by Carolina Santos | Jan 22, 2018 | Startups
This Friday marks the beginning of the Re-Think Sessions. Meaning, the beginning of a space for open discussion made for entrepreneurs, future entrepreneurs who wish to know more about the ecosystem and what’s in this world for them or just curious people.
Every last Friday of the month – except if it’s a holiday, then it will be on Thursday – we will have key speakers to talk with the community about a specific topic. The subject of this first session will be: Acceleration Programs and their impacts on a startup and the ecosystem. It is open to everyone, whether you’ve participated on an acceleration program or you want but still have doubts on how it is going to help you.
In the future feel free to suggest any topic you’d like to know more about and we’ll find the right speakers to enlighten you. The discussion will take 45 minutes, from 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. and then there will be time for Q&A.
Our speakers (or panelists, if you prefer) this week will be: Marta Baptista, Innovation Manager at Beta-i; José Damião, Director of Incubadora de Empresas; Marta Miraldes from Startup Lisboa and Gianluca Pereyra, Co-founder of Visor.ai.
If for some reason you can’t join us you can always follow us on Facebook because the session will be live streamed and ask your questions there when the Q&A starts. Unfortunately it’s not possible to send you a beer via Facebook – yes, TGIF will be happening at the same time – but you can always come another Friday.
The session is taking place in Beta-i and entrance is free as well as the beer. Check out more information here.
by Carolina Santos | Jan 16, 2018 | Startups
Things you have to keep in mind before I explain Free Electrons: it was launched by eight giant utilities (EDP, TEPCO, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, innogy, origin, AusNet services, SPgroup and ESB), the program is for energy startups and the award is US 200,000 no strings attached.
Do I have your attention now? So, let’s explain it. Free Electrons is on its second edition and its main goal is to reach startups developing solutions in mobility, clean and smart energy and digitalization. In a week the startups will go through three acceleration modules between April and October 2018, those will take place in San Francisco and two other locations, one in Europe and the other in the Far East.
As you may have figured out by now, it’s an unique opportunity for startups in the energy sector to grow and develop their business. Still interested? Then apply until February 23, 2018. See you on the other side.
by Carolina Santos | Jan 12, 2018 | Corporates
2018 is the year to go far and beyond which is pretty much the same thing as saying it’s the year to continue to go global but better than ever. And Beta-i is going global without any fear. Proof of that is how we started the year, with two huge international programs one of them focused on Portugal. And this is just the beginning.
The first one is the Global Impact Challenge, that aims to foster moonshot innovations and startups that positively impact the lives of people living in Portugal, with an ability to scale and impact a billion people worldwide in 10 years. The challenge brought by SingularityU Portugal comes to our country for the first time after being in countries like Brazil, Canada or Norway.
The other one is Free Electrons. Yes, Free Electrons is back with its amazing USD 200,000 prize, no strings attached. This program is an opportunity for later stage energy startups to gain access to not one, not two, but eight giant utilities, including EDP, TEPCO, innogy and origin, which can help them expand and scale into new markets.
What’s in it for the startups? A lot. Beta-i going global means nothing if startups don’t go global with us. It’s an opportunity for startups to get to know different markets, explore their pilot and have investment opportunities. All of this, of course, if they try, because you know what they say if you never try you’ll never know.
How can startups try to go global? It’s as simple as applying and dates are the following: Global Impact Challenge applications close on February 6, 2018 and Free Electrons applications close on February 23, 2018. We’re rooting for all of you.
by Carolina Santos | Jan 11, 2018 | Startups
Do you have portuguese nationality or are you a portuguese citizen? Are you 21 years old or older? Are you an accomplished entrepreneur, technologist or scientist? Are you willing to launch an impact-focused startup? Never heard of Global Impact Challenge? Well, then read this post because it may change your life.
It’s the first time Global Impact Challenge comes to Portugal and the reasons are our growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, of our talent, drive and dedication. Let’s rise to the occasion and prove they made the right call coming here and show them we’re able to impact people’s lives in Portugal as well as in the world. Because the truth is we were never a country to run away from a good fight.
The purpose of the SingularityU Portugal Global Impact Challenge is to foster moonshot innovations and startups that positively impact the lives of people living in Portugal, with an ability to scale and impact a billion people worldwide in 10 years.
There are twelve global grand challenges you can address and they are: energy, environment, food, shelter, space, water, disaster resilience, governance, health, learning, prosperity and security. Despite the big range of choices Global Impact Challenge prefer those focused on three specific challenges and those are: environment, governance and learning.
The applications close on February 6, 2018 and the pitch event – where only 5 to 10 startups will go – as well as the winner will be announced on February 26, 2018 in Cascais. What is the prize? The winner receives a seat at SU Ventures Incubator Program, which is a 10-week program that fosters the development of viable startups. Where? In Silicon Valley. Where else?
by Carolina Santos | Jan 10, 2018 | Startups
Beta-i’s having a national tour. Yes, like we were a rock band, the difference is we’re not singing, we’re seeking talent, and we are not listening to music, we’re listening to pitches. But still, we want startups to ask us for an encore everytime we threaten to leave.
The first stop of our tour was Aveiro thanks to IEUA – Incubadora de Empresas da Universidade de Aveiro in the name of Vera Reis, Cândida Cardoso and specially to Adriana Costa, Incubator Director who has always greeted us on the best way possible and has done an incredible work. We started with a workshop of “How to Pitch” given by Gualberto Pastor and was a good way to break the ice.
After that was the elevator pitch, a 30-second pitch that everyone was gladly happy to do. It is amazing the level of the startups we found there raging from the energy sector, to health and artificial intelligence like Scubic, ASHA or YouClap. All proof that Portugal is becoming a strong ecosystem in itself, it’s not just Lisbon, it’s the whole country.
It is important to say we also learnt from our attendees. Sure, we knew we would find good startups and people willing to work and do new things, but the truth is we ended up meeting this person who reminded us why we started doing what we do in the first place, we met the face of the true entrepreneur, this extremely talented boy that makes you believe that our country can make a difference because we are extremely gifted.
We hope we’ll cross paths with them in the near future and we hope to continue to meet new and exciting portuguese startups.
