by maria | Feb 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
The second edition of Smart Open Lisboa is about to take off.
We want to build the city of the future. Ambitious? Well, yes. But, the thing is, we have the perfect location, the right partners, and great talent. So, instead of building products that we don’t need, we’ll be building products that will change the lives of millions of people.
We’ll shape the future of Lisbon, like never before. We’ll put technology to work and set the example to the world.
Today, we’re proud to launch the second edition of Smart Open Lisboa, a startup program on smart cities and open data that will shape to the future of our city.
Thanks to Lisbon’s City Council, Made of Lisboa, Turismo de Portugal, Portugal Telecom, Cisco, Brisa, Sharing Cities, Masai, and EPAL, we’ll be improving Lisbon, one step at a time.
The partners of this program will be providing crazy amounts of data to the startups, mentoring, contacts and push great ideas forward. The startups will have data like how many people live in Lisbon, their age profile, crime statistics, traffic statistics, signal coverage, wifi coverage, water supply, public transportation and much more. They’ll get to work with powerful partners that are currently shaping the way we live in Lisbon and get their help to build better products.
After careful thought, we came down to 4 areas of focus: mobility, citizen engagement, tourism and culture, and sustainability. If you’re working in these areas and are interested in implementing your solution in real-life let us know!
Check out the Smart Open Lisboa website to find out more.
by maria | Jan 31, 2017 | Uncategorized
We have some news for you. Those kind of news that make you jump of your seat.
Beta-i and Tetuan Valley have joined forces in order to become the major reference in the Iberian Peninsula for innovation and entrepreneurship. Together, Beta-i and Tetuan Valley have almost 15 years of experience and 840 startups have gone through our programs. What can we say? We are the force, and the force is with us.
But this isn’t so unpredictable if you’ve been paying attention. We’ve had a long relationship since 2009 when we were both founded. Since then we have followed parallel paths with very similar visions. In 2014 we started working together on the ATALANTA project, a project by the European Commission. Since then our two accelerators have gotten very close. We have also aligned our startup programs with startups that went through Tetuan Valley’s Startup School then going into Beta-i’s Lisbon Challenge, and Beta-i’s startups expanding into Spain been taken in by Tetuan Valley during their first steps. Uniplaces, one of the most promising Portuguese startups, spent their first three weeks in Spain in Tetuan Valley’s offices.
Both Beta-i and Tetuan Valley have a long trajectory working with startups and executing entrepreneurship programs. We at Beta-i, based in Lisbon, specialising in acceleration programs and programs for the corporate world. Tetuan Valley, based in Madrid, specialising in pre-acceleration and training programs. Joining our different yet complementary expertise, Tetuan Valley and Beta-i plan to take over the Iberian peninsula’s innovation market. With each being a reference in our own countries, together we are sure to achieve this goal. Both Beta-i and Tetuan Valley have enormous communities of digital entrepreneurs backing us up that we are eager to join together.
Karel Escobar, CEO of Tetuan Valley, said: “I have worked personally with Beta-i over the last two years and it is clear that now it is time to join forces and become a single voice in the innovation world. With a strong hold on Portugal and Spain I see huge potential for working with big companies that have business in both countries and are looking to innovate from within”
“We have big plans for the next few months. We will be working along three main lines: programs with corporates, pre-acceleration programs and investment in startups in Spanish startups. We already have several projects for programs with corporates in the pipeline in Madrid, and new cities where to take Tetuan Valley’s pre-acceleration program on the horizon”, said Pedro Rocha Vieira, co-founder & CEO at Beta-i.
From now on will be working together closely, with one member of the Beta-i team moving to Madrid to work directly with Tetuan Valley starting February. Eventually, Tetuan Valley and Beta-i aspire to work under a single brand. Although they will begin collaborations in Portugal and Spain, some of the possible futures lay in cities all around Europe (and beyond). We have big ambitions, but we also have all the resources to pursue them.
by maria | Jan 24, 2017 | Uncategorized
We’re getting everything ready for the Lisbon Investment Summit but, this year things will be a bit different. We don’t to spoil too many details just yet. However, we couldn’t really get a hold of ourselves and you need to tell you this.
First, as some of you might have heard, we’re giving 100 free tickets to startups. So, we will be giving every entrepreneur the chance to be at the Lisbon Investment Summit.
Second, and bringing me to the topic of this blogpost, we will have some of the best startups in Europe pitching to a crowd of investors we’re especially bringing to the Lisbon Investment Summit. For the first time, we’ll have pitching corners, and one of them will be specifically focussed on fintech.
Why fintech you ask?
Well, we know fintech is one of the most challenging industries in the world. It’s hard to reach the big fish in the market, you have tough legal restrictions and it’s complex to obtain financial data. However, before people think that entrepreneurs building solutions in fintech are some of kind of masochists, believe me they’re not. Fintech is estimated to have a global investment of 8 billion dollars by 2018.
They’re not crazy, they’re just unbelievably bold and ambitious, and we want to give them that little push they need to succeed.
Are you one them?
Well, then here’s the plan. We’ll let you pitch at the Lisbon Investment Summit and we’ll get you ready for it. We’re talking about Europe’s top investors so, take this as a necessary requirement to impress them.
The fintech startups which will showcase their products at the Lisbon Investment Summit will be the ones which will participate in our fintech program called SIBS PayForward.
These fintech startups will be working closely with companies such as Seedrs, the leading equity crowdfunding platform in Europe, eToro, the world’s leading social trading network, and SIBS, a payments company which tracks more than 1 billion financial operations per year, for 2 months before the Lisbon Investment Summit kicks off.
During these 2 months you’ll get to develop your product and grow your business, from Lisbon to the world. Get inspired by the sunny weather, work side by side with other fintech startups and corporations, and nail the perfect pitch.
Are you ready to apply? Then, make sure you apply until the end of this week. Applications close on January 31st.
by maria | Jan 18, 2017 | Uncategorized
I know that working in fintech is challenging, to say the least.
It’s hard to reach the big fish in the market, you have tough legal restrictions and it’s complex to obtain financial data. However, before people think that entrepreneurs building solutions in fintech are some of kind of masochists, believe me they’re not. Fintech is estimated to have a global investment of 8 billion dollars by 2018.
They’re not crazy, they’re just unbelievably bold and ambitious. So, if you happen to be one of them listen carefully: we know exactly what you need to go forward.
What you need is partnering up with the right people, work with those who have sailed these troubled waters before and survived to tell the story, and get the financial data to develop your solutions.
With this in mind, at SIBSPayForward, our new fintech accelerator at Beta-i, we’re defining a program that’s focussed on bringing the best mentors from some of the world’s top fintech companies to help you tackle your market.
Meet 3 of our main mentors.
Founder of the leading equity crowdfunding platform in Europe
Carlos Silva is a co-founder of Seedrs, the leading equity crowdfunding platform in Europe, and he is currently the President and Head of Seedrs Europe. Seedrs has launched its platform in 2013 and since then has raised more than 218 million euros for 450 listed investment opportunities.
Carlos is also a mentor at several acceleration programs like Seedcamp, Lisbon Challenge, and Founder Institute, and serves as an advisor to multiple innovative startups. He has been distinguished with a Young Gun award in the UK, for the most promising individuals under 35, and has been distinguished as one of Portugal’s 40 under 40.
Chief of Product of the world’s leading social trading network
Ronen Assia is the co-founder and Chief of Product at eToro one of the world’s leading fintech companies. eToro is the first global marketplace for people to trade currencies, commodities, indices and CFD stocks online in a simple, transparent and enjoyable way.
Today, they empower over 4.5 million users in more than 170 countries worldwide to manage their funds through eToro’s innovative online investment platforms and active trading community, with thousands of new accounts created every day.
CEO of one of the leading payments company in Europe
Madalena Tomé is the CEO of SIBS, a leading fintech company which has tracked more than 1 billion financial operations in 2016, and has revolutionised payments with products such as Multibanco, an ATM system, or Via Verde, an automated way to pay for highway tolls.
With over three decades, SIBS’ Group provides, to over 300 million users in different countries, financial services that are recognized to be among the most modern, reliable and secure worldwide, namely in the payments arena.
Before joining SIBS Madalena has worked in world known companies such as Mckinsey and Portugal Telecom, and Deloitte.
Ready to apply? Then click here and apply (applications are about to close).
by maria | Jan 12, 2017 | Uncategorized
Hey there,
I’m Fabio, and I’ve been working with Beta-i, one of the best organizations in Europe focused on startups and entrepreneurs, as the Program director of SIBSPayForward, the first fintech accelerator in Portugal.
Since the application process started, I have had a baby, went through the only 2 weeks Lisbon’s temperature goes below 15 degrees, and survived the traditional Christmas flu, all of this while waiting for your application.
Although I love finance and all the startups in fintech which are really making a difference, I know, through my own experience, that it’s one of the most complex industries to work in.
For this reason, and I don’t want to sound too biased here, if I had the chance, like you have now, I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to work with data from (almost) all the transactions made in Portugal and with a privileged access to the Banking system.
As tennis player, I see SIBSPayForward as a wildcard to the grand slam of finance, an opportunity of a lifetime to shine with the best players in the world.
SIBSPayForward aims at empowering you to accelerate the development of innovative solutions in the financial industry (Payments; Security mechanisms; Cards; Bank Account Management & Personal Finance; Fraud and Monitoring; ATM & POS; Electronic Money; Processes; and Client Behavior).
Here’s 4 reasons why you apply:
- Data: SIBS is the owner of most financial transactions in Portugal due to their role in managing both the ATMs and part of the POS system.
- Banking: Having the Banks as their main clients, SIBS will help you access the entire Banking system at once.
- Beyond Payments: SIBSPayforward is a true fintech program with areas of interest ranging from Personal Banking to Security or Blockchain technology. We are looking for talent that can benefit from working with SIBS and go forward. Areas of interest include: Payments; Security mechanisms; Cards; Bank Account Management & Personal Finance; Fraud and Monitoring; ATM & POS; Electronic Money; Processes; and Client Behavior.
- Mentors: work with industry leaders and true decision makers that will guide through the complex world of finance.
Are you convinced yet? Then, check out our website to see all the mentors and how the program is structured and make sure apply until the 31st of January.
The accelerator runs from the beginning of April until the beginning of June in Lisbon.
