline Extended for the LX Circular program Now open until Jun 1

📝for those, like myself, that everyday suffer with the Gira app, I urge you fill the survey: redesign proposal for the Gira app — Francisco Janes is collecting feedback from real users to better understand what works, what doesn’t, and what new features could really make a difference in everyday use. This is an independent (non-official) project, but who knows — maybe one day these ideas will come to life, and could help shape the future of urban mobility in Lisbon. 🚲

Week highlights go to:

• 🔷 One Stop Shop at Coworking Thursdays at Lisbon Unicorn Factory

• 🔷 What motivates an Impact Investor? next Monday at Casa do Impacto

• 🔷 Unicorn Week kicks off next Monday

Congrats:

• 👏 WiseWorld.ai won the Women in Tech award at GITEX EUROPE

• 👏 Lampsy, GreenDash, and Dat - Dança, Arte e Terapia won RISE for Impact | DEMODAY | @Casa do Impacto

👏Portugal ranks 29th in the latest Global Startup Ecosystem Index by StartupBlink

Quote of the Week

Investing is not only about what you own, but also about what you stand for

— Audrey Choi