Build a Great Startup in 2025 with the FI Portugal Startup Accelerator

The Founder Institute, the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Portugal 2025 program!

If you could use a structured process and a lifetime of support from Portugal's top investors and entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the Portugal 2025 Founder Institute today.

Since 2009, our highly-structured accelerator programs have helped entrepreneurs at the earliest stages grow quickly, know what to do next, and make connections with the largest community of startup advisors.

It all starts with our renowned ‘FI Core’ accelerator, which pushes founders at the idea and pre-seed stages to reach the milestones needed for investment and sustained growth. Alumni of FI Core then receive free access to our advanced ‘Founder Lab’ accelerators for years to come, and can get matched with prospective investors in the FI Venture Network, a collection of global funds actively investing in the earliest rounds of funding.

To celebrate the launch, the Founder Institute will host several free online startup events in Portugal, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs:

Portugal Events:

Meet the Startup Ecosystem Porto Edition (In-Person Networking Event): 6:30pm, mar 27, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/364155
Meet the Startup Ecosystem Lisbon Edition (In-Person Networking Event): 6:30pm, abr 10, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/364156
Startup Funding in Portugal, featuring Plug and Play & Antler: 6:30pm, abr 29, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/364157

Global or Regional Events:

Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
Co-Founder Networking: Sales and Marketing Partner Matchmaking: 5:00pm, mar 12, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/364755
What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 5:00pm, mar 19, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/364921
Fundraising in 2025: What Founders Must Know to Raise Capital: 5:00pm, mar 20, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/368284
Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Christian Karrer : 12:00am, mar 25, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/365290
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 12:00am, mar 27, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/365102
How to Turn New Users Into Long-Term Customers with Better Adoption Strategies: 6:00pm, mar 31, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/368658
Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Stavros Pavlidis: 6:00pm, abr 02, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/368038
Why Leveraging Your Unique Life Proposition Is Crucial for Startup Success: 6:00pm, abr 03, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/368520
Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Trasition to Startup Founder : 6:00pm, abr 07, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/365754
How to Choose the Right Fundraising Path for Your Startup: 6:00pm, abr 09, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/367565
Launching and Scaling Startups in Europe: Insights from FI Founders: 6:00pm, abr 14, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/368389
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 1:00am, abr 17, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/366772
FI Alumni Panel: Meet Portfolio Companies and Ask Questions: 1:00am, abr 24, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/367800
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 1:00am, abr 29, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/366684
What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 1:00am, mai 08, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/366648
Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Nathan Beckord: 6:00pm, mai 12, 2025 (Europe/Lisbon): https://FI.co/e/366460

See all upcoming events

The Portugal program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Carlos Resende (Founder, Techstars Startup Digest), Elisa Tarzia (Director, Founder Institute Portugal), Fernando Jardim (President, 351 Portuguese Startup Association).

In addition, some of Portugal's top investors, entrepreneurs, and CEOs will be participating in the program, providing them with expert feedback and evaluation. The list of startup mentors for the Portugal Founder Institute includes:

Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO PLATFORM
Alberto Ferreira: Co Founder, Cervejaria Baden Baden
Alex Santos: Founder and General Partner, Chamaeleon
Alexandre Veiga: Strategic Innovation Partner, Elephant Ventures LLC
Alexandre Bezerra: CEO & Founder, Amachains
Alexandre Uehara: Head of Innovation, Innov8 | Rock New Ventures | ABFintechs | Shark Tank Brasil
Alexandre Augusto Mosquim: Gerente de Inovação, Hospital Albert Einstein
Aline Catiusce: COO, Softsul Sistemas
Alisson Mendonça: CEO & Founder, FAARO
Altair Emboava de Araujo: Gestor, Hitt - Hub de Inovação Tecnológico de Taubaté
Amanda Martins: Founder, ciclou
Ana Julia Ferreira: Project Management Officer (PMO), Radix Investimentos
Ana Paula Zamper: Director, Leading Digital Reinvention program, Saint Paul School
Ana Paula Vitelli: President and Chairwoman of the Board, British Chamber of Commerce in Brazil
Ana Teresa Maia: CEO, expressTEC
ANDRE TCHERNOBILSKY: Board member, Founder, CEO, Innovation and Impact Projects
André Costenaro: Head Of Digital & Innovation , Louis Dreyfus Company
André Forte: Head of Business Development for the Arts, UPTEC
André Flórido: VC, Antler
Andrea Monti: Managing Director Impact and Sustainability, Founder Institute
Andrea Cerqueira: Sales, Marketing and Customer Success Director, Motivart
António Santos: Founder, Windcredible
Augusto Terra, Food Venture Hub
Bernando Tavares: CTO, Granter.ai
Bruna Marchi: CEO & Founder, Descomplicando o Inglês Jurídico
Bruna Losada: Vice-Diretora-Geral | Deputy Dean & COO, Saint Paul Escola de Negócios
Bruno Okamoto: Founder, EUNERD
Bruno Avillez: Partner, Adsum Business Consultoria
Caetano Maffra: Co Founder, Cuia Tech
Carla De Calvo Dantas: CLV Founder and Lawyer, CLV Advogados
Carlos Nogueira: Head of Sales, Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN)
Carolin Wais: Director Brand & Retail, Plug and Play Ventures
Carolina Amorim: Associate, Faber
CAROLINE FARIA: Sustainability Specialist, Schneider Electric
Cesar Thomé: CFO, Levitar
Cesar Tureta: Founder, iLTDA (Creativity Unltd)
Cintia Mano: CEO, COREANGELS
Claudio Las Casas Alelaf: CEO, Argenprom Brasil
Claudio Colucci: Managing Director, FocusMarket R C M
Clovis Castelo Junior: Head of Research /Member of the Board /Lecturer, FATEC USA / ClienteSA
Cristina Santos: Comunicação e Gestão do Conhecimento de TI, Braskem
Daniel Dinelli
Daniela Motta: Co-Founder, Clinica Motta & Almeida
Daniela Simão: Audit Committee Member, BANCO NACIONAL DE ANGOLA
Denise Pereira: CEO, Denise Curi, Phd
Diego Perez: Legal, Compliance & Co-Founder, StartMeUp Crowdfunding
Don Samoil: Managing Partner, Trusted Scale
Eder Campos: Mentor e Investidor Anjo | CX | Modelo de negócios | Cultura, FDC - Fundação Dom Cabral
Eduardo Iwai: CPO - Investor, Alice Education
Eduardo Martucci: Product Owner, Exactaworks · Full-time
Eduardo Mendes: Senior Sales Executive - Financial Services , SAS
Elcio Morelli: Founder, Health Angels Br
Eliana Miadaira: CEO & Founder, Portal do Sorriso
Elisa Tarzia: Co-Founder & Vice President of the Board of Directors, 351 Portuguese Startup Association
Emily Coelho: Head da Jornada do Empreendedor , SMU Investimentos
Erica Fridman Stul: Managing Partner, Sororité
Fabiano Porto: Executive Director, Global Regeneration Institute
Fabiano Rangel: Head : Organizational and Institutional Development , Leão Alimentos e Bebidas
Fabio D´Novaes: Co-Founder e CEO, Born Global Partner
Fabio Frazão: Founder and Director, Mexeri.ca
FABIO TOMAZ: COO, ENERGY REVIEW
Fábio Póvoa: Managing Director, Smart Money Ventures
Fábio De Faria: Advogado, N Partners
Felipe Wasserman: PARTNER , BABUXCA
Felipe Giannetti: Managing Partner, StartSe
Fernando Zago: CEO, Grupo Zago: Banco Afro ; IVUUP ; Levee ; ÉSSE ; Zago Consultoria, Engenharia e Meio Ambiente
Fernando Jardim: President of The Board of Directors, 351 Portuguese Startup Community
Flavio Galvão: CEO & Founder, ECP Ambiental / StayEasy / Canal Poluição
Franco Torres: Associate, Brunel Partners
Franklin Kamnang Ngansop: Cofounder , Vitamin C&S Coaching
Franklin Ribeiro: Head Startup Ecosystem, Investe Sao Paulo
Gabriela Marques Teixeira: Head of Digital Solutions, Stefanini
Gil Belford: Director, Corporate and Business Development, City Storage Systems
Giovanna Claro: Founder & General manager, eHeadset
Gonçalo Consiglieri: COO & Co-Founder, Visor.ai
Guilherme Cabral: Founder/CEO, Vacalabs
Guilherme Terrengui: Founder, Sumsub
Gustavo Maierá: BizDev, mesttra
Gustavo Bakai: CEO, Voit
Henrique Macedo: Socio/Partner, GAAP Auditores & Consultores
Henry Suzuky: CEO & Founder, Axonal Consultoria Tecnológica
Humberto Matsuda: Managing Partner, Matsuda Invest
In Hsieh: Empreendedor especialista em Ecommerce
Isaque Gabriel Da Silva: Co-founder e CLO , ENERGY REVIEW
Janet Todorova: Head of Expansion, Founder Institute
Joana Pinto: CEO & Co-Founder, Clynx Health
João Cerqueira: Co-Founder and CEO, 4H Knowledge Management
João Nunes Rosado: Head of Portfolio, Unicorn Factory Lisboa
João Afonso: Startup Founder and Head of Business Development - CCI, UPTEC
João Gabriel Chebante: Consultor, Sucellos
Jorge Azevedo: Angel Investor and Author, Como nasce uma startup
Jose Maria Rodríguez Perez: CEO & Founder, CINN
Junior Borneli: CEO e Fundador da StartSe, StartSe
Lais Fonseca Alves: Founder & CEO , Precavida
Laura Gurgel: Founder, Clube de Negócios
Laurent Serafini: CEO
Leo Gmeiner: Program Director, Founder Institute Brasil
Licinio Januario: Co-Founder, WOLO TV
Lilian Natal: Head of Communication, DISTRITO
Lilian Natal: Co-founder
Lucas De Lima Neto: Executive Diretcor MME & ESG / Partner, Empírica
Lucas Galvanini: Co-Founder & Sales Director, KnowCode
Lucas Oliveira: Portfolio Manager, COREangels Atlantic
Luis Valente: CEO and Co-Founder, iLoF
Luis Felipe Adaime: CEO & Founder, Moss.Earth
Luiz Fernando Silva: Especialista em Gestão Estratégica, Ltrainning Planejando Ideias e Negócios
Marcelo Costa: Owner, Founder, Valoração Consultoria
Marcelo Vivacqua: Founder and CEO, Associação Brasil Internacional de Inventores, Cientistas e Empreendedores Inovadores - ABIPIR
Marcelo Bella: C-Level, Mentor e Investidor Anjo, Picpay
Marcelo Lebre: President, Remote
Marcio Mendes: CEO & Founder, Marketing Sustentável
Marco De Biasi: Managing Partner, Latin American Angels Society
Marcos Cacalis: Head of Innovation and Optimization, Kashimir Consultoria e Gestão Empresarial
Marcos Avila: CEO & Founder, THERA CONSULTING
Marcus Maida: socio, PMM
Mariana Guarini: Membro do Conselho de Administração , MAM - Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo
Mario Rodrigues: CEO , IBNVendas
Maurizio Calcopietro: Managing Partner, Core Angels Atlantic
Mayra Castro: Ambassador, Seedstars
Miguel Amador: Chief Innovation Officer, Complear
Miguel Alves Ribeiro: Founder and CEO, sheerME
Monica Lobenschuss: CEO, Vendas Exponenciais
Nando Gaspar: CEO, Conexão Empreendedora
Nara Iachan: CMO, Cuponeria
Neusa Andrade: CEO & Founder, Indiip- Intelligent Drug Information and knowledge Integration Platform LLC
Nima Kaz: Co Founder, JUPTER & Director, Founder Institute Brazil
Nuno Fernandes: Co-Founder and CEO, Dig-IN
Nuno Madeira do Ó: Managing Director, Sciencehouse Consultancy
Odete Afonso Duarte: Corporate Communication Branding , ESG Executive, Consultant
Otávio César Cafundo De Moraes: CEO , Brasil Diverso
Paloma Lecheta: Regional Director - LatAm, Founder Institute
Pâmela Ponce: CEO, IAPRENDI & ELA S/A
Pâmela Ponce: Founder e CEO, IAPRENDI
Patricia Lacerda: CEO & Founder, FOL Solutions
Paula Machado: CEO & Founder, Meister Safe System
Paulo Faria: CEO & Founder, OTSE
Pedro Henriques: Founder and CEO, BRIDGE IN
Pedro Almeida: Venture Capital Investor, Armilar
Pedro Rocha: Founder and CEO, Sagescan
Rafael Sampaio: CEO Brasil, NovaRed
Rafael Campos: VC Portfolio Manager, VOX Capital
Raquel Molina: CEO, Futuriste Tecnologias Inovadoras
Reinaldo Azevedo: CEO, ENERGY REVIEW
Renan Basso: CTO | Digital Strategist | Startup Builder, MB LABS
Renata Bonaldi: CEO & Founder, Sleep Up
Renata Tomazeli: CEO & Founder, Youfeel
Renata Marques: CIO Latin America, Natura &Co
Renato Simon: Managing Partner, LAAS Latin American Angels Society
Renato Alckmin Lombardi: CEO , REAL INTELLIGENCE Consultoria e Gestão Empresarial
Ricardo Oliani: Director, Counselor e Co Founder, ABRAPS - Associação Brasileira dos Profissionais pelo Desenvolvimento Sustentável
Ricardo Abiz: CEO & Founder, Sppock | polo di innovazione
Rodrigo Huback De Azevedo: Founder/CEO, ISBrasil e IBND
Rodrigo Oliveira: CRO, StayApp
Rodrigo Oliveira: CEO e Diretor de Estratégias, Plástico Virtual, Blob e Álamo Inteligência Comercial
Rodrigo Bombonati S. Moraes: Deputy Director, Samambaia Technological Park - PTS-UFG
Rodrigo Saad Rodrigues: CEO & Founder, Monitoragua
Rodrigo Grossi: Co-founder Startups Global LInk, Partner and COO, Dynadok
Rogerio Augusto Cortes: CEO, Catalisar
Rui Gouveia: CEO, Build Up Labs
Sara Gonçalves: Founder & CEO, Actif
Sean Tierney: Founder, Problemattic
Sedef Sahin: Founders’ Mentor | Unlocking Leadership & Growth, Talent Based Co.
Semi Kim: Sr. Fintech Business Development Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Sergio Escobar: CEO & Partner, BCF Ventures, Managing Director, Lalotte Ventures
Sergio Emanuel Cusmai: CEO and Founder, AIpha-G
Simone De Carvalho Soares: Founder & Executive Director, Simone Soares Comunicação e Sustentabilidade
Tais Scaroni: Especialista em Inovação Aberta, Cogna
Thiago Pereira: Founder, Advisor BPO
Thiago Garcia: CEO & General Partner, 10X Partners
Tiago Silva: CTO, Closum
Tijana Momirov: Startup Consultant - Product Management, StartupSetup
Tomás Penaguião: Partner, Bynd Venture Capital
Vando Ribeiro: CEO, Grupo 2MI
Vanessa Abrahão: Head of Customer Success , Groove Marketing de Incentivo
Victor Lugli: Managing Partner, Lugli Group
Wilian Silva Vieira: CEO , Pitaco Criativo