by ricardomarvao | Sep 19, 2018 | Corporates, Uncategorized
We have been talking about SingularityU Portugal Summit Cascais for a long time now, but it is completely natural that there are still some doubts about it. To clear them out, here are some frequently asked questions about this one of a kind event.
What is SingularityU Portugal Summit Cascais?
SingularityU Portugal Summit Cascais is the first event about exponential technology taking place in Portugal. Exponential technology refers to technologies that double in power or processing speed every year.
The event will bring the world’s leading speakers and experts on exponentially accelerating technologies together with Portuguese leaders of today and tomorrow to give the knowledge and insight needed to compete and win in an exponentially changing world.
Where and when will it be happening?
As its name suggests, SingularityU Portugal Summit Cascais will happen in the sunny city of Cascais, in the newly inaugurated Nova SBE Campus. October 8th and 9th are the selected days to this summit organized by Câmara Municipal de Cascais, Beta-i and Nova SBE and supported by Galp Energia, Ageas, and Semapa. Write them on your planner.
What will be the main topics?
Over the course of two days, you’ll hear from world experts in exponential technologies, from Silicon Valley and beyond, and learn what the implications are for you. From governance to neuroscience, there will be space to discuss economics, the future of organizations, exponential energy, the human potential and the future of education and jobs.
Who is coming?
On stage there will be more than 20 speakers, including well known speakers, such as Esther Wojcicki, considered the most influential educator in contemporary times, David Roberts, one of the main specialists in the world in disruptive technology, Amin Toufani, a specialist in emergent economies and finance, Vivienne Ming, a neuroscientist, technologist and entrepreneur named one of Inc. Magazine’s 10 Women to Watch in Tech, amongst others.
Will I just listen to these world leading speakers?
Besides talks and debates, there will be one stage dedicated to workshops and showcases, a way of creating an engaging experience and not just a regular summit, where you listen and go home.
In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to meet all the speakers as well as the chance for networking in a high-level environment, trying all kinds of tech demos and trying out the delicious catering option, an important factor at any summit.
I want to go. How can I confirm my presence?
There are still some tickets available, but if you really want to go you must confirm your presence ASAP. You can get your tickets to these extraordinary two days here.
See you there!
by ricardomarvao | Feb 27, 2018 | Startups
SkinSoul and Mov.e were the great winners during an afternoon where 8 moonshot ideas were presented, all of them capable of impacting the lives of people in Portugal, with an ability to scale and impact a billion people worldwide in 10 years.
More than 120 people gathered at Cascais to witness some of the most innovative solutions in the fields of Environment, Learning, Energy, Health, Food and Governance in Portugal.
Out of 77 applications, 8 projects where selected to pitch their ideas in the first edition of the SU Global Impact Challenge in Portugal, a competition that in the last 7 years counted with 119 editions around the world.
The quality of the ideas forced the jury to select not one but two winners! SkinSoul’s female founder promises to be a reliable solution to medical doctors in the early detection of skin cancer while team Mov.e will leverage the blockchain technology to bring transparency and efficiency into the future of electricity consumption.
SkinSoul and Mov.e will join the SU Ventures Incubator Program on April 2 at the SU headquarters located at NASA Research Park in Silicon Valley. During 10 weeks, the founders will be immersed in a powerful ecosystem for innovation and execution to turn their ideas into a minimum viable product and ultimately a sustainable startup capable of impacting the lives of a billion people in 10 years.
Beta-i, Nova School of Business and Economics, Cascais Municipality, the actors behind the scenes of the first SingularityU Portugal GIC are very proud of the end result and are committed to keep pushing innovation in Portugal in the long run and because of that, are already preparing the next step: The SingularityU Portugal Summit Cascais, a 2-day exponential conferences with over 20 speakers that will cover how exponential technologies are impacting our world and our future, will take place on October 8 & 9 at the NovaSBE Campus in Carcavelos.
by ricardomarvao | Feb 21, 2018 | Startups
On this first year of SingularityU Portugal Global Impact Challenge (GIC), we had 77 applications, just over the world country average for the first GIC program, which was great for Portugal, a country of only 10 million people.
The quality of the applications was impressive and both Singularity University and all of the Organizers (Beta-i, Nova SBE and Câmara Municipal de Cascais) are very happy with the results. The applications came from all parts of the world but mainly from Portugal (with Lisbon and Porto in the lead) since one of the applications criteria was either to be portuguese or resident in Portugal.
This challenge was all about finding a moonshot idea that would be able to impact the lives of people living in Portugal, with an ability to scale and impact a billion people worldwide in 10 years. It could be related to any global grand challenge, but we were particularly interested in ideas about the environment, learning and governance, since this are currently relevant concerns for the country.
The applications closed on February 6th and, after a careful evaluation process, we are now delightful to announce our 8 finalists! We believe that each of this projects have the ability to impact Portugal and the world in a positive and relevant way on the following years.
Dreamshapers
Platform that allows any teacher to implement project based learning in a easy way.
Theme: Education
Team: André Borges, João Borges, Miguel Queimado, Pedro Queiró and André Gonçalves
FireFly Global
Satellite imagery to know where to send teams to clean fire surface fuel and trees, which in term prevents wildfire disasters and mitigates damage.
Theme: Environment
Team: Ekaterina Stambolieva, Isabella Simão and Miguel Almeida
myPolis
Mobile platform to connect politicians/citizens, a tool for civic engagement and participatory budgeting.
Theme: Governance
Team: Bernardo Gonçalves, Ângela Coelho and David Seco
Biti
First step to the digital world in a safe and healthy way. It’s a contents platform accessible by a hardware (our kids’ first safe device).
Theme: Education
Team: Luís Quintella and Eduardo Pinheiro
SkinSoul
AI app that aims to reduce the time to the skin cancer diagnose.
Theme: Health
Team: Sofia Couto da Rocha and Pedro Mendes Basto
ProdTo
Food delivery and advice service connecting food producers, specialists, and consumers to create a more sustainable and convenient way to shop and eat.
Theme: Food
Team: Francisco Fonseca, João Cavaco, Jay Wong, Bernardo Macedo, Francisco Loureiro and Carlota Léchaud
Mov.e
Electricity Contract digital transformation to access anytime, anywhere, with security and privacy at competitive cost, due to blockchain technology.
Theme: Energy
Team: Pedro Silva, Pedro Garcia and José Toscano
Transprnt
Platform that manages transactions between Donors & Social Projects in a safe, decentralised and open environment to monitor real time funding needs.
Theme: Governance
Team: Joel Curado, Anna Stavniichuk, Daisy Donald, David Luengo, Diego Garay and Ivan Cordon
Our 8 finalists are going to present their 5 minute Pitch on Monday, February 26, 2018 at Centro Cultural de Cascais from 14:30 – 19:00.
By the end of the day the winner will be announced and awarded with a seat at the SU Ventures Incubator Program at the Singularity headquarters NASA Research Park in California: 10-week program that fosters the development of viable start-ups (for profit or not-for profit).
We invite you all to join us and ear in first hand the moonshot ideas that can have a great impact in Portugal and the world.
To join us please register here.
by ricardomarvao | Feb 14, 2018 | Startups
What moonshot idea would you develop that would impact the lives of a billion people in the next 10 years by applying exponential technology to address a global grand challenge?
Last week on February 6th, applications for the first SingularityU Portugal Global Impact Challenge (GIC) closed with 56 completed applications, just over the country average for the first GIC program. For Portugal, a country of just ten million people, that is a very respectable number and one we feel very comfortable with.
What was perhaps the most remarkable was that the applications received, came from all over Portugal and so far, demonstrate excellent quality of ideas, proposals and solutions to transform major industries. The applicants not only address some of the world’s grand challenges in education, environment and governance but we have also received innovative ideas for solutions in health, an increasing field in Portugal but also Space and much more.
The majority of the ideas come not only from entrepreneurs, but also from intrapreneurs, an expression coined for those working in large organizations, involved in innovative, seemingly riskier startup projects. And as hoped the bulk of solutions submitted make use of exponential technologies, the most popular being blockchain but also machine learning, artificial intelligence, biotech, nanotechnologies and virtual & augmented reality.
During the course of this week the applications will be assessed by selected community evaluators and Singularity representatives on criteria such as the use of exponential technologies, impact and scalability and the profile and ability of the candidates submitting the idea. The selection process will not be easy but soon the first finalists of the 2018 SingularityU Portugal Global Impact Challenge will be announced.
The Global Impact Challenge is just the first in a series of activities that will catalyze and build the SingularityU Portugal community and assemble talented individuals and groups able to address and transform major industry and change the lives for billions. Beta-i, Cascais Municipality and Nova School of Business and Economics organizers of the 2018 SingularityU Portugal GIC and partners, Cascais Municipality, and Fundação Alfredo de Sousa invite all to take part, attend and meet the finalists during the SingularityU Portugal GIC Pitch Event on the February 26, 2018 at Centro Cultural de Cascais starting at 2PM.
To register please do so here. We look forward to seeing you there. The winner receives a seat at the SU Ventures Incubator Program, a 10-week program that fosters the development of viable start-ups (for profit or not-for profit) at the Singularity headquarters NASA Research Park in California.
by ricardomarvao | Dec 14, 2017 | Featured, Startups
The first 20 years of our lives, we pretty much spend our time learning. First the basics (sleeping, eating, walking), than at school & university. It shapes who we are and what we will become and has a profound impact in our future. For something that important, the education area hasn’t changed that much over the last 100 years.
We believe this is so important that we decided to create a new education area that focuses on improving, for people from 7 to 77 years old, the learning experience. But above all, an area that has the vision to change education as a whole.
About 10 years ago I met Peter Diamandis when he was my teacher at the Space Studies Program (a 10-week project-based learning program with 150 people from 50 nationalities). That was the first time I heard about this new project that was being designed called the Singularity University.
Ever since, I’ve been following the approach and growth of the project worldwide and was excited to see last year the birth of a new initiative to create Country Partnerships from Singularity around the world.
This initiative led me to investigate the topic and understand it to the point of going to Singularity this Summer and decide that this was a project worth pursuing on a bigger scale. So after returning, I began building a strong team by partnering with Cascais Municipality and NovaSBE to bring this home.
The first step starts today, with the launch of the Portugal Global Impact Challenge and the announcement of the SingularityU Portugal Summit in Cascais on October 2018.
But this is just the first step…
Ricardo Marvão
Co-Founder and Chief Education Officer, Beta-i
