The Quiet Strength of Angels

There are moments in an ecosystem when you realise something bigger is taking shape, something that goes beyond investment, beyond deal flow, beyond the usual choreography of pitches and term sheets. Angels Way is one of those moments. A community of early‑stage angel investors focused on Portuguese startups, built on proximity, collaboration, and a very human alignment with founders. I’m proud to be part of it.

Even though I couldn’t be present at the recent gathering at Cloudflare’s office in Lisbon, where more than 150 investors met with the founders of the 10 companies Angels Way has already backed, I don’t want to miss the chance to underline the importance of what is being built here. From everything I’ve heard, it was a genuine moment of sharing: experiences, challenges, lessons learned, and visions of the future. But above all, it was a clear demonstration of the strength of a community that is aligned, committed, and active.

And this is where Angels Way truly stands apart. In a startup world that loves to say “people first” while sometimes behaving in ways that suggest the opposite, Angels Way actually means it. While pitch decks become theatre and founders are pushed into the role of performers, this community chooses a different path, one that feels almost radical in its simplicity. They invest in people, not as a slogan, but as a practice.

Their philosophy demands something rare: genuine proximity. Early‑stage investing, for Angels Way, is not a transaction; it is a relationship. And relationships require presence, trust, and the humility to walk beside founders rather than above them. Most investors claim to support founders; Angels Way insists on knowing them. Not in the superficial sense of a first meeting, but in the deeper, slower, more human sense, understanding motivations, fears, blind spots, and the values that will ultimately shape the companies they are building. They invest in alignment before they invest in equity.

This is not about picking winners; it’s about helping build them. Angels Way doesn’t chase hype cycles or fashionable verticals. They look for grounded, ambitious, self‑aware founders, people who understand that resilience is not a trait but a discipline. And in return, they offer something increasingly rare: a community that shows up, listens, and stays.

In a market obsessed with speed, Angels Way chooses intention. In a landscape driven by FOMO, they choose conviction. And in an industry that often forgets the human beings behind the KPIs, they place those human beings at the centre.

What is emerging here is more than an investment network. It is the consolidation of the most impactful early‑stage entrepreneurial community in Portugal; built on trust, proximity, and execution. As Luis Guttman wrote, and I fully agree:

The pride is collective. The impact is too.

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

• 💡 Save the date! StartupWeekend Women Loulé will take place next Mar 6, 7 & 8. An inclusive event open to anyone who wants to support and empower women founders and innovators!

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

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

See you at the next event.

✍ Quote of the week

“If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.”

Reid Hoffman

Highlights of the week

• 🔷 Fire chat with Portugal’s Top 5 hubs ranked in the Financial Times – Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs 2026 at Catolica Lisbon School of Business & Economics

• 🔷 Joao Moita has launched https://iwanttobuildthis.com/ A vetted community for product people building real things with AI — not just talking about it. Take a look if you have an idea and want to find someone to build it with.

• 🔷 Founder Institute Portugal: Meet the Startup Ecosystem Porto Edition & Viseu Tech Talks this Thursday

• 🔷 from march 2 to march 6, all women are invited to work at SITIO coworking spaces across Portugal, free for one week!

• 🔷 LX Circular is an acceleration program dedicated to supporting startups with innovative circular economy solutions. Apply until Mar 08

• 🔷 To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th, Lovable is completely free to use for the day, powered by Anthropic

Congrats

• 👏 Sónia Ferreira (BestHealth4U); Ella Frances Cullen (Minespider); Neide Vieira (IPLEXMED); Marta Oliveira (ATMOS Space Cargo) among the 18 women competing for the 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

• 👏 BETA BEAT VC Fund I is officially launched

• 👏 Lispolis & UPTEC among Top 15 start-up hubs with the best office and lab space score according to FT

• 👏 Be the Not & Rippla are the winners of the From Start-to-Table Program

• 👏 Usawa Care was the overall winner of the 10th edition of Cuatrecasas Acelera

• 👏 cargo.one acquired Cargofive

• 👏 healthhub by Unicorn Factory Lisboa Open Day this Wednesday

Something to read, listen and watch

• 📚 Como as lâmpadas de lava ajudam na criptografia da internet? por Cloudflare

• 📚 SNS com inteligência artificial pode dar mais tempo aos médicos por Tiago Costa (Blodflow)

• 📚 How to set up a company in Portugal by Startup Portugal

• 📚 Is your venture capital industry quietly leaving billions in economic value on the table?

• 📚 How AI Destroys Institutions by Woodrow Hartzog & Jessica M. Silbey

• 📚 The Attention Game is Over: Trust is the only moat that matters now by Jon Levesque

• 📚 Healthspan science may enable healthier lives for all

• 📚 European Community Capital 2025 Report

• 📚 FT ranking: Europe’s leading start-up hubs 2026

• 🎧 E se corre bem? com Márcia Pereira (Bandora)

• 🎧 DOJO AI: Why 12% agency pricing is 'piracy’ with Tom Downer

• 🎧 Não podemos esperar pelo mercado nacional com Pedro Ribeiro Santos, Armilar Venture Partners

• 🎥 Decoding AI IA na Saúde: Porque os Médicos Ainda Perdem Horas em Burocracia? com Medgical

• 🎥 Sheree Talks - O lado invisível do empreendedorismo: jurídico, inovação e impacto com Bruno Gutman

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.