Founder Opportunities

Portugal-based early-stage startups preparing for Web Summit 2026 that want founder preparation, ecosystem connections, mentor access, international visibility, and a stronger route into the Web Summit startup community.

Road 2 Web Summit gives selected startups preparation sessions, exclusive resources, guidance on making the most of Web Summit, connections with ecosystem leaders, mentors and fellow founders, pre-event visibility, and eligibility for the "Most Promising Startup" award supported by Galp. Build Up Labs can support startups with the Startup Portugal Recognition process before they apply.

Portugal-based academic founders turning research, theses, R&D projects, or proofs of concept into a startup, especially students, researchers, or faculty connected to a national higher-education institution.

€30,000 non-repayable voucher per project, paid 100% in advance after approval, to fund early business creation and validation steps such as incubation, acceleration, company setup, events, marketing, pitch materials, proof of concept, pilots, IP protection, and regulatory or certification mapping.

Pilot-ready agrifood startups with a prospective corporate client and a clear proof-of-concept or small-scale pilot that can show a pathway toward commercial activity.

EIT Food can co-finance startup-corporate proof-of-concept work such as sample creation, field trials, functionality and property tests, or efficiency assessments, helping de-risk pilots that could lead to larger commercial collaboration.

Young founders aged 18-30 worldwide who lead an up-and-running project or startup already delivering measurable social or environmental impact aligned with at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal.

Multiple selected founders can receive grant funding awards of up to $15,000, free application support and learning resources, connection to a global community of young social leaders, and access to follow-on opportunities such as paid work, fellowships, networking, and learning experiences.

Early-stage digital and deep tech startups in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries with a working prototype or proof of concept at TRL 4-5 or above, strong IP ownership, and a real industry challenge to validate with a corporate partner.

Selected ventures can receive up to €250,000 of 28DIGITAL financial support, co-create directly with industry partners, access fundraising assistance, join 28DIGITAL training and mentoring support, and gain visibility across its European innovation ecosystem.

Pre-seed, for-profit urban mobility startups incorporated in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country, with early traction, customer validation, or strong founder insight.

The 10-week programme combines customer discovery, business-model and go-to-market work, mentorship, pitch coaching, pilot access, and the Techstars and EIT Urban Mobility networks. Participants receive €10,000 cash within a €50,000 SAFE package and may unlock a further €50,000 investment by meeting agreed post-programme milestones.

Early-stage, technology-enabled Portuguese startups with customers in Portugal or elsewhere in Europe, a differentiated offer, and a serious plan to validate and build a presence in California and the wider US market.

The free AICEP programme combines California-based mentorship, US go-to-market and pitch feedback, introductions to potential customers, partners, and investors, and an in-person Demo Day in California for the four selected startups.

Technology startups and scaleups with an operational product, customer, revenue, or investment traction, and plans to expand into Hong Kong or wider Asian markets within the next 24 months.

Qualified companies can access market-readiness support, targeted networking, and matchmaking with 120+ corporate and investor partners. Shortlisted teams may join virtual pitching, while semi-finalists receive a Hong Kong event booth and eligible travel reimbursement.

Ambitious startups worldwide, from idea-stage and pre-revenue teams through early traction, that want intensive founder support, a global alumni network, investor access, and can participate in San Francisco.

Accepted companies receive YC's $500,000 standard investment, a dedicated YC partner, weekly founder programming, access to the YC community, and introductions to investors toward the end of the batch.

Solo founders, teams, and aspiring entrepreneurs building a technology startup, including people still working full-time, who want a structured path from idea validation to an investor-ready company.

The four-month FI Core programme combines company-building sprints, mentor feedback, working groups, office hours, product and customer validation, and fundraising preparation, with access to Founder Institute's global network.

Early-stage startups, microenterprises, and entrepreneurs with an innovative, scalable solution who want a concise investor-facing pitch opportunity and visibility with the Fórum PME Magazine audience.

Selected teams get three minutes to pitch to an investor jury and the Fórum PME Magazine audience at Taguspark in Oeiras, with a €5,000 cash prize for the overall winner.

Technical founders and early-career engineers with up to three years of experience in full-stack, backend, AI, or data engineering who can attend in Lisbon and want to demonstrate their skills through a live build rather than a CV.

RecT gives 40 selected participants a two-day team hackathon at IDEA Spaces Saldanha, a 2,000 cash prize for the winning team, fast-track interviews with RecT partners, and a verified profile shared with RecT's network of tech founders and CTOs.

Digital health startups working on prevention, patient empowerment, early detection, AI-enabled diagnostics, clinical decision support, or patient-facing health tools that want visibility with Bayer, healthcare experts, investors, and the Portuguese health innovation ecosystem.

Bayer's 11th STEM4Health edition gives selected startups expert evaluation, pitch and networking exposure with Bayer, investors, healthcare and technology professionals, plus a winner package with Medical Valley mentoring and a Web Summit ticket.

Early-stage startups and SMEs with health-focused digital solutions that want healthcare stakeholder exposure, pilot or validation opportunities, clinical feedback, and visibility in Portugal's health innovation ecosystem.

Selected teams showcase at the IHT Conference HealthTech Showroom, join guided tours with expert groups, connect with clinicians, healthcare decision-makers and potential partners, get direct feedback, unlock pilot, validation and funding conversations, and receive two free full-access conference tickets.

Early-stage startups with outstanding potential that want Web Summit visibility in Lisbon, investor and media exposure, startup activations, and a structured event preparation path with the startup success team.

Selected ALPHA startups receive three Web Summit tickets, a startup profile visible to attendees, investors, media, and partners, a one-day exhibition booth, a printed exhibition board, access to the Web Summit app, Startup Lounge, startup activations, and support from a dedicated startup success manager. Accepted startups can also apply for activations such as PITCH, Startup Showcase, 40 Words, Mentor Hours, masterclasses, roundtables, and investor-to-startup meetings.

Startups with traction or fundraising momentum that fit Web Summit's BETA route and want concentrated access to investors, media, startup showcases, mentor sessions, and Web Summit's global founder network in Lisbon.

Accepted BETA startups can use Web Summit to build visibility with attendees, investors, international media, strategic partners, and potential customers. The startup programme highlights access to investor-to-startup meetings, Mentor Hours, Startup Showcase, 40 Words, startup masterclasses, PITCH eligibility, the Web Summit app, and startup success support to prepare for the event.

Agrifood startups and research teams with TRL 4-7 solutions that can address real company challenges in ingredients, greenhouse optimisation, pet-food drying, circular ecosystems, soil resilience, water treatment, or microalgae ingredients.

The programme connects solution providers with European agrifood SMEs and corporates to co-develop feasibility studies and pilot-ready solutions, giving startups direct customer validation, market credibility, and access to a pan-European agrifood network.

Portuguese-registered deep-tech startups and scaleups with differentiated technology or protected IP, market validation, and a clear intent to enter the U.S. market.

UT Austin Portugal’s Startup2ScaleUp gives four selected companies 12 months of execution-focused U.S. market-entry support, including a dedicated U.S.-based Business Development Manager, lead generation for customers, partners, and investors, weekly touchpoints, monthly pipeline reporting, and access to the Texas/U.S. innovation ecosystem. The programme charges no participation fees and takes no equity.

Ambitious startups from any industry, including international and UC-affiliated teams, that want a Berkeley-based accelerator with investor access, advisors, business development support, and U.S. ecosystem exposure.

Berkeley SkyDeck selects roughly 20-25 accelerator cohort teams every six months for a 6-month acceleration process and a $210,000 investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund. Cohort teams receive a lead advisor, workspace, mandatory programming, access to 900+ advisors, workshops and events, $750K+ in-kind resources, business development support, and Demo Day exposure to 900+ investors.

European SMEs, startups, and research organisations building defence or dual-use technologies, especially teams with AI, cyber, quantum, energy, surveillance, digital, hardware, advanced materials, or other deep tech that can be adapted to defence applications.

The EDF 2026 work programme allocates about €1B to collaborative defence R&D, including dedicated EUDIS non-thematic SME calls. SME-led research actions can fund projects up to €4M and SME development actions up to €6M, with business coaching support to help move R&D results toward defence products and market entry.

Women’s health, femtech, digital health, medtech, diagnostics, therapeutics, sport-health, and research-to-industry startups with a strong innovation that would benefit from investor, multinational, and women’s health leader visibility.

WHW Innovation Showcase gives selected founders a chance to pitch during Women’s Health Week Europe in London, with visibility to investors, multinationals, partners, and women’s health leaders. Laura’s partner note says 16 startups will pitch to 700+ investors and partners, and cites BoobyBiome as a past alum that closed a £2.5M Seed round in the year after pitching.

Portuguese founders, startups, companies, research centres, universities, associations, cooperatives, NGOs, public bodies, and other teams with innovative products, services, organisational methods, or marketing approaches for agriculture, agri-food, forestry, rural development, local value chains, or climate adaptation.

The 13th edition awards €35,000 in total prizes: €10,000 for each of the three main categories, plus promotional video support for winning projects, and a €5,000 Prémio Revelação for an early-stage project with high development and scalability potential.

Portuguese technology startups legally incorporated for less than six years, especially teams with innovative industry 4.0/5.0 solutions in robotics, automation, industrial software, maintenance, manufacturing, composites, moulds, or related industrial technology.

Three selected startups receive free participation in the HubTech space at 360 Tech Industry Lisboa on 26-27 Nov 2026 at Pavilhão Carlos Lopes, with exposure to industrial companies, engineers, managers, decision-makers, official event channels, and the Tecno Metal magazine.

Investor-backed European founders and startups preparing to expand into North America and looking for structured market-entry support, ecosystem access, and guidance from Toronto Business Development Centre.

Market-entry programme support for founders expanding into North America, with a focus on helping European companies understand the market, build local connections, and prepare for commercial expansion.

Medical device, in vitro diagnostic, and digital health startups, professionals, organizations, and stakeholders who need practical regulatory strategy, health technology assessment, reimbursement, or European market-access guidance.

Structured 13-week training programme with practical tools and strategic guidance for regulatory compliance and market access in Europe. Previous editions have supported 100+ participants from 50 companies, including companies that later attracted more than €4M in investment.

Early-stage AI startups building the next generation of communications, customer engagement, developer tools, automation, or AI-enabled business workflows, especially teams already using or able to use Twilio.

Recognition as one of 30 honorees, potential co-marketing opportunities with Twilio, additional marketing/prize opportunities for strong demos, possible showcase in TwilioWorld, and consideration for invite-only Founders Connect Fellowship opportunities.

Women-founded or women-co-founded early-stage deep tech startups in EU Member States or eligible Horizon Europe Pillar III Associated Countries, especially teams preparing to move from validated technology toward market readiness.

€75,000 equity-free grant funding plus personalised business development support, mentoring, training, expert guidance, matchmaking, networking, and help bridging toward other EIC funding and support schemes.

Early-stage and growth-stage founders, startup teams, operators, investors, and ecosystem builders who want a Lisbon-based event for practical learning, founder networking, startup visibility, and investor conversations.

Two days of talks across three stages, workshops and panels, startup showcase access, summit community access, and pass options that can include founder-only meetups, investor networking sessions, pitch competition eligibility, startup directory listing, or a startup booth.

Startups with an MVP, prototype, product, or validated solution for hospitality, accommodation, tourism operations, guest experience, revenue/data, sustainability, resource efficiency, or smarter hotel operations.

Direct access to hospitality companies in Portugal, matchmaking around real sector challenges, bootcamps and mentoring from Fábrica de Startups, client feedback, pilot-development support, and a route to future contracts, partnerships, licensing, investment, or commercial collaboration.

Early-stage startups building AI, digital twin, geospatial, and data-driven solutions for the built and natural environment.; best for AI startups seeking pilots in construction, infra, energy, mapping, or asset operations.

Up to $200,000 seed funding, technical mentorship, ecosystem access, and partner credibility.

Portuguese startups, SMEs, and eligible national entities needing advanced compute resources.; best for AI, simulation, scientific-computing, and compute-heavy startups.

CPU / GPU hours and storage on advanced computing infrastructure.

Startups and SMEs supported by EIC, EIT, KICs, MSCA or related European innovation programmes that can host a 3-6 month innovation internship; also relevant for researchers, graduates and EIT talents looking for startup exposure.

Access to specialised research and innovation talent without financial burden for hosting companies, AI-assisted matchmaking with company needs, and practical knowledge-transfer between research and startup execution.

Portuguese startups, teams, projects or professionals with measurable Data & AI impact, including applied AI in sectors such as health, industry, energy, retail, telecoms, banking, public sector, agriculture, logistics, responsible AI, agentic AI, generative AI, data engineering, computer vision or NLP.

National visibility and recognition through 24 awards promoted by DSPA and GoingNext, including categories for business impact, technical/frontier Data & AI, startup AI & Data of the year, social impact, leaders and projects of the year.

Startups and companies with retail-relevant concepts, technologies, or operational solutions that need a controlled environment to test with a major Portuguese retailer.

A practical route to validate concepts quickly, collect operational feedback, and explore collaboration with retail-sector partners instead of only attending a networking event.

Entrepreneurs from startup to scale-up who want a structured European hub for training, networking, mentorship, funding visibility, and market-expansion resources.

Access to online training, workshops, webinars, MOOCs, community features, mentor and investor marketplace, funding and visibility resources, and learning paths for business growth.

Startups and SMEs with smart-home solutions in energy efficiency, security, accessibility, home automation, immersive entertainment, connected-device management, or adjacent connected-living use cases.

Technical validation, real-user insights, specialized support, access to smart-home testing resources, and acceleration support with NOS, Sonae MC, and UNION context.

startups in Construction & Real Estate; with solutions involving Cloud Computing, Digital Twins, AI / Machine Learning. Challenge owner: Grupo MCA.

Significantly reduces BIM design and modelling time, improves consistency between technical solutions and digital models, increases engineering and design productivity, optimizes cost and performance and supports scaling projects across geographies.

startups in Construction & Real Estate; with solutions involving SaaS, AI / Machine Learning, Data & Analytics. Challenge owner: Grupo MCA.

Reduces bid-preparation time, increases tender success rate, improves operational efficiency, reduces errors, makes better use of internal knowledge and history and increases the ability to scale participation in international tenders.

startups in Health, Manufacturing & Industry, Construction & Real Estate; with solutions involving SaaS, Cloud Computing, Data & Analytics, APIs / Integrations, ERP / Enterprise Systems. Challenge owner: company pending.

Reduces spare-part search and identification time, lowers material-selection errors, increases maintenance-team autonomy, reduces machine downtime and improves out-of-hours operational efficiency.

startups in Health; with solutions involving SaaS, AI / Machine Learning, Data & Analytics. Challenge owner: Clínica Santa Madalena.

Reduces no-show rates, increases clinical schedule occupancy, improves absence prediction, enables faster reassignment of available slots, reduces operational disruption and improves the patient scheduling and confirmation experience.

startups in Health, Manufacturing & Industry, Construction & Real Estate; with solutions involving Data & Analytics, Data Infrastructure / Data Engineering, Internet of Things (IoT), APIs / Integrations, Robotics / Automation, Industry 4.0, Hardware / Embedded Systems, ERP / Enterprise Systems. Challenge owner: company pending.

Improves automatic start/end tracking for each roll, links materials to real production parameters, increases data quality and traceability, supports quality and efficiency analysis and reduces manual logging.

startups in Health, Manufacturing & Industry, Construction & Real Estate; with solutions involving Data & Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), APIs / Integrations, Robotics / Automation, Industry 4.0, Hardware / Embedded Systems, ERP / Enterprise Systems, Supply Chain Tech. Challenge owner: company pending.

Increases accuracy and reliability of inbound data, improves stock control and production planning, reduces manual errors and admin rework, integrates weighing into operations without reducing efficiency and scales across materials and logistics contexts.

startups in Manufacturing & Industry; with solutions involving AI / Machine Learning, Data & Analytics, Data Infrastructure / Data Engineering, Internet of Things (IoT), APIs / Integrations, Robotics / Automation, Industry 4.0, Hardware / Embedded Systems. Challenge owner: AAC Têxteis.

Improves production traceability and data reliability, reduces manual control processes and identifies technologies with industrial application potential.

startups in Construction & Real Estate; with solutions involving AI / Machine Learning, Data & Analytics. Challenge owner: Grupo ACA.

Improves predictability of construction timelines and costs, identifies planning deviations earlier, supports site teams with data-driven decision tools and increases efficiency while reducing operational risk in complex projects.

startups in Construction & Real Estate; with solutions involving Cloud Computing, Digital Twins, AI / Machine Learning, Data & Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), APIs / Integrations, Robotics / Automation, Industry 4.0, Hardware / Embedded Systems, Sustainability / Climate Tech, Mobility / Smart Cities. Challenge owner: MEXT.

The expected benefit is to identify water-related solutions that support more efficient, resilient and circular water management across infrastructure and operations. Selected solutions should improve visibility over water use, reduce avoidable losses, enable reuse opportunities and support better resource planning, generating sustainability and operational value for more resource-efficient, future-ready infrastructure.

startups in Construction & Real Estate; with solutions involving AI / Machine Learning, Data & Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT). Challenge owner: Grupo ACA.

Improves real-time visibility over construction progress, supports safety monitoring, automatically identifies potential non-conformities, reduces manual site-inspection effort and gives operations teams more frequent, structured information.

startups in Construction & Real Estate; with solutions involving Cloud Computing, Digital Twins, AI / Machine Learning, Data & Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), APIs / Integrations, Robotics / Automation, Industry 4.0, Hardware / Embedded Systems, Supply Chain Tech, Sustainability / Climate Tech, Energy Tech. Challenge owner: MEXT.

The expected benefit is to identify waste-to-energy solutions that support circular, resilient and low-carbon infrastructure and operations. Selected solutions should reduce landfill or low-value treatment, valorize waste into useful energy outputs, lower emissions and environmental impact, improve energy resilience and resource efficiency, create circular business models around waste and energy, and support sustainability and decarbonization goals.