Hello! This is Sergei, founder and editor of Startupt.co. First of all I would like to say that today is a big day in Portugal — 50th Anniversary of the Carnation revolution when the dictatorship ended. The greatest achievment for democracy in Portugal and in a whole Europe.

So I was thinking if I should do this issue of newsletter. But them I looked at my newsfeed... And here it is. But before you dive in — some news about the project. First, I updated a look of emails — some small tweaks, but anyway. Along with updated look, we have new content: Indexes (the most important financial indexes including a Portuguese) and a block called "You Know What?" (it is about some facts from startup industry in Portugal). Also we have now a full scale website — startupt.co with an ability to post some content there. And by the way — the content there is coming as now I have a journalist in the team to do some exclusive content. So keep in touch.

Actually this email is a bigest one that we had before. So take your time. And if you like it, please, tell your friends and colleagues about it by sharing this link of a web version of the email. Thank you! Now it's time to read.

MESSAGE FROM PARTNER:

Healthcare and ecommerce are two bigest categories of Portuguese startups to watch according to Seedtable

Image credits: Startupt.co

In April Seedtable made a list of 69 promising Portuguese startups to watch in 2024. We looked at this list and found out that there are seven startups represent healthtech, six — ecommerce.

Portuguese startups set to make waves in Brazil across diverse sectors

Portuguese startups are making significant inroads into the Brazilian market after Web Summit Rio, poised to leverage its vast potential across sectors from sports and fintech to disaster management and cultural integration.

1. Splink taps into Brazil's football craze (via Record 🇵🇹):

Splink, a Portuguese startup specializing in collectible football items, is set to launch its operations in Brazil. Founded in 2020 by Ivan Braz, a passionate football enthusiast, Splink aims to capitalize on Brazil’s deep-rooted love for football. The announcement was made during the second edition of the Web Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, a city known for producing football legends like Ronaldo and Romário.

2. Rauva's insightful participation at Canadian Fintech Summit (via Rauva):

Jon Fath, co-founder and CEO of Rauva, recently shared insights on entrepreneurship at the Canadian Fintech Summit, alongside giants like Google Cloud and Microsoft. Rauva, under Fath's leadership, showcases Portugal's thriving fintech ecosystem and encourages further investment into the country's innovative startup scene.

3. Greenmetrics.ai’s plan to combat disasters in Brazil (via Tech ao Minuto 🇵🇹):

Greenmetrics.ai, another forward-thinking Portuguese startup, plans to collaborate with Brazil to address its increasing flood challenges. With over 1,000 natural disasters recorded in 2023 alone, Brazil is seeking effective solutions, which Greenmetrics.ai aims to provide through advanced environmental technology.

4. Online platform connects Portuguese-speaking afro-descendants (via CM Jornal):

A unique Portuguese online magazine, debuted at Brazil’s Web Summit, aims to serve as an information hub for black communities within Portuguese-speaking countries and their diasporas. Co-founder Vanessa Sanches highlighted the platform's commitment to cultural and informational connectivity during the event.

5. Jsonify (part of Startup Lisboa spring batch) preps for Betaworks Demo Day in NYC (via Paul Hunkin):

Paul Hunkin, of Jsonify, announced the startup’s participation in Betaworks Demo Day in New York City on May 7th, alongside initiating a fundraising round for their next phase. Jsonify provides innovative solutions for converting unstructured web content into structured, usable data, enhancing productivity tools like Excel and integrating seamlessly with various tech stacks.

6. Intuitivo increased ther users on the platform from 7,000 to 30,000 during the year (via Intuitivo)

11 Bragança enterprises, new partnerships, and Web3 tour

1. StartUp Portugal funds 11 Bragança enterprises (via Brigantia 🇵🇹):

Eleven startups from the district of Bragança have received substantial support from StartUp Portugal. As part of the Vouchers for Startups initiative, each company was awarded 30 thousand euros to develop their green and digital projects. Among the recipients, BBotix, which focuses on educational robotics tools for children, highlighted the critical impact of this funding. Alexandre Costa, head of BBotix, expressed the importance of this financial boost for their endeavors.

2. Lisboa prepares for 13th Unicorn Week amidst innovation celebrations (via Lisboa Unicorn Capital):

Lisboa, recently honored as the 2023 European Capital of Innovation, is set to host the 13th Unicorn Week from May 13 to 19. This year’s edition will celebrate the city’s achievements in fostering a vibrant community of startups, scaleups, technological hubs, and sustainable practices. The event will highlight Lisboa's strategy and ambition in promoting entrepreneurship that impacts both local and global communities. Emerging economic sectors like Gaming, Web 3, and XR hubs, supported by the Lisboa City Council and the Unicorn Factory Lisboa, will be central themes. The week promises to be a culmination of experimentation and open innovation, celebrating transformative entrepreneurship across the city.

3. Ubi Consulting Announces Partnership with BuildUp Labs (via Ubi Consulting):

Ubi Consulting has partnered with BuildUp Labs, a startup studio and incubator, to support emerging startups and their founders on their paths to scaling and success. This collaboration marks a significant commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurial growth within the startup community.

4. Quo Vadis Web3 organizes tour across Portugal (via Startup Madeira):

The Quo Vadis Web3 project, partnered with Startup Madeira, is conducting a tour to explore the blockchain and crypto economy communities throughout Portugal. The next event is scheduled in Porto on May 2nd. Participants are encouraged to engage with the ecosystem by filling out a survey to aid in mapping the current landscape of Web3 initiatives in the country.

5. Unicorn Factory Lisboa and Invest.Rio forge new alliance (via Unicorn Factory):

In a strategic move to foster bi-regional expansion, Unicorn Factory Lisboa and Invest.Rio signed a partnership agreement to support startups and scaleups looking to expand between Lisbon and Brazil. This agreement provides local support for Lisbon startups aiming to enter the Brazilian market and vice versa, facilitating a smoother transition and integration into each other's markets.

6. Startup Savanna and Startup Leiria recently hosted a virtual session that showcased Portugal's burgeoning agri-tech and health-tech markets (via Startup Savanna):

Key insights included the critical role of innovative problem-solving in healthcare and environmental challenges, the adoption of sustainable practices in product development, the pursuit of operational excellence through advanced technology, and the importance of consumer-centric design. The session provided valuable strategies for entrepreneurs looking to innovate and expand in these dynamic sectors.

7. Startup Lisboa welcomes largest ever Spring Batch with 41 innovative startups (via Startup Lisboa):

Startup Lisboa has introduced its largest spring batch to date, comprising 41 promising startups set to make significant impacts across various industries. The new cohort includes diverse ventures like 3D Spark, adCasa, ADECI Group, and many more, each poised to bring fresh innovations and dynamism to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. This expansion highlights Startup Lisboa's commitment to nurturing a thriving startup community and fostering revolutionary ideas in the region.

1. AtlasEdge's major Investment in Portugal (via Capacity Media):

AtlasEdge has purchased two adjacent sites in Lisbon, marking its entry into the Portuguese market with plans to invest over €500 million. These sites, located in Carnaxide near Carcavelos—a key subsea cable landing point—will support over 20MW of IT load. This move positions Lisbon as a crucial connectivity hub linking Africa, Latin America, and Europe, and addresses the region's growing demand for data center capacity.

2. Startup Capital Summit Returns to Coimbra (via Coimbra.pt 🇵🇹):

The Startup Capital Summit is set to convene at Convento São Francisco on May 10th, expecting around 1,100 attendees. The event will focus on topics such as venture capital, innovation, and technology transfer, and features a Startup Pitch Competition with a €2,000 prize for the most promising startup. Admission to the third edition of #SCS24 is free, with a deadline for pitch submissions on April 28th.

3. 📝 Opinion. Entrepreneurship in Portugal: current scenario, challenges and opportunities (via Observador 🇵🇹):

Despite the success of events like the Web Summit and the emergence of unicorns, Portugal lacks a widespread culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. This shortfall presents both challenges and opportunities for growth within the country’s startup ecosystem. Opinion by Fernando Jardim

4. Portuguese venture capital readiness (via Expresso 🇵🇹):

Portuguese venture capital funds have €452 million available for investment in startups as of September 2023, according to Pitchbook. This nearly matches the all-time high of €483 million at the end of 2022, demonstrating a strong financial base for supporting emerging enterprises.

5. Mastercard seeks innovative fintech solutions (via Business.IT 🇵🇹):

Mastercard's European initiative targets fintechs at various stages of development in countries including Portugal. The competition seeks innovative solutions in payments, Web3, blockchain, and green technologies, emphasizing the drive towards integrated financial technologies.

6. 📝 Opinion. Six investors’ biases to avoid (via Cintia Mano):

An opinion piece highlights the common biases investors may exhibit, such as Overconfidence Bias and Loss Aversion, which can significantly impact decision-making in startup funding. Recognizing and avoiding these biases is crucial for fostering a balanced investment approach.

7. BiTalk encourages fund application (via BiTalk 🇵🇹):

BiTalk's latest episode features Rui Serapicos discussing the importance of applying for funding despite doubts. Emphasizing belief in one’s vision, the talk encourages entrepreneurs to actively seek support for their innovative ideas.

⏩ What else? In brief

• General manager of Uber Eats Portugal Diogo Aires Conceição leaves to manage Upway, a startup that operates in the field of refurbished electric bicycles in Germany (Sapo 🇵🇹)
• Bernardo Silva, co-founder of Liisa.io talks about how to spot fake influencers on Twitter in less than 5 minutes (Bernardo Silva on Twitter)
• Just one week remains to apply for European Investment Fund’s Early Career Program, offering a three-year program across four tracks (Science & Data, Financial, Legal & Compliance, Generalist) for hands-on experience in European financing and more (European Investment Fund)
• There are only 16 days left until this year's EU-Startups Summit; tickets are still available for the event scheduled for May 9-10 in Malta, featuring two days of networking, inspiration, and learning with Europe's top founders and investors (EU-Startups)
• The EDP Foundation is providing up to €100,000 in support for social projects that promote energy transition and positively impact vulnerable groups, social economy workers, students, or isolated communities. Applications are open until May 31, with programs starting around November 2024 and lasting either 12 or 24 months (EDP Solidarity Program)
• Granter.ai is looking for the 10 most innovative startups and SMEs in the country, to make it easier for them to apply and manage PT2030 funds and European Funding (Granter.ai)
• GovTech4All Challenge invites startups to revolutionize energy efficiency in EU municipalities (GovTech4All)

🛠️ Useful Tools For Startups

Alex Lieberman, co-founder of newsletter MorningBrew droped a list of tools that help him run his business. We choose some of them and add a little from our workflow.

• Gusto: HR management platform
• TypyFully: Content management and writing app for social media (LinkedIn, Twitter)
• Otter.ai: A tool to record calls and meetings
• Webflow: A tool to create a websites without coding
• Llama3: Now available with both 8B and 70B pretrained and instruction-tuned versions to support a wide range of applications
• Mergekit: A toolkit for merging pre-trained language models (if you feel like one model is not enough)
• Vertex AI Agent Builder: Does exactly what is in the title — helps create agents
• Suno: Just to have fun — AI-generator of songs based on your prompt.

Let us know what tools help you run your startup: hi@startupt.co.

That's all for today! See you next week. And don't forget to check your email on Monday — you'll find "7 questions for 1 startup". This time we'll talk to Jupiter App co-founder..