A newsletter covering all things startup in Portugal |
Notice any oversized emojis? Blame Gmail! For the clean version, tap "View in browser" above.Hello everyone,Last week I was at IncubX, organised by Startup Portugal, representing the 351 – Portuguese Startup Association.For two days, the ecosystem stopped worrying about speaking outward, performing for the crowd, or spending energy on the trivial. Instead, it chose introspection, a rare moment where everyone in the room agreed to look inward and speak honestly about what is actually happening on the ground. The National Network of Incubators (RNi) was there in full force: more than 150 people, representing 67 incubators and 16 other organisations spread across the country. And it’s worth pausing on this: incubators are not a footnote in the Portuguese innovation story; they are one of its invisible foundations. They are the first safe harbour for thousands of entrepreneurs. They are the ones who welcome projects when they are still embryonic. They are the ones who support founders at the most critical moment, when there is no product, no team, no funding; only conviction. In many ways, incubators are the quiet engines behind the country’s innovation agenda and the structures that give shape to ambition before ambition becomes a company. They are the ones who keep the pipeline alive. And without a pipeline, there is no ecosystem. What IncubX made clear is that Portugal doesn’t lack talent, energy or willingness. What it lacks is alignment and the courage to recognise that the organisations closest to the early stages of entrepreneurship are also the ones best positioned to help the country move from ideas to companies, from companies to scale, and from scale to markets. Incubators are not just community builders. They are market enablers. They are continuity engines. They are the first link in a chain that only works if every link holds. And last week the ecosystem looked at that chain with the seriousness it deserves. Check out the Adamastor events calendar to find the celebration that speaks to you. |
Highlights of the week
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