by silvia | Jan 24, 2019 | Featured, Investors, Uncategorized
Last December, the investor community gathered at the Business Angel Summit.
It’s an event dedicated to sharing the knowledge between investors, with panels from experienced investors and VC partners. They shared how they are investing and why they are doing it that way at The Investors’ Academy, but also their biggest mistakes in a side event called F*ckup Nights. The conference followed with panels on the investments trends in Portugal and Europe, and also the investment landscape.
Pedro Falcão, a managing partner at LC Ventures, presented an overview of the investment landscape in Portugal and future opportunities. Click below to download the report Venture Capital in Portugal 2018 and get the scoop on all the information you need to know if you plan to invest in Portugal.
DOWNLOAD REPORT
Are you interested in learning more about investment? The next Investors’ Academy will happen at #LIS, the Lisbon Investment Summit, an informal but action-packed event. The 7th edition is coming to sunny Lisbon on June 6-7th – get to know it here.
by silvia | Jan 23, 2019 | Corporates, Featured, Uncategorized
Green food gets the hype
Will 2019 be the year veganism goes mainstream? Apparently, yes! The number of adults willing to say no to all animal products is rising, especially among millennials, with concerns with eating healthy and sustainably impacting lifestyle choices.
The business of providing vegan meals is booming – be it restaurants, home-delivery, or public services, like schools and hospitals. Even meat businesses are creating vegan lines of their own.
At the same time, vegan companies – like Vivera and Impossible – are delivering new products and plant-based meat substitutes that actually look and taste like meat.
Business gets political
There was a time where businesses would shy away from politics, afraid to offend customers or stakeholders. 2019 is not going to be that time. This will be the year of “woke capitalism” – the trend of companies associating themselves with liberal causes.
There are two reasons for this: on one hand, some political agendas (like anti-immigration or protectionist laws) may be in conflict with their activities, on the other hand, consumers are demanding brands that share their own values.
There have been good examples of this already – Nike’s choice of Colin Kaepernick as campaign face, that caused outrage from conservatives on social media, but saw Nike’s sale soaring -, and also bad examples – Target lost sales after publicly supporting transgender facilities.
It is a fine walk for companies to walk – they need to really know their customers’ convictions, even the less obvious ones.
Old is the new young
As we live longer and longer, especially in developed countries with decent healthcare systems and social conditions, the meaning of “old” is changing.
Baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are now entering their 70s, but they don’t see themselves as old. They want to contribute to society, they prioritize their well-being and enjoyment of life and they are almost as obsessed with technology as millennials.
This means a new segment of mature consumers, that have time, disposition and a high level of disposable income, that are looking for products and services that help them stay as youthful as possible in mind and body, not trying to change things—just look and be the best they can be.
These people don’t feel old, and they certainly don’t wanna be called old – so companies should approach their communication with nuance. For example, wellness companies are almost ageless, as they appeal to both millennials and older people.
360º Wellbeing
As we mentioned in our Tech Trends Report, the wellness industry will get an even bigger bump in 2019.
The ascension of wearables to monitor our health, the easy access to treatments previously only available in doctors’ offices and an increase in available information, will lead to consumers taking their well being into their own hands.
This “I can take care of myself” attitude will be reflected in the way people eat, drink and approach their dietary health in general. Solutions such as personalized nutrition, alternative health therapies, and preventative solutions will offer consumers the chance of feeling in control of their wellbeing.
Eco-conscious
It is with no surprise that we find that the eco-conscious trend is here to stay.
Sustainability and the environmental degradation of the planet is in everybody’s minds, thanks to popular culture phenomena, like BBC’s Blue Planet II, often credited for awareness of plastic pollution both domestically and internationally.
Millennials are leading the way into choosing products that are cruelty-free (from free-range meat to vegan skincare products) and are regularly considered to be the ones driving the sustainable movement with their lifestyle and behavioral changes.
And it’s important to note that if Millennials are more conscious than ever about their purchases reflecting their beliefs and values, and Generation Z is close on their trail, a long-term change is most likely taking place.
As the throwaway culture of previous generations dies, ethical will become mainstream – in 2019 we’ll be taking steps into a greener, conscious and plastic-free world. The circular economy will also be a trending topic in the next few months, as it answers environment and sustainability concerns.
Knowledge is power
In an era of self-taught hackers and beautypreneurs, we have information at the tip of our fingers. Almost any subject that we want to study will be available online. From youtube tutorials to online classes (there are even online services, like Masterclass, that crosses education with entertainment), everyone can be an expert.
This context produces even more demanding consumers, as the power has switched between retailer and consumer.
Shoppers don’t go to brands to get product information anymore, they look to each other’s opinions for advice on what to buy and where, and how to get the best product for their money – and one source of information is not convincing enough.
In this landscape, the consumer is more demanding than ever. To survive, brands must cater to them, constantly innovating, streamlining and aestheticizing their offerings to entice shoppers.
Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more trends, tips, news and event details.
by silvia | Jan 21, 2019 | Corporates, Featured, Investors, Startups, Uncategorized
Are you wondering which techs will grow exponentially in 2019 and disrupt industries? Wait no more, scroll down and see the top 5 tech trends for 2019!
1. Blockchain beyond crypto
When we hear “blockchain”, we automatically think about cryptocurrency. Because it is the technology that enables cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, litecoin, ether, etc, the spotlight has been on it, but there are many use cases where the distributed ledger technology can be applied to improve business processes.
Blockchain is a secure system for recording and verifying transactions and storing trusted records and it has the potential to disrupt enterprises in many industries. Companies are using Blockchain technology to transform time-consuming, centralized, less reliable and less secure systems.
Finance is easily mentioned as the first industry that will be disrupted by blockchain, but there are other challenges that can be worked on with blockchain, like transparency of supply chains, the streamlining of processes and new sharing economies that can be useful to the food industry, the fashion industry, and even the energy sector.
2. Space is the new frontier (again)
If you’re a fan of JFK’s inspirational “Moon Speech”, you’ll be glad to know that the space run is about the enter the political agenda (again).
This year began with China landing on the dark side of the moon. And they probably won’t be the only ones. Besides Americans, there are moon missions also coming from India, Israel, and Japan.
Romantic, inspiring speeches are not guaranteed, but the investment in this field brings technological innovations that will then trickle down into other industries – we’re still reaping the benefits of the 60’s space run – we can thank it for artificial limbs, satellite TV, water purifier, freeze-dried food, and memory foam!
3. Wellness and Health get blurred
Beauty has been linked to health – healthy skin, hair, nails… – and beauty is ready to embrace technology to bring complete personalization to customers.
Beauty and skincare brands are using technological advances (like 3D face scanning and AI) to offer consumers completely tailored and unique recommendations and products for their skin’s needs.
A growing understanding of hormones’ role in every system of the body, affecting everything from your heart health to your sleep quality, is making for a boom in the market for home testing: which collects consumers data and then provides explained results and recommendations, with several consumers finding this option more affordable than traditional healthcare and opting to consult a doctor only after abnormal test results with the home kit.
Wellness aficionados are already using IV drips to boost their immune system, curing hangovers and boosting their skin with nutrients and vitamins, with several new locations offering these services.
All in all, with consumer’s knowledge improving and an explosion of wearables that will net us measure our own biometric data, treatments previously available only through doctor’s appointments are now being available directly to consumer’s, who are taking their health and well being into their own hands (thanks, Gwyneth Paltrow!).
4. Mobility continues to go green
The path to a greener city living will continue to flourish in 2019 (see what I did there?). Electrification will be reaching fleets of vehicles, like public transportation. Unlike individual electric car owners, public transportation has static routes and is predictable, and an infrastructure that is easy to build and plan for. Buses and trucks are also more polluting and have a long-term financial payoff for going electric – which makes them a perfect a perfect choice to “electrify”.
Also, governmental pushes to introduce more eco-friendly programmes, coupled with more electrical options – bikes and scooters -, and civic movements for sustainability and zero waste living will work towards a greener city living.
5. R+ gets to more apps and devices
Realities will get a big plus this year! Even though this is a technology that has been getting traction for some years now, only now are we realizing all its potential – and how to integrate it.
There is a value in taking the digital world and the physical world and bringing them together in meaningful ways. AR/VR will be used not only for gaming and entertainment purposes but also in everyday practical life.
It is already being used in education (to train doctors, nurses, teachers, and police officers) and it has a range of uses, from entertainment to commerce, from medicine to the military.
It will become even more interesting once it starts being connected with other input methods: combining things like eye tracking, voice recognition, hand gestures, finger bone tracking to create a truly immersive experience.
In 2019, enterprises will be expected to take advantage of its potential to lift efficiency or better communicate with its stakeholders.
Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more trends, tips, news and event details.
by silvia | Jan 20, 2019 | Corporates, Featured, Investors, Startups, Uncategorized
According to Gartner, traditional banks will be made irrelevant by 2030 due to changing customer behaviors and advancements in technology. As fintech startups fire up, the finance industry is set to be disrupted in the next few years.
Here are the 5 trends to watch in fintech in 2019:
1. Changes brought on by regulation
PSD2 (the European Payment Services Directive 2.0), set to be fully implemented in Europe by September 2019, will bring great advantages for consumers – it aims to make payments safer, increase customer’s protection and foster innovation and competition while ensuring a level playing field to all players.
But it will also mean a great deal of change for banks: to stay compliant, they will have to embrace digital transformation across their entire business and the opening up of their APIs to third parties.
This type of open banking will be on the rise (especially in Europe) as it provides greater financial transparency options for account holders ranging from open data to private data, which brings us to the next point.
2. Open Collaboration
Open banking will also bring to the financial industry into a smart collaboration mode. We’ll see multiple partnerships between banks, fintech startups, and other professional service providers (such as accountants and lawyers), all operating in an ecosystem via interconnected APIs. These partnerships will aim to deliver a consistent, seamless experience for end-users, and to provide a wider array of services.
3. Cashless Payments
Carrying a wallet with *gasp* coins inside is close to being a thing of the past!
We expect advancements in mobile and real-time payments – so banks should be thinking mobile first in their strategies.
We’ll also see stores running to get active chip machines just in time to jump on cardless payment train. Soon we’ll be using just phones for payments and all currency will virtually be, well, virtual.
4. Blockchain
It’s not surprising that blockchain will be one of the trends for the sector. But besides being the technology behind cryptocurrencies, there are a lot more ways blockchain will be helping the finance industry.
From cryptocurrencies to improved and faster payments, new banking solutions, trading opportunities, and the improvement of pretty much every industry, from health care to food production and retail, blockchains will soon be normality in our society.
5. Automation
People are not going to bank counters anymore, so not only are banks looking into mobile first solutions, but they are also looking for ways to substitute face-to-face interactions in their sales pipeline. Startups like Attila (from Lisbon Challenge by Beta-i’s Fall 18) are looking into AI to create meaningful financial conversations between clients and their banks.
But AI will not only help us streamline processes, but it will also help our decision-making: helping make on-the-spot decisions about where to put our money, what to do when an account is overdrawn, and approving us for loans and interest rates on the spot.
If you think you’ll be part of this revolution, you should be looking into making strategic partnerships. Join up with SIBS, the most secure, modern, and reliable payment solutions player, who has a network of more than 300 million users. SIBS Payforward Accelerator, the fintech and payment piloting program is back and looking for startups with solutions in Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Blockchain, Big Data, Machine to Machine, Biometrics, Robotics, IoT as well as Open Banking API. Be part of the finance disruption, here.
by silvia | Dec 10, 2018 | Corporates, Featured, Investors, Startups
As much as we say Christmas is not about presents (and it isn’t!), we all love to receive and give really awesome presents.
According to psychologists, gift giving has rewards on both sides: not only the person who receives it is happy, but also, giving a gift releases endorphins to your brain that make you feel good.
A thoughtful, beautiful gift can show that we really thought about the person and strengthen the bond between the two. In the end, we love to see our friends and family smiling, and we feel good knowing we’ve taken care of someone.
So, if you are going to gift-give this Christmas, we have some suggestions you might want to look into. They are all from Portuguese startups and small businesses, so you’ll be giving awesome gifts and also supporting the local economy. Yeah!
At-home beauty treatment
We all love to pamper ourselves, and the convenience of having it without leaving the house cannot be surpassed. Except if we are also contributing to a good cause!
You can give all this with Sparkl! The company delivers beauty on demand – you can request hair styling, make-up and other beauty services delivered directly to your door. And by gifting one Sparkl Voucher Gift this Christmas, you’ll also be supporting Projecto Cabelos Mágicos – they create hats inspired by characters from kids’ imaginarium, and gift them to children going through chemotherapy.
Never lose anything
We all have that distracted friend that keeps forgetting everything and losing half of his possessions in a night. For them, the perfect gift is a Lapa.
These small devices can be attached to your phone, keys, wallet, laptop, bike – you name it! You can track their location through the app, and you can even set alarms for Lapa to warn you in case you forgot your wallet or passport at home (no more airport stress!).
Charged up!
If you have a super techie colleague or family member who has one thousand devices to charge and hogs all the wall plugs in the room, here’s a gift that will help both of you: Egg Electronics has a Power Station that allows charging up to 15 devices at the same time, plus 2 USB entries.
The Power Station comes with several designs to suit their style and, for a really special gift, you can even personalize the design. We personalized some for ourselves here at Beta-i, and yes you can ask for our designs!
Print it out!
Is there a highly creative person in your life? They give them the gift of creating! BeeVeryCreative produces portable and at home 3D printers, so your loved ones can express themselves and design and print their own projects.
Conscious Fashion
Giving both style and high quality to your favorite fashionistas is easy! Just browse through A Piece of Me and buy local from Lisbon’s finest artisans.
You can find high-quality clothing items there, but the best part is learning the story of each traditional maker and getting to know the person who made something specific with their hands, just for you.
Give to Charity
Giving is a wonderful feeling, and that is true for the persons we’re gifting too. Why not make a donation in their name to their favorite cause?
eSolidar is a charitable marketplace that aggregates a range of charitable campaigns and auctions to support several different causes.
Travel Adventures
Is your favorite person a traveler? Indulge their wanderlust with a Secret City Trails experience. Find out which city they are going next and get them a discovery tour that they can do themselves – a game that will let them explore the city while solving riddles and learning about the city’s best secret spots!
Beer Lovers
Gift-giving for beer connoisseurs is a no-brainer: give them a new collection of beers to taste! In Lisbon, you can find a lot of craft beers – we’ll name just a few to get you going:
Musa | Passarola | Dois Corvos | 8ª Colina | Lupum
Retro Wear
For the retro lovers, take a look at the products by Maison Pixel! Nothing like underwear or swimwear in a pixel design to bring out those 90s vibes!
Racing Fiends
If you have a car aficionado in your family, you may not be able to give them the car of their dreams, but you can give them the racing stripes with something from Heel Thread – after all, socks are a Christmas classic!
First Time Movers
If someone is moving out into their first own home, there’s probably a lot they will need. You can help out with a brand new mattress, 100% made in Portugal, by KoalaRest.
by silvia | Oct 31, 2018 | Corporates, Featured, Startups, Uncategorized
We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: you need to hack the Summit. With over 50,000 attendees from different backgrounds and sectors, hundreds of speakers across 18 different stages, and side events going on, there will be a lot of things going on during the four summit days.
It is only reasonable to assume it will be impossible to attend everything and very easy to lose track of time with distractions.
Truth be told, it is impossible to attend every single moment of the summit (unless you have the superpower of omnipresence). But also, you don’t need nor should you want to. It’s all about recognising who you are and what can you take most from the event.
Here are some tips on how to make the most of the WebSummit and your days in Lisbon.
Set your goals
This is the most important thing to do. Take into account who you are, what you do, and what are the best opportunities for you during the event.
If you work in the corporate world, what are you looking for? Inspiration and best practices from the speakers, information about news techs disrupting your business, or startups to partner up with?
If you’re a recent startup, you’ll probably be looking for acceleration and open innovation programs and networking in the ecosystem; if you’re a mature startup you’ll probably be looking into prospective clients, investors and partners within your sector.
There are a lot of different insights you can take from the event, so it’s important to set realistic goals of what you want to achieve. It seems basic, but not answering this question might lead to 3 full days of work with nothing to show for.
Research & Plan
It may seem like tedious pre-work, but planning your days ahead will let you hit the ground running on the summit days.
If you plan on attending a lot of talks and panels, go through the schedule first and choose the most important for you. Keep this tips in mind:
- Use the topics tags on the site to see only relevant keynotes (try several tags that fit your interests).
- Keep in mind the venue map. Don’t plan to attend two talks where the second starts at the same time the first one ends if they are on different stages on opposite sides of the venue – you’ll just end up running like crazy and missing the first 5 minutes of the keynotes (which is is particularly bothersome because most presentations will only be 15/20 minute long).
- Research the speakers ahead of time – see what they do, and which position they hold. Looking into previous talks or interviews online will help you determine if you’re interested in this keynote or help you better analyze and understand their positions when listening to panel discussions.
It’s a daunting prospect, but we already did half the research for you. Check our tracks available in Beyond the Summit, they are divided between executives and startups, but inside you’ll also find sectors and themes. They are a great starting point to tackle this task.
Download the app
Download the event app, and make the most of it:
- Use it for a quick and easy check-in.
- Tag the talks and panels you want to see and make your own personalized schedule.
- Consult the venue map and not waste 10 minutes walking towards the wrong stage.
- Use the chat function to reach out to other attendees you want to connect with (see next point).
Network
This is truly the most important part of the event. Take every opportunity to broaden your network of contacts and get to know as much as possible: competitors, innovators in the sector, prospective clients, like-minded entrepreneurs. Who knows, any of these could be your next partner. Make use of the conference app that allows you to reach out to other attendees, and while on the floor (or the coffee break), don’t be shy. If you’re reaching out to investors, we wrote some tips for you here.
Go to the side events
Side events are a great opportunity to meet people, specially because they happen in a much more relaxed environment, but also because they include the local ecosystem and people who may not be easy to find at the event venue. From pub crawls, to group meets to all night parties, there’s a lot to choose from. We have a list of all the ecosystem events right here.
Be early
I know this seems like it was your grandma’s advice but the truth is the venue is huge, and so is the number of attendees. You should be arriving at the venue at least 30 minutes before your first appointment – besides the check-in, there’s a security search that usually makes for a long line at the entrance.
Also, if possible, give yourself 5 minutes between talks, or if booking a meeting consider you’ll take at least 5 minutes to get to the place (have I mentioned it’s a HUGE venue?). If you can, have your meals and breaks at unconventional times – because yes, the food courts (even though they are now more spaced out) will be packed between noon and 2pm.
Take care of yourself
We know you will be going on and on for 4 or 5 days, taking the most of the event. And even though the atmosphere at the summit is energizing, conventional sources of energy and self care are still needed: try to drink plenty of water (the temperature is usually warm inside), don’t skip meals and (try to) get at least a few hours of sleep. Getting sick or not being your best self won’t make for a good investment of your time.
Enjoy Lisbon
All work aside, you’re in the best city in the world (we’re parcial). From the old cobblestone charming streets to modern tech
Click for our recommendations for best Food & Drinks
hubs, from cosy traditional food restaurants to hip cocktail rooftops, there’s a little bit of everything for everyone, with an undeniable Lisbon charm. The Beta-i team has enjoyed the best this city can offer, and we want to share it with you. Check out our profile on Misk (available for iOS and android), and get curated collections of the best places in town for every moment of the day.
And if you’re still a bit daunted by the task, no worries – check our Beyond the Summit. Besides the tracks for download that are a great starting point to plan your schedule, we’ll also update regularly about all the side events, give you tips about the ecosystem and what to enjoy in Lisbon.
See you there!
