The incursion into the world of cleantech companies, organized by Lisboa Unicorn Capital, couldn’t have taken place in a better and more appropriate location. Framed by the Sé hill on one side and the Tejo river on the other, the Heden co-work – which hosted this tour on a late September afternoon – proved to be truly inspiring and appropriate for the theme chosen for the conversation: what are these companies, how do they work and how are they positioned in terms of sustainability and technology? And where does the profitability of the business reside?
Carla Portela, from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Bárbara Leão, from 3xP Global, Filipe Reina Fernandes, from Windcredible and Federico Cristoforoni, from Net Zero Insights analyzed, from different angles, these disruptive and innovation-driven startups, which seek to add value to the community through their activity, reducing their environmental footprint as much as possible. If wind turbines are already part of our country’s landscape, and renewable energies are becoming increasingly important, why not have turbines in our backyard and, who knows, even produce and/or sell energy? Windcredible has gone from idea to practice and is in the pilot phase of producing these devices. “We wanted to do something that added value and had no negative impact. We had a business idea and my partner brought the technology. To get here we learned a lot, we did mentoring, training, created prototypes and now the next step: production. We want to enter the market in 2024″, said Filipe Reina Fernandes.
The role of stimulating an entrepreneurial mindset from a sustainability perspective falls to investors, especially those for whom innovation, technology and economic development – realities that are always associated with predatory negative impacts on the environment – are not an inevitability. “We invest in those who bring added value and gains to the community, in those who are committed to sustainability, which is why we monitor and accompany the companies we support,” said Bárbara Leão.
Lisboa has been gaining prominence as a city that offers good conditions for hosting cleantech companies. According to a report drawn up by Net Zero Insights, the number of startups linked to the sustainability sector in the Portuguese capital has been on an upward trend. “I arrived in Lisboa four years ago, in the middle of the Green Capital of Europe, and I see more and more people coming here to work in this area. Digital nomads, many experts, etc. And I think this brings notoriety to the city. Lisboa could even become a major player in the area of climate innovation,” said Federico Cristoforoni, outlining the landscape of Lisboa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, which currently boasts more than three dozen startups. In fact, Cristoforoni stressed, “the number of cleantechs in Lisboa is above the European average, if we compare it with other cities”.
Carla Portela, who moderated the conversation, also posed the question: “What should the city’s local authorities do to ensure that Lisboa welcomes more of these companies and becomes a more sustainable city at the same time?” Promoting debate and raising awareness of the importance of sustainability in our daily lives was one of the “measures” that the participants agreed on. However, for Federico Cristoforoni, “We also need to invest. Investing not only financially, but also continuing to invest in these startups, creating more conditions for entrepreneurs in the sector to come and stay.”
