Supporting Innovation and Entrepreneurship with Startup Portugal
A shared vision for a thriving startup ecosystem lies at the core of Startup Portugal and Empowered Startups’ goals in Portugal. Because…
A shared vision for a thriving startup ecosystem lies at the core of Startup Portugal and Empowered Startups’ goals in Portugal. Because of this, the partnership between the two organizations has been both strong and organic. As we head into 2026, we’re excited to look back at how far this partnership has come and look forward to the collaborations ahead.
Supporting the SIM Conference
In 2025, Empowered Startups participated in Startup Portugal’s SIM Conference. The event fostered connections between startups, entrepreneurs, and investors, providing a space for knowledge sharing and networking. It showcased the Portuguese ecosystem and addressed important issues facing startup investors and founders in Europe. We were fortunate to bring several of our global founders to the conference so they could connect and network with other startups and notable leaders from across the country.
At the event, Antonio Dias Martins, the Executive Director of Startup Portugal, noted,
“At Startup Portugal, we coordinate a network of 130 incubators, spread, in the whole national territory. We are really committed to bring the national strategy for entrepreneurship that we designed together with the government, with the Minister of Economy, to bring all your knowledge, all your suggestions, and all your experience to suggest new and relevant initiatives that can come from active public policies to help foreign startups to come and to scale through Portugal.”
Portuguese Startups Arrive at Web Summit Vancouver
Shortly after the SIM Conference, Empowered Startups supported the Startup Portugal delegation at Web Summit in Vancouver. Startup Portugal brought a delegation of 20 startups to showcase the exciting work happening in the country. For Empowered Startups, Web Summit Vancouver was an opportunity to strengthen ties between our two ecosystems. Empowered holds a unique position in Canada, partnering with the Canadian government and the governments of Alberta and British Columbia. We are deeply connected to Canada’s research and development sector and are well integrated in the startup ecosystem. With these connections, we were able to highlight opportunities for the Portuguese startups and explore potential areas of future collaboration.
Martins was enthusiastic about the opportunity Web Summit Vancouver presented for the Portuguese trade delegation. He pointed out the growth that has occurred in Portugal thanks to the collaborative efforts of Startup Portugal and supporting initiatives like the HQA® Program, which brings transnational entrepreneurs to Portugal to launch innovative startups in collaboration with the country’s research universities.
“Our partnership with Empowered Startups, it’s also strategic. So, I would like to thank Christopher for all the work that you have been doing with Portugal. It’s amazing to see how you know all the regions in Portugal. You started by a smaller region, smaller cities, and now you are heading to Lisbon and to the major cities. I think that’s a great way to approach this country. We really have amazing talent all over the country,”
Antonio Dias Martins, Executive Director of Startup Portugal
You can watch the recap of Martins’ speech here.
Promoting Portuguese Startups
Empowered Startups is always looking for ways to promote and foster innovation in Portugal. One way we do this is by promoting startups and entrepreneurs through events, blog highlights, and videos. Last year, we had the opportunity to highlight three of Startup Portugal’s entrepreneurs ahead of their trip to Vancouver.
Watch the Videos
- Goparity: Empowering Impact Investing Across Europe, Canada, and Beyond
- Discover SIDIS Data Platform with Javier Ramirez – Scalable Intelligent Data Management
- Looking to Expand Your Tech Business into Europe?
New Year, New Opportunities for Innovation and Collaboration
Every new year provides an opportunity to push forward. At Empowered Startups, we actively promote innovation and love working with our partners in new and impactful ways. Our ongoing partnership with Startup Portugal is a shared responsibility to support the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem. This partnership supports the HQA® Program in Portugal and our founders operating in the country.
We value the work Startup Portugal is doing to build bridges between government, startups, incubators, investors, and academic institutions to strengthen the startup ecosystem in Portugal.
Learn more about Startup Portugal and the HQA® Program.
Upcoming Events
If you missed the SIM Conference in 2025, the 2026 dates are set for May in Porto, Portugal. The SIM Conference is designed to connect entrepreneurs, startups, and investors, both nationally and internationally. Focused on creating networking opportunities through carefully curated content, SIM offers a unique experience for founders and investors to establish meaningful connections. We’d love to see you there:
2026 SIM Conference
May 14-15, 2026 – Porto, Portugal
Register Here
Insights from last year’s conference
Empowered Hosts Warmup for Web Summit Vancouver
University & Industry Collaboration Fueling Portugal’s Innovation Ecosystem
