Startup studio Build Up Labs announced the launch of a marketing assistant with artificial intelligence, aimed at freelancers and agencies, capable of preparing commercial proposals in seconds.

BHOUT, a gaming company with the essence of a fitness leader, has pioneered the first Boxing Bag equipped with intelligence. By integrating sensors on the bag with 3D computer vision, cutting-edge artificial intelligence, and machine learning, they've created a smarter way to train.

The newest episode of Founder Tales podcast will uncover some insides about Blanched — a job marketplace startup focused on the restaurant industry, aiming to bridge the gap between job openings, both full-time and part-time, and individuals seeking new employment opportunities.

Fidelidade insurance company, in partnership with the Fosun group, revealed the eight companies selected for the 6th edition of their Protechting Program, which supports and rewards innovative startups. The chosen companies, Agit, Balvia, eBreathie, Glooma, GripWise, Infinite Foundry, Sensomatt, and i-Virtual, are gearing up for potential pilot phases.

Rauva, the first Portuguese integrated financial management platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), celebrates its first anniversary with an ambitious vision for the future. The company aims to triple its team and customer base by the end of the year, while striving to become the first digital bank for businesses in Europe, following the signing of an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Banco Empresas Montepio (BEM).

Talent Protocol is revolutionizing the visibility of human potential by leveraging blockchain technology to create a verifiable, online presence known as the Talent Passport. Built on Base, the Talent Passport allows individuals globally to transfer their professional reputation to the blockchain. Despite appearing similar to conventional apps, Talent Passports function as smart wallets with an account-abstracted experience. To facilitate this, Talent Protocol is utilizing the Account Abstraction Kit from Coinbase Cloud's recently launched services on Base, enabling the creation of new smart wallets.

Portuguese incubators convened at the Hotel das Termas da Curia Spa Resort in Curia, Anadia, for the two-day 4th edition of IncubX. Set against a roaring 20s theme, approximately 70 Portuguese incubators dedicated their time to strengthening community ties and exchanging expertise and experiences. The event was enhanced by the support from the Câmara Municipal de Anadia.

Startup Madeira is the local partner for the "Solutions Exhibition," an event created by SnowBall Effect, an organization founded in 2019 in France. The exhibition aims to showcase global initiatives based on their social, environmental, and cultural impact. The solutions presented are accompanied by audio narrations from the creators of each idea, enhancing visitors' understanding and making the exhibition more interactive, dynamic, and immersive.

Christine Esserman (partner at Accel) and Kai Zenner — head of Office and Digital Policy Adviser for MEP Axel Voss (EPP group) in the European Parliament.

The Fintech House Summer Academy offers a unique opportunity to dive into a five-week consultancy project with one of The Fintech House companies. Participants will tackle pre-defined challenges ranging from Internationalization and Distribution Strategies to Digital Marketing. Learn more about the Summer Academy and how to apply for this transformative experience.

Four years after launching in Matosinhos, British fintech Revolut has opened a new office in Lisbon. Located on Rua Alexandre Herculano within a WeWork coworking space, the office can accommodate 60 employees. This expansion aligns with Revolut's growth strategy in Portugal, where it employs approximately 1,300 people, with 250 based in the Lisbon region. An official from Revolut confirmed the opening, underscoring the company's commitment to enhancing its presence in the country. And still no news about PT50 IBAN.

On the Portuguese side, there are 31 startups linked to the areas of software solutions, metaverse, artificial intelligence and blockchain, among others, in a record participation.

Portugal's new centre-right government forecasts the economy to grow by 1.5% in 2024, maintaining the previous administration's prediction from November and marking a slowdown from last year's 2.3% growth, according to a recent document. The government also projects this year's budget surplus to be 0.3% of GDP, a decrease from 2023's surplus of 1.2%, as outlined in the Stability Programme for 2024-28 submitted to parliament. This comes despite the Bank of Portugal's more optimistic forecast of 2% growth for 2024.

In the 2023 edition, Leading PMEs from the North region represent 33.8% (3,846 companies) of the total distinguished companies. These companies had a turnover of more than €19 billion, exports of more than €4.5 billion and are responsible for around 36% (134,273) of jobs in 2022.

Iberdrola Renováveis Portugal has made a notable move to bolster the Portuguese entrepreneurial ecosystem by investing in GED TECH Seed, a fund aimed at supporting local startups with scalable and promising business models. This investment underscores the company's dedication to innovation and sustainability, focusing on fostering the development of emerging companies that excel in technology and environmental impact.