Web Summit 2025: A Week of Learning, Growth, & Connection
Web Summit 2025 took place in Lisbon, Portugal, from November 10 to 13, 2025. Considered the largest tech conference in the world,…
Web Summit 2025 took place in Lisbon, Portugal, from November 10 to 13, 2025. Considered the largest tech conference in the world, Web Summit brings together key players from across the technology ecosystem, attracting over 70,000 attendees.
This year, Empowered Startups made a significant impact throughout the week. As strong supporters of foreign talent and innovation, we partnered with Web Summit and the Santarém Polytechnic University to be part of the conversation.
Conversations that Matter
During the conference, we had the privilege of adding our voice to the conversation. On November 10, we attended the Ecosystem Summit, an invite-only gathering for global innovation and policy leaders, designed to spark collaboration and share strategies for building thriving tech ecosystems. At the Summit, we hosted a roundtable on “Foreign Direct Investment and Talent Attraction for Innovation”. Discussions centred on collaboration, innovation, and housing, with a vision for more innovative policymaking and sustainable growth. The roundtable brought together government representatives from the Azores and Madeira, diplomats from Italy and Canada, as well as investors from North America.
On November 12, Chris Lennon, Empowered’s President & General Counsel, joined a panel discussion titled “Empowering Innovation: Building the Next Generation of Global Entrepreneurs“, with Mohamed El Dallal, Chairman of IEEE Entrepreneurship, and moderated by Gustavo Brigatto, Founder of Startups.com.br. The panel was a lively discussion on what it really means to empower entrepreneurs through mentorship, ecosystem design, and startup education.
Exciting Announcements
During the conference, Empowered Startups shared a few exciting announcements, including a historic MoU signing, a commitment to innovation in the Algarve, and a new program launch.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Empowered Startups signs MoU with the Municipality of Santarém
On November 11, 2025, Empowered Startups signed an MoU with the Municipality of Santarém at Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. The partnership marks an important milestone and represents a crucial next step in expanding the HQA® Program into Portugal’s interior regions. This MoU exemplifies Santarém’s commitment to welcoming foreign investors, entrepreneurs, and professionals to the municipality and demonstrates its openness to foreign direct investment.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Empowered Startups Launches New Investment Program for High-Net-Worth-Individuals Seeking Residency & Eligibility for Portugal’s IFICI Tax Regime
Empowered Startups is pleased to announce the launch of the Portugal Innovation Investment Program (PIIP) at Web Summit! PIIP is designed for HNWI seeking residency and access to Portugal’s capital gains and personal tax incentives under the Scientific Research and Innovation Tax Incentive (IFICI), commonly known as NHR 2.0, while supporting Portugal’s expanding innovation economy. PIIP was designed in collaboration with the consultancy firm, Forvis Mazars, aligning the technical excellence of the HQA program of Empowered Startups with Forvis Mazars’ IFICI tax expertise. It will be available as of January 1, 2026.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Fostering AI and Innovation in the Algarve
Building on the recent success of the EPIA 2025 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, hosted at the University of Algarve, the University and Empowered Startups are strengthening their partnership by fostering AI and innovation in the region. As a Platinum Sponsor of EPIA 2025 and an active sponsor and participant at Web Summit 2025, Empowered Startups is working closely with the University of Algarve to promote the Algarve as a growing hub for technology and AI innovation.
In the News
In case you missed it, here are some articles about Empowered Startups’ presence at Web Summit:
- The Portugal News: Europe, Innovation, and the Portuguese Pulse
- The Portugal News: Portugal Accelerates Towards the Digital Future
- The Portugal News: Portugal, Where the Digital Future is Happening
- The Portugal News: From Founders to Future: Reflections from Web Summit 2025
Let’s Continue to Build
Web Summit was an inspiring week, and we were grateful to be part of the conversation and partner with Web Summit and Santarém Polytechnic University.
We look forward to building on the momentum of the conference and will continue to foster the meaningful connections that were made in the months ahead.
