Santos and Entrepreneurship

What Young Entrepreneurship Is Really Telling Us About Portugal? That’s a question I put myself over the last weeks as I’ve been moving between university competitions — NOVA, NOVA SBE, Católica — and the pattern is unmistakable: there is talent, energy, and a genuine will to build. What’s missing is not ambition; it’s the path.

The young ecosystem is alive than ever. Junior Enterprises, incubators, university programs, and events like Junitec’s Unicorn Day show a generation that isn’t waiting for permission. They are already creating.

But between an idea and a real company there is still a gap many don’t know how to cross. And it’s not a funding problem anymore. That perception is outdated. Today there is capital, there are business angels, there are venture studios, there are public funding, there are a novelty of options. What’s missing, often, is guidance; knowing where to start, how to validate, how to decide.

The good news is that mentorship is finally gaining critical mass. Founders with years of scars and wins are starting to give back. It’s a natural and healthy evolution of the ecosystem.

What remains heavy is our cultural relationship with risk. We still educate young people to avoid mistakes, when entrepreneurship lives from the opposite: try, fail, adjust, try again. Here, the ecosystem can play a transformative role that few other areas in Portuguese society can match.

And then there’s education. Universities are getting closer to the ecosystem (and that’s positive) but the pre‑university system is still far from the real world. Not a minor detail: the State is responsible for three quarters of all secondary students.

The strategic challenge is now unavoidable: Portugal needs to choose where to bet and how to invest. Think, reflect, design, execute. Four verbs we historically struggle with, but without them we won’t turn young talent into real impact.

Final note to the Santos Populares and traditional Arraiais that are arriving all over the country. Starting in June happens the traditional and very famous “Santos Populares”. The streets are decorated and packed with people grilling and eating sardines and bifanas, dancing, and drinking. It’s a wonderful time to enjoy the best of the Portuguese popular traditions.

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

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

• PIRATE Night on June 24th applications open for free booth + two tickets.

• 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.

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

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

See you at the next event.

Quote of the week

“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.” — Bill Gates

Highlights of the week

• Junitec Unicord Day at Lispolis this Tuesday.

• The Startup Capital Summit is one of the main Startup Conferences in Portugal and will take place in Coimbra this Wednesday Tickets available.

• Community Leaders Gathering - Algarve Edition this Thursday in Olhão.

• Google for Startups AI Agents Challenge - Submissions open until June 6.

Congrats

• Lampsy Health, Badge and Trash4Goods are the winners of Startup Grind Lisbon Pitch Awards

• Mena.ai won Start Rise Challenge

Something to read, listen and watch

📚Tech Talent Trends Report 2026 by Landing.Jobs & Damia

📚The “psychologically habitable” future by Frederico Fezas-Vital

📚Engineering Managers: The Emotional Infrastructure of Tech by Aishwarya Babu

📚EIC Tech Report 2026 identifies 25 emerging deep tech signals

📚The Country Seeking to Turn Research Into Technological Power by Patrick Coelho

• 🎧 3 Dados de Conversa: as diferenças entre realidade virtual (VR), realidade aumentada (AR) e realidade mista (MR) e análise ao impacto destas tecnologias com Lénia Mestrinho e Maria Ribeiro Soares

• 🎥 Talk from a YC partner that built monzo, about how we should be using AI properly

• 🎥 6 Tips on Being a Successful Entrepreneur by John Mullins

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.