by maria | Jul 27, 2016 | Uncategorized
Building a product is never easy. And building a product with materials that make it eco-friendly and sustainable is even harder. Some people tend to ignore it and keep going forward, while others look for alternatives that will help them build awesome products and still be environmentally conscious.
This is where cork comes in. As a top prime material that is highly flexible, impermeable, great for acoustics and thermal insulations, and that can be used for a number of products.
Recently we’ve seen brands like Adidas, that used cork for a limited sneakers edition, and Jimmy Choo, that used cork for a collection of new sandals. Or even at Euro 2016, that used cork in the high-tech grass to enhance shock absorption and reduce players’ injury. However, 2016 will see more of cork…
Together with Amorim, the world’s leading cork producer, through Amorim Cork Ventures, we have put together a program for new businesses that are using cork in a way or another, to build their products. Amorim Cork Ventures has been doing that with several businesses in Portugal, but this time they want to take it even further.
This is why we’ve introduced Cork Challenge in Barcelona. A 2 month acceleration program focussed on these bold businesses that are using cork. With top mentors and the chance of working with the leading company in this industry.
Find out more about this program right here and if you have any question just let us know 🙂
P.S.: If your product or business is not yet using cork, you can still apply! We can help you figure out way to use cork and improve your product.
by maria | Jul 20, 2016 | Uncategorized
A recent report by the European Startup Initiative called Startup Heatmap Europe, has revealed that Lisbon is among the top 5 cities in Europe to build a startup.
This report gets specifically interesting when it comes to the choices made by founders. For instance, the only cities that scored higher than Lisbon were Berlin, London, Amsterdam, and Barcelona.
Another highlight from this study focusses on access to talent, as a key factor where founders choose to start a business. Lisbon has top universities and a great access to talent with lower costs of living when compared to cities like London, Paris, Berlin and Barcelona.
You can view the full report right here for more information.
by maria | Jul 4, 2016 | Uncategorized
Alright, we all know how difficult it is to get into a top accelerator. You apply with your startup, you wait for the reply and then when the time comes, it’s either the cheer look on your face or the disappointment settling in. And filling in the application plays a major role in this.
So, how can you get the perfect application that will get everybody’s attention and join Lisbon Challenge right on time for the Web Summit this Fall? What should you add and emphasize? What’s the “make it or break it” factor? Well, just keep on reading because you’re about to find out.
We get hundreds of applications for Lisbon Challenge and it’s a long and arduous job to go through each one of them. In order to move on to the next phase, you really need to stand out by following these tips:
1.Team, team, team
I know this might sound a bit of a cliché. Everyone talks about the importance of having a good team but that’s no coincidence. Whenever we go through applications, the team is usually what grabs our attention. This is because, at such an early stage of your startup, there is very little evidence to show that your idea is amazing. So, instead, we rely on the team behind it, and their execution capacities, as well as their analytical skills. We like to see how teams validated their idea, specifically what tactics they used, and what conclusions they took out of it. Explain exactly what each one of you does, the background, why you’re building this startup together, etc. We definitely value more teams that have founders that cover both main areas: product and business. Also, clearly explain the equity distribution, because it helps us determine individual motivation and founders direction.
2. Do your homework
It’s really important that our accelerator matches your startup and your own expectations. For Lisbon Challenge we only take startups that are in product development phase, focusing on product-market fit, in particular. This can be Prototype, closed Beta, or MVP. We are not looking for startups that are focusing on growth, sales or internationalization (we used to, but not anymore), instead, we want startups that are building their final versions based on recent problem-solution validation. We like startups that apply lean analytics to their product development and are drawing conclusion based on customer behavior.
3. Get a recommendation
Most of the selected startups for Lisbon Challenge were referred to us by someone within our network of entrepreneurs and investors. See if you can find someone who has been through Lisbon Challenge before or someone close to the Beta-i network and ask for a introductory email.
4. Be detailed and know your numbers
Explain your product and business well. If you’re building a complex technical product, take your time to explain it and find a comparison so that it’s easy to understand the importance of your solution. You should be able to “sell” us your vision and demonstrate clearly what is your roadmap to achieve this vision. If you have any metrics on traction, KPIs or analytics, the more you share with us the better, but remember, you should always explain what are the underlining conclusions you have drawn from it, so we can get a sense of your decision-making process.
5. No bullshit (go straight to the point)
Even though you have to be detailed about your product and know your numbers, that doesn’t necessarily mean bullshit. Go straight to the point and answer the questions. If you don’t have numbers to show don’t try to fake it. Instead, just explain you don’t have it yet, but tell us about how you validated the idea, and what are the numbers you want to track in the future, why, and why will they help you determine your startup’s roadmap.
6. Surprise us – stand out from the crowd
If you want to get noticed you need to stand out from the crowd. Don’t be like everybody else that says they’re gonna get all their users through social media with no further explanations. Think of new channels, growth strategies, anything that can be particularly applied to your startup and business model.
7. Remember to add the video
For the video, it doesn’t matter if it is a phone video. What does matter is that you introduce all of the founders, and show us what you have done so far with the idea, what phase are you now, and where are you heading.
Now that all the tips are here, it’s entirely up to you to get it right. If you are still not sure if you are at the right phase for Lisbon Challenge, than email Isabel Salgueiro (isabel.salgueiro@beta-i.pt) or Nuno Machado Lopes (nuno.lopes@beta-i.pt).
Apply to Lisbon Challenge until this July 15th 2017, and we’ll let you know if you’ve been selected by August 15th 2017.
by maria | Jul 4, 2016 | Uncategorized
For those who have been to our offices in Lisbon, you probably know that you see new people every day. People come and go and it never gets boring. And, well, working remotely in Lisbon, is becoming a trend. Great weather, great quality of life, international community…
So, for this reason Beta-i has joined the movement. We have welcomed Remote Year in Lisbon. During this upcoming month 75 digital nomads, from lawyers to marketers, from designers to writers, will beworking remotely in Lisbon, at Beta-i.
Remote Year is an organisation that believe in the power of working remotely around the world. Every month they work from a different city and they’ve chosen Lisbon this time 🙂
Join us this Friday for our Thank God It’s Friday and get to know them.
by maria | Jul 4, 2016 | Uncategorized
Another Tourism Day has come to an end and all I feel like is traveling (and getting lost again). But maybe this time, I’ll start in the beautiful Parques of Sintra and while I try to figure out my way back home I’ll just end up in Sagres at the Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts (wishful thinking, I know).
It’s just that hearing all those interesting stories and meeting the ones behind some of the main companies and organisations in tourism really made me want to just pack my bags.
But, enough of me writing… Let’s get down to more important details.
Here are the main highlights of Tourism Day Summer 2016, organised by Beta-i, in partnership with Turismo de Portugal and hosted by Airbnb in Lisbon:
- Check out our video with the main highlights of the day
- See all the photos in our facebook album
- Read the impact study by Airbnb to analyse the results of Airbnb in Lisbon
See you in the next Tourism Day!
