It was 7 a.m. last Tuesday when the eight startups from Lisbon Challenge took the train to Aveiro. Waiting for them they had Adriana Costa, Director of IEUA – Incubadora de Empresas da Universidade de Aveiro, and Cândida Cardoso, Manager of Incubation Services, who drove them around the main touristic sights of the city.
Adriana Costa showing the Creative Science Park to the Startups.
Today more than ever all partnerships are important and the one between Lisbon Challenge and IEUA has just now begin to grow. The truth is: the ecosystem involves the whole country, it does not start or end in Lisbon and working together with other accelerators can benefit both parties because there’s an exchange of knowledge that is crucial both to startups and accelerators.
One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Creative Science Park which will be inaugurated on 2018 and where some of the startups will have the privilege to work and grow as well as be close to companies such as Bosch, Nestlé or Altice and, at the same time, close to the university.
The startups pitched to investors from Red Angels, Best Horizon and LC Ventures – all of them are going to be on Investor’s Day on December 6 – to practice for the big day, get some feedback and to start growing on the investors.
Parkio and Monitor Fish with our investor Pedro Falcão.
There was still time to meet PET Universal, a software for vets and IEUA alumni as well as 3D printer labs from BEEVERYCREATIVE, also an alumni. And, of course, a trip to Aveiro would not be complete without some “ovos moles” and other typical sweets.
Now it is time to prepare for the most important pitch of their lives, wait for the grand opening of the Creative Science Park, pack their bags and grow their business in Aveiro.