Startups: Get Out There | Week #18

Portugal’s startup ecosystem is full of opportunities — but too often, early-stage founders stay heads down, building in silence. While focus is essential, the smartest entrepreneurs know when to step out, pitch, get feedback, and plug into the right support systems. From technical mentorship to strategic insight, Portugal offers an increasing number of platforms and programs to help startups grow and validate. Astro-Lab.ai, for instance, is building a unique space at the intersection of AI and innovation — a place to experiment, test, and collaborate on real-world solutions. Similarly, Founder Institute Portugal (https://fi.co/portugal) continues to support early-stage founders with structure, mentorship, and a global network. It’s not just about refining your pitch — it’s about shaping your entire founder mindset. And beyond those, you’ll find countless pitch nights (i.e.Startup Grind Lisbon), accelerator programs (i.e. S23 Accelerator), innovation hubs (i.e. Madan Park), demo days (i.e. Casa do Impacto - Demo Day), and university-linked initiatives (i.e. Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics) across Lisbon, Porto, Braga, and beyond. These aren’t just events — they’re your testing ground, your sounding board, your launchpad.

So here’s your reminder: get out there. Pitch early. Test often. Connect deeply. Every time you showcase your startup, you’re not just seeking validation — you’re building traction, finding allies, and opening doors.

Don’t wait for your product to be perfect. The ecosystem is here — make it work for you.

• 🚨 Our readers living in Paris Fiona French Fadista gives a concert today at Le Kibelé

• 🚨 TechBBQ annual startup showcase and pitch competition is back in full swing. All selected startups will receive two complimentary tickets to attend the event. Apply to Startup Showcase and/or North Star Pitch

• 🚨 Astro-Lab.ai seeks AI startups for pilot projects. Get technical and strategic support (TRL 5) at no direct cost. Apply now; limited to 50 on a first-come, first-served basis

• 🚨 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 Adamastor 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, and is accepting applications

• 👉 sign up & spread the word - use this link

Week highlights go to:

• 🔷 Lisbon Innovation Tours - Health Tech takes place tomorrow

• 🔷 Fado By Fiona French Fadista. Early bird tickets until Friday

• 🔷 Announced the first 5 speakers for Web Summit, which takes place this Nov 10-13 in Lisbon

Congrats:

• 👏 DeepNeuronic listed as one of the TOP 50 EUROPEAN SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY STARTUPS

• 👏 Indie Campers raised 27.5M in their latest funding round

• 👏 3xP Global Impact Innovation Fund celebrates 1st anniversary

• 👏 The “Technology Fast 500 EMEA 2024” from Deloitte is out and Portuguese tech companies are among the fasted growing. 15 have reached the ranking, 3 the top 10 and 2 the top 3, iCharging and Bloq.it

• 👏 Une.idades selected to represent at Encontro Europeu KORALE | Lisboa Com Vida – Towards a community of practice and Knowledge On pReventing and tAckling Loneliness from public policies

• 🚀 Pitch Your Ideas to Portugal Investors & Experts, Online, Tue, Jun 3, 2025, 6:30 🚀

[Registration only via the FI Platform](https://fi.co/event/pitch-your-ideas-to-portugal-investors-experts-online-portugal-2025) Do you have a startup, or a strong idea for a startup? On this live and interactive online event you can pitch your ideas to a panel of Portugal startup investors and experts for ratings and feedback, and no formal pitch deck is needed. Even if you don’t want to pitch, you are invited to hear startup ideas and watch how the experts analyze business ideas. Read more.

Quote of the Day

The economy does matter. Tech and venture are not isolated - they are integral parts of the wider economy. Innovation must create

Daniel Keiper-Knorr