Startup Lisboa, incubator based in the Portugal’s capital city, has launched a program to help entrepreneurs, companies and investors develop their businesses in Lisbon. Whether it’s relocation, expansion or starting from scratch, Launch in Lisbon aims to assist foreigners in setting up their life, business and network in Lisbon.
The first edition of the three-day program will take place on the eve of the Web Summit from November 2nd to 4th. Registration is open until October 25th through the incubator’s website: www.startuplisboa.com/launch-in-lisbon
The cost of the program is € 375 per participant (travel, accommodation and some meals are the responsibility of the participant).
Launch in Lisbon offers training sessions with specialists in diverse areas fundamental for the creation and development of businesses, from tax and labor legislation, to company formation, to information about visas and the real estate market. Networking events and contact with the city’s various entrepreneurial players is also included.
To carry out this program, Startup Lisboa has partnered with specialist entities in key areas: PLMJ Law Firm, Moss & Cooper Consulting, Hays Recruitment Company, Deloitte and HomeLovers, a real estate company that is part of the incubator’s alumni community.
The idea of creating this program came as a result of the numerous inquiries from foreign entrepreneurs who regularly find Startup Lisboa via e-mail or in person, in order to ask questions like: “How do I create my business in Lisbon?”, or “I live in the country x and I would like to know what type of visa I need”, “I want to hire in Portugal, where can I recruit talent and how do the labor laws work?”.
Why Lisbon
Considered one of the most attractive cities for entrepreneurs, there are several competitive advantages that have been attributed to Portugal’s capital.
Earlier this year, the Startup Genome Report, which featured Lisbon for the first time in 2017, highlighted the opening of Lisbon to foreigners and the quality of work developed by Lisbon-based startups as well as the existence of female founders of tech companies (17%) being above the average (15%). Regarding the academic background of Lisbon’s startup founders, 82% have masters or PHD.
According to Startup Genome’s team, alongside Jerusalem, Helsinki and Estonia, Lisbon stands out in its connections with more mature ecosystems and the number of startups that reach foreign clients. Startups in the capital have more than a third of foreign clients (34%), 10 percentage points (p.p.) more than Barcelona, for example, and 9 p.p. more than the global average. Along with strong performance in the Connectivity Indicator – Global Connectedness -, Lisbon is close to the top 20, in terms of access to international markets.
According to Lisbon’s City Hall, there are 18 incubators, 6 accelerators, 5 fablabs and more than 40 coworking spaces in Lisbon.
Between 2014 and 2016, 700 companies were created in the high-tech sectors in Lisbon, and the more than 1,300 startups who are or have been through incubators and other workplaces have generated more than 6,000 jobs.
With an average of 130,000 higher education students and around 35,000 graduates per year, Lisbon has more than 100 public and private colleges and 18,000 international students.
“In the last five years, and especially since the announcement of the Web Summit in Lisbon, the world is discovering Portugal. It is no longer just the sun, the food, or the landscapes that attract entrepreneurs, investors, companies, international artists, it is also a new mindset and a new image of a country that bets on innovation and the digital economy backed by a global and highly qualified generation”, Miguel Fontes, executive director of Startup Lisboa.
About Startup Lisboa:
Startup Lisboa is a incubator based in downtown with three historical buildings with work & residence spaces to welcome startups from all over the world. Founded in 2012, it’s a private non-profit association that provides both physical and virtual incubation. In both models, Startup Lisboa helps startups to attract customers, investment and growth. Its support structure offers mentoring, links to strategic partners, access to investment/funding, networking activities, communication and a community based on knowledge and sharing.
Contact: shannon@startuplisboa.com
