Speakers

As Global CEO, Elena runs Liberty’s operations globally overseeing offices across 3 continents as well as a global partner network across the rest of the world. She has over 20 years experience in PR and before that was a broadcast journalist with the BBC. Elena has run international PR programmes for large corporate organisations such as Nokia, Qualcomm, AT&T, O2 and Google as well as for challenger brands covering a wide variety of tech sectors including AI, AR, VR, robotics, telecoms, enterprise tech, fintech, retail tech, martech, property tech, clean tech and many others.

Founder/CEO at Sound Particles, a company that creates 3D audio software for top videogames companies, world class musicians, and all major Hollywood studios, used in productions such as StarWars, Dune, Game of Thrones, Frozen, Mission Impossible, Indiana Jones and Oppenheimer. Former university professor, with a PhD in computer audio, Nuno is also the author of 2 books and more than 20 papers on audio research topics.

Sean is a founding Partner at PROfounders Capital, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in European digital startups. PROfounders invests in technology companies that fix broken customer experiences and has invested and supported leading startups such as Unity, GetYourGuide, Busuu, and Small Giant Games. Sean co-founded PROfounders in 2010 after joining from Benchmark Capital, and in 2019 and 2020 he was selected by Forbes for the Midas List Europe. Sean has an engineering degree from Rice University and an MBA from Wharton.

Inês Santos Silva is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at TejoMed, Portugal’s first membership-based family medicine clinic. She also serves as an Executive Advisor for AthenaDAO, a decentralized community of researchers, funders, and advocates dedicated to advancing women’s health research, education, and funding. Inês is a dedicated advocate for diversity and inclusion, co-founding Portuguese Women in Tech to support and amplify women in technology. Her work focuses on breaking barriers and empowering underrepresented groups in tech and entrepreneurship.

Carolin has been in the Venture industry for the last 10 years, combining experiences in growth, early and Fund of Funds investments across 4 continents. As a Partner at Plug and Play, she oversees the investments in the EMEA region and has led investments into over 70 startups and supported more than 250 in EMEA. She supports 30+ offices within Plug and Play and works closely with the corporate and government partners on strategic investment topics. She is also an active startup mentor, speaker and lecturer.

Mário Tarouca is the co-founder and COO of Framedrop.ai, a SaaS startup enabling traditional media companies to repurpose and optimize content for social media, trusted by brands like A BOLA, BAUER (Rádio Comercial), Diário de Notícias, and Observador.

Madalena is an entrepreneur at heart, startup investor, leadership mentor, and a tech and growth enthusiast. A former Googler and startup executive, she now helps other leaders in tech launch their own businesses.

Jason is the founder of Joyned Capital and a former athlete who found his calling outside of sports. He made it his mission to change the athletes’ narrative and the face of investors in technology.

Stephan de Moraes is the Managing General Partner of Indico Capital Partners, a leading venture capital tech and sustainability focused firm based in Portugal. He has invested in 5 unicorns over the last decade and is current President of APCRI – the Portuguese Private Equity and Venture Capital Association. Stephan holds a degree in Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisbon), and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Nuno is an environmental engineer and an innovation and sustainability enthusiast. Before becoming a dedicated entrepreneur, he was in the European Parliament (Belgium) as an advisor for energy and environmental policy, in innovation consulting and funding in Spain and as a project manager for large renewable energy projects in Portugal. He is the CEO and co-founder of Goparity (his third company), an impact finance platform that allows people and companies to invest in projects that contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in already 19 countries worldwide.

Marta Palmeiro is the Co-founder of StudentFinance, a career mobility platform dedicated to helping individuals upskill in the most in-demand skills in the labor market. The company’s mission is to close the skills gap and address the impact of AI on jobs by providing tailored career pathways, access to top-tier upskilling programs, and flexible payment options. These include Government Benefits for Upskilling, Zero-Interest Flexible Payment Plans, and Income Share Agreements, ensuring accessibility for all.

João Guimarães, originally from Porto, Portugal, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Católica Porto Business School and an International Master’s degree in Management from Nova School of Business and Economics. He is currently the Co-founder & CEO of Intuitivo, an edtech startup founded in 2021. Intuitivo is a digital assessment platform with the mission of helping teachers become more productive.

Julian is an entrepreneur and innovator recognised for his pioneering work on photosynthesis and biomimicry. He is the CEO and Founder of Arborea, a company that leverages microbial photosynthesis in a radical new way to convert CO2 and sunlight into the most scalable proteins on the planet. Named by Forbes as one of the EU’s Top 30 Under 30, he is also a TEDx speaker and winner of the Perez Award for Social Innovation. Julian holds dual Master’s degrees in Innovation Design Engineering from Imperial College London and the RCA.

An Ecologist at heart, Bárbara co-founded several environmental organizations and has accumulated over 15 years of experience in regeneration and impact investing. Having obtained a Ph.D. in conscious consumerism and becoming a coach and mentor for hundreds of social innovation projects. Bárbara dedicates her life to the transformation of the national regenerative ecosystem and speaks to the world through her theoretical and practical work. Currently, managing the first woman-led Impact Fund in Portugal, Bárbara bridges the worlds of Deep Ecology, Marketing and Impact Investment.

Based in Portugal after 35 years in Silicon Valley, Mike Sigal is an advisor, coach, and speaker dedicated to helping innovators thrive. As an entrepreneur, he successfully exited four startups—including one through IPO. As General Partner at 500 Startups Fintech Fund, he invested in over 80 early-stage startups, with three reaching unicorn status. He currently serves as advisor and non-executive director to funds, startups, and corporations globally. Through his Pitch Slap Academy, Mike transforms exceptional founders from outside Silicon Valley into unstoppable fundraisers.

Ryan is a startup founder turned investor with a passion for innovation & storytelling. In 2010, he & his sister embarked on a documentary journey from Alaska to Argentina, tackling big issues post-financial crisis. Sponsored by Timberland & distributed by Participant Media & Huffington, their interview series sparked conversations across continents. He later co-founded LQD, reimagining urban technology with Frog Design – leading to Verizon’s acquisition in 2016. Now, as Managing Director of a Nashville-based family office (GRA), he invests in early-stage startups across multiple sectors.

Marcelo is the co-founder and President of Remote. Marcelo was previously VP of Engineering at Unbabel and has held several CTO positions. He frequently speaks at events about leadership and managing remote teams. Marcelo is also a startup advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs. He is a passionate engineer, proud dad, and sci-fi nerd.

Miguel Amaro is a tech entrepreneur and investor, known for his role in co-founding Uniplaces and Coverflex, two pioneering Portuguese startups. His entrepreneurial journey underscored the significance of mentorship, leading him to establish the Entrepreneurs Organization Portugal and become a lead mentor at Techstars. Co-founding Coverflex, a company revolutionizing the world of compensation, further showcased his expertise, propelling it to become the largest pre-seed round in Portugal.

Alice Segre is an Italian impact investor based in Portugal, working at maze impact, an investment firm dedicated to supporting businesses that generate positive social and environmental impact. At maze, she focuses on identifying and investing in startups that drive meaningful change while ensuring sustainable financial growth.

André de Almeida Santos is a Partner at Indico Capital, leading an early-stage impact VC fund for Oceans. With 20+ years of experience in responsible investment, he spent a decade at the African Development Bank working on poverty reduction. A former Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, he has contributed to courses on Impact Investment and Moral Leadership. He also supports the Inner Development Goals initiative, mobilizing the Lisbon hub towards its mission of personal development.

Anne-Charlotte is an expert in securing EU funding with 15 years experience in navigating the European landscape, supporting organisations’ growth, building bridges between R&I ecosystems. She firmly believes in the transformative power of collaboration. A passionate advocate for women in STEAM, with restless dedication to empowering women, she leads the HER Fund initiative building a network of investors and ecosystems to uplift women entrepreneurs across Europe, creating a more inclusive and equitable landscape.

Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management currently holding the position of President of the National Agency for Innovation. Previously was Head of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at NOVA School of Science and Technology, Director of UNIDEMI, Member of the Board of NOVA.ID, Director of the PhD Program in Industrial Engineering, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Madan Parque Incubator, and Member of the Board of Directors of UNINOVA. António has managed more than 20 research & development and innovation projects, mainly in partnership with companies.

Duarte has gradually adopted the role of leading the fundraising efforts at Armilar, whilst keeping up as an active member of the HealthTech space within the firm. Duarte has a BSc in Industrial Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth (USA). He has over 10 year experience in Strategic and Management Consulting in The Boston Consulting Group. He is a Board member/observer of several Armilar portfolio companies, and fluently speaks English, French, Spanish and Italian.

With a background in Electrical and Computer Engineering, João is a Partner at Armilar, being a board member/observer of several Armilar portfolio companies while playing a key role in the screening of tech-based investment opportunities in Europe.

João Paulo Oliveira is the founder and managing director of Sobreiro Capital, a fund dedicated to acquiring a Portuguese SME and turning it into a global benchmark. Previously, he earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and worked in M&A in New York. His entrepreneurial journey began as the founder and co-CEO of BiLD Analytics, a data analytics startup that successfully exited to a UK private equity fund.

André Marquet is an entrepreneur and product leader, founder of Productized, helping companies launch digital tech products. With a background in engineering and ventures like Beta-i, he consults for top European firms and speaks at international conferences. Founder and leader of the Portugal Defence Tech Startups Community.

Sharon is an advisor, coach, and fractional operator guiding companies to unlock the full value of AI. She supports both sides of the AI equation – guiding leadership teams through enterprise adoption, and advising startup CEOs on fundraising, GTM, and scaling. These efforts are grounded in Sharon’s extensive operating experience at both startups and enterprises. As CEO of LimeSpot, an e-commerce AI platform, she led the company to profitability and a successful exit in 2022. She’s also held CMO roles at multiple startups and strategic leadership positions at Amazon and Shutterfly. Sharon has led organizations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia, and is currently based in San Francisco.

António is the executive director of Startup Portugal. With a strong background in investment management, venture capital, and private equity, António is committed to developing the Portuguese entrepreneurial ecosystem on a global scale.

Marta joined Sword Health in its early days, in January 2016, as Chief of Staff. She managed internal operations in this role and drove the company’s growth from its Portugal headquarters. In February 2022, Marta took on the General Manager position at Bloom, Sword Health’s next-generation pelvic-health care solution for women. By August 2023, she also assumed the same role for Move, and now, in 2025, as SVP, AI Care Solutions, she oversees the company’s main solutions – Thrive, Bloom, and Move – continuing to focus on ensuring everyone gets the care they need and deserve.

Sacha Michaud is a British-Canadian entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in Spain’s online sector, known for founding and leading successful businesses. In 1997, he founded LatinRed, one of the largest Spanish-language internet service providers, which was acquired by StarMedia two years later. Throughout his career, he established several companies, including Inlander (sold in 2000), Binaria (a digital communication agency), and Transword (an online translation company). After leading Betfair Iberia for nine years, he co-founded Glovo in 2014 with Oscar Pierre, creating an on-demand delivery platform that now operates in 25 countries, connecting consumers with local couriers for fast delivery from restaurants and stores in their cities.

Nuno Gonçalves Pedro is the Founder and Managing Partner at Chamaeleon, with over 20 years of experience in digital strategy, business development, and corporate investments. A former senior leader at McKinsey in Technology, Digital, Media, and Telecom, he has a background in Computer Engineering and studied at Stanford GSB. Nuno is also a guest lecturer at Stanford and UC Berkeley Haas, co-founder of Tech Deciphered, and an advisor to multiple companies. He specializes in strategy, product management, and scaling businesses through high-performance teams.

Sam Jacobs is the CEO and Founder of Pavilion, a global community of over 10,000 Go-To-Market executives from top B2B tech companies like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Stripe. Passionate about professional growth, Sam built Pavilion to help leaders develop skills, expand their networks, and unlock their full potential. He is also the co-host of the Topline Podcast and author of the best-selling book Kind Folks Finish First, which explores the power of kindness in business success.

Co-founder and General Partner at Chamaeleon, an innovative early-stage VC firm with a disruptive operating model. Chamaeleon leverages its in-house developed quantitative and technology platform, Mantis, to enhance deal sourcing, due diligence, risk assessment, portfolio management, and liquidation processes. While headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, the firm also operates in Europe and focuses on Series Seed and Series A investments. Alex primarily targets B2B-driven startups, spanning vertical and horizontal SaaS, cloud, cybersecurity, and more.

Georgia Watson is Partner at Lakestar, leading their growth strategy across Europe whilst additionally specialising in FinTech. Prior to joining Lakestar, Georgia was a member of the Growth Equity investment team for EMEA at Goldman Sachs, with a focus on consumer and financial technology. She has worked as a private markets investor her entire career and has seen buy-out, early-stage venture, and growth equity across a range of sectors.

Stephen James is a 2x National Emmy Award Winning Director with over 30 years of broadcasting experience with network and syndicated television media companies. He is the Founder and CEO of Eyes Wide Open Foundation. EWO engages, inspires, and motivates young students to exceed their own expectations by exposing them to a myriad of opportunities available in the media industry.

Carla Coutinho is an Industry Manager at Google Portugal. Passionate about digital marketing and driving business growth, with work experiences in Dublin, California, and now back in Portugal, she is dedicated to helping companies scale and transform their business online.

Anila Shaheen has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs from different parts of the world over the past 6 years, helping build scalable, sustainable, investment-ready business models. She brings rich multicultural experience from both emerging and developed markets, currently supporting digital and green innovation through GIZ initiatives across Africa, Asia, and LAC. Founder of Pivot Upstart and a seasoned program designer, Anila has led 40+ startup programs and climate-smart bootcamps – equipping founders with tools to turn impact into scale.

Alexandre Mendes is mainly acknowledged for successfully creating schools for the digital economy, reskilling programs, and helping shape the Portuguese Entrepreneurship scene. For the last 14 years, Alexandre has been designing and implementing acceleration programs, and incubators. He served as the Executive Director of Startup Braga for a few years and consulted cities, corporations, and VCs. After serving as the Managing Director of DTx-Colab for the Digital Transformation decided to fully focus on expanding the Venture Studio of Subvisual as the Head of Ventures.

Bruno Pica is Commander in the Portuguese Navy, currently serving at the Ministry of National Defense as the National Focal Point for the European Defense Fund. He holds a degree in Naval Engineering with a specialization in Weapons and Electronics, is an expert in submarine operations, postgraduates in Information Technology, and has a master’s in project management, he holds an Executive MBA and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations. Has extensive experience in managing complex international programs and European funds, Business M & A, Industry Advisor & Consultancy.

Over 12 years in VC investment and M&A across Europe, the US, and Israel, in Technology and Cybersecurity, Carlos Alberto Silva had several Executive and Non Executive Board positions in high-growth tech companies. Active management of portfolio companies leveraging operational, transformational, and global market experience. Turnaround, Growth, and Buy & Build track record coupled with a strong technological background.

Christian Rôças, known as Crocas, has over 25 years of experience at the intersection of technology, media, and behavior, with key roles at Instagram, Facebook, Gruda, and Porta dos Fundos. He led major projects like the Olympics, World Cup, Rock in Rio, and São Paulo Fashion Week, and helped expand Porta internationally. Named one of Brazil’s top 10 media professionals by Meio & Mensagem, he’s also won awards such as the Caboré, Clio, iBest, New York Film Festival, and Clube de Criação. Currently, he is the CEO and co-founder of Flint, an education publisher focused on the Creator Economy

David joined EIF in 2010. Before becoming Senior Regional Representative for Portugal & Spain in 2024, he held the positions of Head of Sustainable Finance and Advisory Solutions since 2022, and Head of Growth and Educational Programmes since 2015, after a few years as Business Development manager. Previously to EIF, he held positions in business development in La Caixa, Morgan Stanley, Airbus, and Citibank. David holds a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and an MBA from CEIBS (Shanghai, China).

With a degree in Biology (University of Nottingham, UK, 2004), David has over 15 years of experience across the full scope of the health sector. Having worked in Pharma, Biotech and Medical Device companies. Since 2014, he has been working as a strategy consultant for several industries. In late 2017, David founded LabToMarket to help startups, clinicians, and researchers across Europe launch their products in the market, having helped over 250 startups globally so far. Between 2022 and 2023, David also worked with Startup Portugal as Head of Growth & Acceleration.

Francisco Andrade e Silva is the Market and Regional Policies Manager at ECSO. He supports startups and scaleups in their fundraising, growth, visibility, and networking, collaborating with investors and CISOs. Francisco also conducts market analysis for the cybersecurity investment market and helps local ecosystems expand across Europe, fostering cross-border interactions and collaborations.

Ex-founder and ex-Benfica fan. Francisco is a marketer with 12+ years of experience in LatAm, helping B2B startups grow using creative, repeatable strategies. He co-founded Yerbo to fight burnout in remote teams, launching mental well-being tools that reached 300,000 people. Before that, he took Acsendo from scrappy beginnings to acquisition, leading marketing across Porto and Bogotá. Francisco has worked with over a dozen Latin American startups, helping them build scalable growth engines without losing their soul. He likes his marketing like his pandebono: salty.

Project Manager for International Projects in the Creative Industries at UPTEC, Inês swapped her bioengineering lab coat for the world of creativity and innovation. With a healthcare background, she brings scientific thinking to bridge the gap between art and tech.

Jade is a passionate community builder and entrepreneur, dedicated to connecting people with the authentic heart of Porto. As the founder of The Mindful Step, she curates unique experiences that highlight local, sustainable businesses. Jade also fosters the city’s startup ecosystem as Community & Training Manager at Founders Founders, where she’s currently developing an acceleration program for scale-up founders. Additionally, she leads She Sapiens, a thriving network for female founders. Jade is a proud mother to Alma, her biggest inspiration.

José works at KPMG Portugal in Deal Advisory (M&A). He previously worked at PwC, Nors Group, Efacec Group, and Rangel, mostly in the Finance and M&A areas. Additionally, he teaches finance for entrepreneurs at FEUP (University of Porto).

Luís Almeida started working in technology at an early age, initially focused on making his programs elegant. First at Fujitsu and then for 20 years at Microsoft, he worked on technology projects across Europe and Asia, living in Singapore for 2 years. He reached leadership positions in teams and large-scale businesses. After extensive experience with data and technology architecture, he has dedicated the last few years to AI and music: he is studying drums at the Hot Club de Portugal.

Mafalda Franco Frazão is the Head of Sales at Google Portugal. She began her career in creative agencies in Portugal, followed by an experience in Berlin working for AICEP and the Portuguese Embassy. After returning to Lisbon, she joined Google, where she has built her career over the past 16 years. She also lived in London for 6 years, where she led client relationships in the Retail and FMCG sectors. Back in Portugal, she took on the role of leading the Agency, Partner, and Platforms teams, and since 2024, she has been leading Google Portugal’s Sales team.

Márcia Pereira is the CEO of Bandora. A mechanical engineer (IST) with a PhD from the MIT Portugal program in Sustainable Energy Systems, she brings nearly 20 years of experience in energy efficiency. Before founding Bandora — which develops innovative solutions for smarter, more autonomous, and sustainable buildings – she worked at ADENE, GLINTT, and several startups.

Nuno Alves da Silva started programming at an early age and founded a still-active school theater group. He traveled the world participating in Science Fairs with AI and image recognition projects. He graduated in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Técnico while attending evening classes at the National Society of Fine Arts. He built a 25-year career in management, leading innovative teams and large-scale businesses across America and Europe, at companies such as Procter & Gamble and Microsoft.

Nuno Job is a technologist and entrepreneur based in Portugal. Over the years, he’s built developer tools, worked on infrastructure, and helped grow early-stage startups. He cares deeply about the craft of building software, the people behind it, and the future we’re shaping with technology. These days, he splits his time between writing code, supporting founders, and exploring what’s next in AI.

Patrícia is the CEO of Marquinista and a trilingual consultant on branding, communication, and tourism, who has traveled to more countries (57) than years of age. A fire starter advisor to corporations, governments, startups, and creative agencies. Program Director for UC Berkeley (Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Europe), a teacher for branding, and a marketing mentor at +20 global entrepreneurship programs.

Entrepreneur and founding Managing Director of Endeavor Portugal, a global community of high-impact entrepreneurs present in 40+ markets. The mission of Endeavor is to help build a strong, supportive, and globally connected entrepreneurial ecosystem in Portugal by selecting and servicing high-growth entrepreneurs. By providing global exposure and increasing international reach to top founders and their companies, we are fostering opportunities to pay it forward to the local economy and nurture the entire ecosystem.

General Manager of Media Capital Digital, responsible for the digital operations of the group’s various brands (TVI, CNN, Selfie, Versa, among others) as well as managing key technology partnerships with Google & YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, MEO, Vodafone, NOS, Endemol/Shine, and more. He holds a degree in “Interactive Television & New Media,” a bachelor’s in Advertising & Marketing from ESCS, and a Master’s in Management & Leadership from Universidade Católica. Married and father of three, he enjoys Trail Running, Padel, and Mountain Biking whenever possible.

Rui Santos Couto is the VP of Marketing & Growth at Infraspeak, where he is leading Brand, Strategic Marketing, Demand Generation, and Product Growth. Rui has helped scale the Infraspeak from Pre-Seed to Series B. He previously served as CMO at Bitmaker and held fractional and advisory roles across many tech companies. In 2014, he founded Musicverb, a marketing SaaS acquired in 2017. Rui is also a co-founder of Founders Founders, a guest lecturer at Porto Business School, and was a member of an advisory group to the President of Portugal from 2018 to 2023.

Tocha is an early-stage investor and multifaceted entrepreneur based in Portugal. He is a pre-seed investor & founder of Olisipo Way and Angels Way, Host of the Bitalk Podcast, co-founder & CEO of Comudel and fund launcher at OW Ventures. Tocha’s involvement in visionary projects like Cerdeira Home for Creativity and Silveira Tech underscores his dedication to sustainable innovation. With his diverse experience and expertise, Tocha has become a key player in the Portuguese startup scene and a rising influencer in the technology community.

Trisha is a Senior Associate on the investment team at the NATO Innovation Fund, looking at startups and founders across emerging and disruptive technologies as identified by NATO for the defense, security, and resilience of the Alliance. She is particularly excited about the applications of space, quantum, and materials. Prior to this, Trisha spent two years on the investment team at Seraphim Space, a global venture capital fund investing in the New Space industry, and two years in Asset Management at HSBC.

Nelly is a Senior Partner and Investment Principal at BGV, where she leads investments in their tech for good portfolio. With seven years at BGV, she has supported over 100 impact startups across sustainability, health, and inclusion. Passionate about technology as a force for good, Nelly focuses on helping founders secure crucial early-stage funding to drive positive change.

Fintech entrepreneur and mental health advocate. Nektarios ‘fell into’ traditional roles in banking. Joining an innovation team in 2011 changed his life, and since then, he has worked closely with hundreds of entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses. He is cofounder of Startupbootcamp FinTech, the world’s largest fintech startup accelerator, and the Innotribe Startup Challenge, the first global fintech startup competition. He also cofounded The Future Farm, a global community dedicated to healthier entrepreneurship. Nektarios is a travel geek and “sneaker freaker”.

Linda Capusa is an experienced operations leader with over 14 years of international experience across Europe and North America. She currently serves as Operations Director and Board Member at ESNA (Europe Startup Nations Alliance), where she oversees policy, communications, and strategic relationship activities to support national governments to foster startup-friendly environments. Her career bridges public and private sectors, combining startup agility, global retail experience, and a passion for building scalable, data-driven systems to fuel ecosystem growth.

Humberto is the co-founder and CEO of Rows.com, where he leads R&D and sets ambitious business goals to build a next-gen spreadsheet powered by AI. His work focuses on connecting users with data in smarter ways, including researching novel interactions with LLMs. Humberto holds degrees from FEUP and Caltech, as well as an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is also an angel investor in over 20 startups across AI, productivity, and developer tools.

Paulo Andrez is an angel investor, serial entrepreneur, and #1 bestselling author of Zero Risk Startup, published by Forbes Books in the US. As an angel investor, he received the award “Best European Angel Investment” in 2012, as one of his investments (United Resins) reached 24.5 million euros in revenues within the first year of operations. Two of his invested companies became unicorns. He is frequently invited to speak at international tech conferences worldwide.

Pedro is an entrepreneur with a background in computer science, high-performance sailing, and wind energy. He has raised over €6 million in funding and led teams in developing innovative and patented technologies, tested on the world’s largest rotor blades.

Rui is a lawyer and co-founder of NOVA Legal, a disruptive law firm that repositions legal as a strategic growth driver for ambitious leaders and companies. With a background in Law and Management, and specializations in AI from MIT and Oxford, he operates at the intersection of legal, technology, and business. He is also the founder of MLT – My Legal Team, a legal-tech platform that simplifies legal management for startups and founders. His mission is clear: to make legal a growth ally, never a roadblock.

Verónica Costa Orvalho, founder and CEO of Didimo, is a pioneer in facial technology and digital character creation, with 20+ years of research​, 7 patents, a PhD in Computer Graphics, and a professorship at the University of Porto. A TEDx speaker and award-winning innovator, her work has powered experiences at SONY, Microsoft, Amazon, and Universal Studios, and she is dedicated to creating a safe digital future for all.

Rui Moreira has been Mayor of Porto since 2013, elected as an independent for three consecutive terms. A graduate in Business Management from the University of Greenwich, he stood out as an entrepreneur, commentator, and president of the Porto Commercial Association. He is the author of several books and has represented Porto in international forums. He has received national and international honours, including Spain’s Grand Cross of the Order of Merit.

Alberto Mojtar is an economist and former investment banking professional at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. In 2019, after a sabbatical and a shift towards purpose-driven entrepreneurship, he founded Equal Food – an impact startup building a more sustainable food system. Bootstrapped from the ground up, Equal Food has grown into a multimillion-euro business, supporting local farmers and giving consumers and businesses access to seasonal, local, and high-quality fresh produce.

Daniela is an environmental engineer with over 10 years of experience in environmental consulting, management systems, sustainability, and carbon footprint. She is a very dynamic and entrepreneurial person, since she believes that all consulting work translates into improvement and innovation for organizations. At KPMG, she follows dozens of sustainability projects, which allows her to understand all sectors of activity, thus enhancing synergies between services.

With experience in ESG, Finance and Governance, Risk and internal controls, João supports companies in ESG projects, including defining strategic roadmaps and double materiality assessment, support in the implementation of CSRD / ESRS / VSME /GRI and other sustainability frameworks, sustainability report strategies, and ESG reporting implementation process (including internal controls, tools, and manuals), assurance of sustainability reports, and support on EU Taxonomy eligibility and alignment projects. Experience with the pre-issuance and post-issuance regarding sustainable finance frameworks.

With a background in Environmental Engineering, Economics, and Environmental Management, Inês drives circular economy and sustainability initiatives across sectors. She has supported the development and coordination of several EU-funded projects, including Horizon Europe and EEA Grants. Currently, she participates in the IS2H4C project, defining techno-economic baselines to guide the transition of four regional hubs. As a certified Climate Reality Leader, she delivers climate change training and actively collaborates with ISWA’s Young Professionals Group in the Research and Innovation Committee.

As Corporate and M&A Tax Director, Natália assists several Portuguese and international corporate groups dealing with tax affairs. She participates in transactions, advising investors on tax structuring, tax due diligence, and tax financial modelling projects. With a degree in Economics from Universidade Católica Portuguesa and qualifications in BEPS and BEPS Multilateral Instruments, Natália was also a guest lecturer in “Corporate restructurings” in the Master class from Corporate Tax Law and International Tax Law at NOVA School of Law and Portuguese Center for Judicial Studies.

With a Post-Graduation in Industry 4.0 Digital Innovation and Transformation, and qualifications in Corporate Tax Law, Finance, and Economics, Paula supports companies in defining and implementing R&D and innovation strategies across ICT, Automotive, Pharmaceutical, and Construction sectors. She manages strategic R&D projects in hydrogen, AI, space, and mobility, excelling at securing incentives through national and European programs. Paula also structures consortia and collaborative projects, promoting global R&D strategies and best practices.

Rita has extensive experience in supporting the implementation of investment projects in Portugal, by supporting the structuring of investment plans and by defining strategic incentive roadmaps aimed at achieving optimized solutions in respect to financial and tax incentives. Her expertise is mainly focused on R&D and Innovation incentives related to initiatives within the manufacturing industries and the energy sectors. Rita integrates KPMG’s core expertise team in Energy and Natural Resources, a task force specifically dedicated to assessing incentives for the energy sectors.

Haley leads Creative UK’s Creative Enterprise programme, supporting entrepreneurs across the moving image sector with bespoke business development. Haley has over 20 years’ experience working in the screen sector, managing multiple business and talent development programmes, providing strategy support, and connecting screen businesses across the UK. An advocate for creative sustainability, Haley is passionate about championing and supporting screen founders to achieve their growth potential.

Hugo Lopes is a Senior Software Engineer on Google’s Gemini Personalization team, helping build the future of personalized AI. His work focuses on giving a user context to Gemini, enabling more intuitive and relevant personal interactions over time. Hugo brings a unique perspective, having transitioned from the startup world (joining Google via a 2019 acquisition) and spending four years contributing to Google Payments before tackling the challenges of AI personalization.

Marta leads the venture capital initiative at Fidelidade, Portugal’s largest insurer, where she focuses on identifying and supporting strategic investments and fostering collaborations with startups to drive internal innovation. Based in Lisbon, she works closely with the broader innovation ecosystem to discover startups that align with Fidelidade’s strategic goals. Born in Lisbon to a Spanish family, Marta holds a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico and has over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and M&A.

Milena Stoycheva was the Minister of Innovation and Growth of Bulgaria from June 2023 to April 2024. She is a venture network builder at JA Europe and a business consultant. Milena Stoycheva is a long-time CEO of Junior Achievement Bulgaria (JA Bulgaria), part of the global network of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JA Worldwide) and a co-founder of its spin-off company The Edge: R&BD. Throughout her career, Milena has worked systematically for digitalization, modernization and development of a high educational and startup culture in Bulgaria.

Ana Casaca has 20+ years of experience in innovation and technology transfer. She began her career in San Francisco as a researcher under a Fulbright and AICEP scholarship before moving into corporate entrepreneurship. Ana drives growth through technology, startups, and ecosystem development. She holds a Microbiology degree from the Portuguese Catholic University and an MBA from Porto Business School, where she is an Invited Professor. She is also an Invited Associate Professor at ISEG and serves as an Expert Evaluator for Portuguese and European R&D programs.

André is a VC at Antler, a global early-stage investor. He was a Strategy & Innovation Manager at Sogrape, devising their Corporate VC strategy, and Co-founder & COO of Betmarkets, a “Most Favourited Startup” voted by investors at the Web Summit and a finalist at SXSW Pitch. His experience spans investment banking at Citi, fashiontech at Sozie (Techstars-backed), and retail at Sonae. He holds an MSc with Distinction in Financial Analysis from the London Business School and a BSc in Economics from FEP-U.Porto, achieving the course’s highest-ever grade.

Armindo Costa is the general partner of Chamaeleon, leading the Mantis team of data scientists, data engineers, quants, and software developers. Previously, an executive director and senior quant at Goldman Sachs, in a core team challenging all the advanced models used by the firm and advising the board of directors on the most complex transactions. Costa has also led a big data startup and published multiple research papers introducing novel mathematical models.

Beatriz is a Manager at KPMG, actively participating in project management and client engagement in sustainability. With over eight years of experience in consultancy, her expertise includes supporting companies in advancing decarbonization and circular economy practices and navigating the evolving ESG regulatory landscape, focusing on strategic alignment and reporting. Beatriz has also been part of teams that regularly assist organizations in identifying and leveraging funding opportunities under national and international programs.

João Freire de Andrade is the Head of BiG Start Ventures, an early-stage Venture Capital firm investing in startups innovating in finance (FinTech), insurance (InsurTech), and cybersecurity. Start Ventures provides entrepreneurs with a unique environment for FinTech development, with access to banking infrastructures, systems expertise, banking products, banking users, compliance, and regulation. João was the founder of the Portugal Fintech Association, which is responsible for promoting the Portuguese fintech ecosystem, and creating the top 30 Portuguese fintechs report.

Jon Fath is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rauva, a fintech revolutionizing SME banking. With a background in international M&A across 20+ countries, he has built and scaled ventures worldwide. Previously, he led AI innovation at Transmetrics, co-founded the blockchain-based platform Equivvy, and drove Bunq’s expansion across 22 European markets as COO. Fath specializes in fintech, AI, and B2B transformation.

Kristjan-Mart Piirsalu is an investment manager at SmartCap Defence Fund, focusing on direct investments in companies producing or developing products or technologies, or providing sector-specific services either exclusively for military use, or for dual-use that can be used for both civilian and military applications.

Luis is CEO and co-founder of Inductiva.ai, a company developing a computational platform to help scientists and engineers simulate, predict, and optimize all things in Nature. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering (1999), an MSc in Artificial Intelligence (2004), and a PhD in Informatics, all from the University of Porto (2010). Luis has more than 20 years of experience leading R&D teams both in academic (University of Porto, National Foundation for Scientific Computing, Portugal) and industrial settings (Portugal Telecom, Amazon, Google).

Madalena is a DE&I Manager at Blip, with a strong background in empowering minorities and creating inclusive workplace cultures. She designs impactful DEI initiatives and mentors individuals to grow with confidence, authenticity, and inclusive leadership. Her strengths—Communication, Inclusiveness, Positivity, Woo, and Futuristic thinking—drive her mission to help others thrive in diverse and evolving environments.

Mariana Barbosa is a communications and public relations professional with a strong background in storytelling, event management, and media engagement. She is the founder and CEO of MAR Studio, where she leads creative projects that blend strategic communication with impactful narratives. Her work emphasizes empowering voices and fostering meaningful connections through media and events. Working as a journalist for 16 years, she partnered with newsrooms and publications around Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, the US, and the UK. She is also a host and an author.

Neide Vieira, PhD, is the COO and co-founder of IPLEXMED, with over 18 years of experience in R&D, specializing in molecular and cellular biology. A passionate leader in science and innovation, driving breakthroughs in molecular diagnostics and biosensor technology.

Ricardo is the Co-founder of Beta-i, a collaborative innovation platform with global reach that started in 2010 and is the main builder of the startup ecosystem in Lisbon. Expert in designing and managing projects for large corporations worldwide, from strategy to pilot testing & venture building. Beta-i’s main industries are Energy, Oceans & Sustainability. Ricardo also co-founded several educational projects in Portugal.

Economist by training from Universidade Católica, with a master’s degree in management from NOVA SBE, after a few years working in large companies in the energy and insurance sectors—focusing on Data Analysis, Marketing, and Customer Experience—Rita joined Goparity in 2020. Currently, she is the company’s CMO, overseeing the Product and Customer Support teams. At Goparity, Rita found a purpose-driven company and a community deeply committed to enabling the financial system’s green transition, by democratizing sustainable finance

Salomé Le Goff is responsible for several startup training programs at WILLA, a French incubator specializing in women-led startups. Each year, WILLA accompanies over 150 startups in different industries in their launch and growth on the French market.

Partner at KPMG Germany, Tim Dümichen is Corporate Tax Partner and serves as Risk Management Partner for the Tax & Legal area. As Co-Head of KPMG Venture Services, he works closely with startups, scale-ups, and investors within the venture ecosystem. His role focuses on providing strategic tax support and oversight, aligned with innovation-driven initiatives and corporate growth, particularly within the context of KPMG’s broader advisory and risk frameworks.

Victoria Valbuena holds a degree in Business Administration and a master’s in Internationalisation from ESIC. After starting in banking and spending two years in the USA working in retail, imports, and education, she has focused on business internationalisation for the past 11 years. At INCIBE, she was Head of Internationalisation (2022–2024) and, since Jan 2025, leads the department of Business Promotion and Development.

Zhi Hong is EDB’s Regional Director (Europe) based in Paris. He partners companies in the Tech, Sustainability, and Mobility sectors to expand in Asia through Singapore, by providing information and facilitating useful connections. Before moving to Paris, Zhi Hong was an Account Manager at EDB HQ in Singapore. He partnered with Mobility and i4.0 technology companies to expand their regional presence. This included supporting them on their digitalisation and energy transition journeys to transform their internal operations & create new solutions for their customers.

Ana Lomba is an Innovation Consultant at Beta-i, where she designs and leads collaborative innovation programs, more focused on GovTech and public transformation, working with governments, startups, and companies to solve real challenges with impact.

Ana Reis is a Senior Tax Manager at PwC Portugal, responsible for individual taxation matters. With over 13 years of experience, she has built a strong background in tax advisory, focusing on people and organisation topics, international mobility, and employee benefits. Before joining PwC, she worked at Deloitte and Sonae, where she deepened her expertise in compensation, benefits, and international talent management. Throughout her career, Ana has supported clients from various geographies in effectively managing tax obligations and global mobility strategies.

A business growth strategist and a global marketing leader with over 27 years of experience across the globe, especially in the US, South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Led global consumer brands like Monster, Microsoft, and Samsung, and now a growth strategist, leadership coach, and fractional CXO, working with the startup ecosystem and various creative ventures focusing on growth. Specialises in strategy & brand building, GTM strategy, and failure-driven innovation. Currently based in Lisbon – Fractional CXO with startups, Community Lead – F_ckUp Nights PT.

Capucine worked for five years in the media industry (BFM BUSINESS and B SMART), managing partnerships and communications. She joined WILLA in December 2022 as Head of Influence and is now the Communications Director. She leads the association’s communication strategy and oversees awareness and advocacy campaigns, including studies on the gender gap and mental health.

Christopher is a business executive and lawyer leading a growth oriented company focused on bridging FDI in university research & development and entrepreneurial opportunities; with extensive experience advising tech startups, corporate boards, universities, research organizations, and other businesses and not-for-profit entities on various operational and growth matters including those involving aspects of intellectual property, corporate finance, and governance.

Dariusz has started his career working for Deloitte and PwC in Poland, then managed TATA Tea and Red Bull in Poland and the Baltics before starting his Deep Tech startup in the construction industry, being the latest development since the discovery of aerated concrete in 1924. On top of that, Dariusz has started ARIA, a venture capital firm, investing in Deep Tech startups in the early growth phase across Europe.

Diane Nevin is the founder and CEO of Grit International Female Network. A female membership community & international accelerator that promotes gender equality across the healthcare ecosystem. Diane has over 20 years’ experience in business and e-health consultancy, program director, and lecturer in entrepreneurship and innovation. An esteemed international board member, expert to the European Innovation Council, and current partner of the HER FUND EU project. Extremely passionate about improving women’s health and co-authored a publication on “The Opportunities & Challenges of Women’s Digital Health”.

Diogo Peixoto is a lawyer who supports startups at all stages of their growth – from pre-seed to running through all the alphabet letters. He focuses on commercial and investment contracts, corporate structure, stock options, intellectual property, international expansion, and a few more topics along the way. “Many hats,” as some would say.

Since late 2020, Francisco has successfully raised over €260M in total, taking charge of fundraising efforts and overseeing the investment team. He has successfully secured investments for the funds and has supervised the execution of 29 investments to date. Previously, he was a Manager at KPMG Portugal & Angola, specializing in the area of M&A, where he developed acquisition and divestiture projects, valuations, and fundraising in various sectors.

Gonçalo founded and successfully exited Prodsmart (now Autodesk Fusion Operations, acquired by Autodesk in 2022), a software that helps manufacturers and fabricators to schedule, track, and trace their production and quality processes in real-time. His areas of interest include AI, Web3, the Metaverse, SaaS, GTM strategy & Growth. He likes swords, roller skates, and magic, and truly believes in comic books.

Gonçalo Lickfold is a lawyer at NOVA Legal, specialising in Labour, Corporate, and Compliance Law. He provides ongoing legal counsel to companies, focusing on labour compliance, strategic human resources management, and risk prevention. His mission? To ensure companies don’t learn the law the hard way.

Jacinthe, a qualified European Patent Attorney at Patentree, is the co-founder and President of the Executive Board of Directors of SPIA – Singapore-Portugal Innovation Alliance. She co-founded SPIA with a group of like-minded entrepreneurs, investors, inventors, innovators, and ecosystem builders to facilitate and bring together growth and innovation-driven technological companies to help catalyse the exchange of information, business contacts, and networking, eventually, market entry of companies into both Portugal and Singapore.

Joana Garrido is a Senior Tax Manager at PwC Portugal, specialising in tax and social security advisory services for high-net-worth individuals, as well as national and international companies. Her expertise lies particularly in the taxation of employment benefits and related matters. With nearly a decade of experience in individual taxation, including international mobility and tax compliance, Joana also held a position at EY, building a strong track record in this field.

Joana Leite has been a Senior Technician in the Municipal Department of Cultural Heritage Management of the Municipality of Porto since 2021. Archaeologist, with work developed and articles published, mainly in the centre and north of the country. In parallel with archaeology, since 2003, she has provided training, coordinated courses, and taught at various educational/training establishments.

João Afonso is Head of Business Development for the Culture and Creative Industries at UPTEC and a two-time startup founder. With more than 13 years of experience in entrepreneurship and innovation, from technological to creative industries (as founder and mentor), he is now leading UPTEC’s creative industries/arts business area, both supporting incubated startups, as well as fostering an institutional international position within this context.

João is a dedicated supporter of the startup ecosystem, actively participating in PwC’s startup initiatives and network. In recent years, João has been involved in relevant technology/software transactions, assisting national and international investors in the financial due diligence process.

João Henriques is a Partner at Iberis Capital, combining extensive investment expertise with a strong commercial and operational focus. With an academic background from IST and INSEAD, João began his career at Boston Consulting Group before taking on senior financial leadership roles at Vodafone Portugal and Vodafone Group, including CFO and Group Finance Director positions, overseeing strategic areas such as M-Pesa, Procurement, and Enterprise Services. He also served as CFO at PetroAtlantic Energy and as an advisor at BlueFox. A specialist in Private Equity and Telecommunications, João manages investments with strategic insight and deep operational knowledge.

João Neto is a medical doctor specialized in Family Medicine, with postgraduate training in Geriatrics, Non-Oncologic Palliative Care, and Functional Medicine. He is the Co-Founder of Prime Human Performance, Chief Medical Officer at Gripwise, and a physician at CUF Viseu Hospital. With a career focused on active aging and human performance, João combines clinical practice with health innovation, integrating medical expertise with a functional and preventive approach. He has worked across both public and private healthcare sectors, always committed to enhancing quality of life and well-being.

José Bastos is an experienced senior manager, driven by his dream of providing universal healthcare to the world.  As co-founder & CEO of knok Healthcare, his goals include empowering every person on the planet to access quality and affordable health care. José has a degree in Management from the University of Oporto and a Mergers and Acquisitions Programme from the University of Chicago – Booth, and he is fluent in Portuguese, English, French, Italian, and Spanish. In 2015, he co-founded knok Healthcare, growing it from zero to market leadership in digital health in Portugal.

Leonardo Silva works in Privacy, AI, and Digital Legal Operations at Nova Legal Advogados. He is a Law graduate from NOVA School of Law, currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Law and Technology with a minor in Data-Driven Markets. Leonardo is a researcher at NOVA Data-Driven Law and WhatNext.Law, an IAPP A. Serwinn Scholar, and a mentee at BNP Paribas’ Drive Mentoring Programme.

Lurdes Gramaxo is Partner & Executive Board Member in Bynd Venture Capital, an Iberian Venture Capital with three early-stage funds under management, FCR Leading Ventures, FCR BA Venture Fund, and FCR BYND TO IBERIA III. Lurdes is also President of INVESTORS PORTUGAL, the Portuguese Association for Early-Stage Investors. With +10 years of experience in early-stage investments in Iberia, in the pre-seed, seed, and early-stage phases. In 2020, she was awarded Europe’s Female Investor of the Year, by BANd Deutschland. Before, Lurdes holds a +20 years career experience in the corporate world, at a top.

Based in Dubai, Gani is a Partner and Director for the MENA region at Atlantic Premium Capital Partners. He is focused on creating investment mechanisms in Portugal tailored for investors from the Middle East, to foster and empower local Portuguese companies.

Marcelo Araújo Pontes is a Solutions Architect at Huawei, with over five years of experience in the role and nearly 15 years in the Information Technology field. Throughout his career, he has developed robust and innovative technology solutions tailored to various industries and business challenges.

Márcia Pereira, CEO da Bandora, é engenheira mecânica (IST) com doutoramento MIT Portugal em Sustainable Energy Systems. Com quase 20 anos de experiência em eficiência energética, passou por ADENE, GLINTT e startups antes de fundar a Bandora, que desenvolve soluções inovadoras para edifícios mais sustentáveis, autónomos e confortáveis.

Entrepreneur, Co-Founder of 929 Challenge, and Director of Macau Spin Incubator (USJ University Incubator). Marco has vast international business development experience across Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Lived in Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, France, the US, Spain, Brazil, and China. Consultant for the Centre for Science and Technology Exchange and Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CSTCP) and actual president of the Association for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Macau, China, and Portuguese Speaking Countries.

Ex-depressed and occasional anxious Mental health Consultant and Activist Keynote Speaker, Author and Columnist Brain Health Ambassador, Hospital Lusíadas Monsanto Certified in Mental Health First Aid Postgraduate Degree in Social and Organizational Psychology Master Degree in Law&Economics Professor, Women’s Leadership Program, Nova SBE/StarSe Executive Program (Wellbeing, Mental Health) Former Member of the Portuguese Parliament and former Assistant Professor at Lisbon Faculty of Law (International Economics, EU Law, Public Finances) Stigma Breaker.

BBC journalist and media trainer specializing in helping tech companies communicate their story clearly and effectively to the press. With extensive experience writing for national and international media outlets, including the BBC and Financial Times, he uses this insider perspective to benefit media training clients and businesses wanting to get their message across. Expert in communication training, features journalism, crisis management, and message development.

Pablo is a business development leader with over 15 years of experience in digital transformation, cloud computing, and telecom. Currently, he leads Huawei’s Cloud business in Spain and Portugal. Previously, he headed Commerce Cloud at Salesforce and drove strategic sales initiatives for major clients such as Vodafone and Telefónica. He has held digital leadership roles at Telefónica and Vodafone, leading projects that enhanced customer satisfaction and digital engagement. With an Executive Master in Digital Business, he is also an author and mentor in the startup space.

Rita Vilas-Boas has worked in the last +20 years as a global executive, having held several leadership roles in seven countries across three continents. In the last seven years, she has advised and invested as an angel in startups. Rita is a founder member of Iniciativa Liberal, the first classic liberal party in Portugal, among many other civil involvement activities. Born, raised, and educated in Porto, Portugal, Rita holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology with a major in Microbiology. She is a wine connoisseur with a WSET Level-3 Advanced Certificate. Lives between Lisbon, Porto, and the Douro Valley.

Valdemar Duarte, 64, holds a degree in Economics from ISE. He has been General Manager of AGEAS Pensões since 2017, a Board Member of APFIPP since 2016, and a member of the EIOPA Occupational Pensions Stakeholders Group (OPSG) since 2018.

Vijaykant Nadadur (Vijay) is the Co-Founder & CEO of Stride.AI, an AI-first automation company. A Techstars alum with a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Kentucky, he has spent 11+ years building AI solutions globally—across four continents. Vijay is a published researcher, global speaker, and conversant in seven languages, bringing a uniquely international perspective to AI and innovation.

Pedro Bizarro is co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Feedzai, where he leads the Research department.

Drawing on a history in academia and research, Pedro helped to develop Feedzai’s industry-leading RiskOps platform to fight financial fraud using innovations from the Research team. Pedro is also an invited Visiting Professor at Universidade de Lisboa – IST, a Member of the Global Innovator Programme at the World Economic Forum, an Assistant Professor at the University of Coimbra, a visiting professor at Carnegie Mellon University, a Fulbright Fellow, and holds a Computer Science PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Pedro’s main interests are high-performance systems for data processing, machine learning, responsible AI, and data visualization. Pedro is also an avid runner and an Ironman.

João Aroso is the Founder & CEO of Asamo, a newly launched brand on a mission to create smart, intuitive tools for the digital age.  João is also the driving force behind Leadzai, a customer acquisition platform used by businesses around the world to grow online. With over a decade of experience as an entrepreneur and strategic leader, João is passionate about building innovative products and helping companies scale. He also serves as a board member at Oscar and proGrow, where he supports strategic growth and innovation in the home services and industrial IoT sectors.

Graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP-UL, with a postgraduate degree in Political Science and International Relations from FCSH-UNL, Catarina Peyroteo Salteiro has worked at companies such as Fox International Channels and Universal Music Group, where she held roles in the marketing field. She spent five years at Defined.ai, an artificial intelligence data scale-up, where she led the Global Communication and Brand department. She later took on the role of leading Internationalization and Special Projects at Startup Portugal, and in 2023, she moved to Brussels to work in the European Parliament.

Mauro has been involved in different martial arts since childhood. Academically, his career was always around the subject of adherence and retention in fitness, searching for the “stickiness” to products and services and trying to understand how to keep clients engaged by designing for motivation and with gamification as a central strategy for mass-adoption. With over 20 years of experience in the fitness space and over 30 years in different martial arts, building the “first boxing bag with a brain” was the next logical step.

Francisco Sousa is a global executive with experience across South America, the Middle East, and Africa in eCommerce, FoodTech, PropertyTech, and online gaming. Over the past 7 years, he led Talabat in Qatar, contributing to the Middle East’s largest IPO in 2024. He successfully developed businesses at Zomato (Qatar), Skypro, Grupel, and Ganymede (EMEA). He is a lecturer at the University of Doha for Science and Technology, holds an Executive MBA from HEC Paris (ranked #1 by the Financial Times), has spoken at over 100 events, and mentors in ecosystems like Qatar Sports Tech and Founder Institute.

Francisca is a biochemist with a passion for neuroscience, but over the past decade, her journey through innovation and entrepreneurship has led her to embrace technology, space, climate, sustainability, and other sectors. With brief experience in the corridors of Horizon Europe — as a delegate and national contact point — she is now fully dedicated to UPTEC’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, approaching it through a project management perspective while constantly seeking international opportunities on the horizon.

Rute Vasco is a journalist and founder who is passionate about bringing people together and developing ideas that help us live better lives.

Sandie is a startup ecosystem supporter and a Transaction Services Partner at PwC. With 24 years of international experience in M&A, across different sectors, she is used to providing invaluable insights to businesses. Sandie has been empowering Portuguese startups with strategic financial guidance, driving their success in today’s competitive landscape, through partnerships with Startup Lisboa, Startup Braga, Startup Guimarães, and PwC’s startups network.

Filipe Freitas Pinto is a psychiatrist specialized in pharmaceutical medicine and Chief Medical Officer at Knok, Portugal’s leading telemedicine company. A strong advocate for real-world tech adoption in healthcare, he focuses on applying Machine Learning and LLMs. As a Google Medical AI Ambassador, he is at the forefront of AI in medicine. He also lectures at MEDCIDS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto.

Co-Founder of AGPC, a one-stop office for foreign investment, assisting international clients investing, launching a business, or relocating to Portugal. Co-Founder of Here Partners, a consulting firm aimed at bringing financing closer to entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs. Co-Founder of RedBridge, a cross-border club connecting the entrepreneurial and investor communities of Silicon Valley and Portugal.

Marisa has a significant role in the Vodafone Innovation Hub, contributing to various innovation and enterprise solution projects. Her work includes overseeing a team that collaborates on innovative projects, ensuring that Vodafone continues to lead in the digital transformation space. Marisa’s contributions are part of a broader effort by Vodafone to enhance its digital presence and improve customer engagement through innovative solutions!

Pedro Ramalho Carlos is the General Partner at Shilling Founders Fund with over 25 years of experience as a tech entrepreneur, operator, and investor. He began his career as Founder & CTO of IP Global and held executive roles at Novis Telecom, Sonaecom, and Optimus. Known for his hands-on approach and passion for building teams, Pedro supports early-stage founders with practical guidance and deep operational know-how. His motto: “If it’s a good project and you know how to make it work, just do it.”

Nuno Moreno has spent the last 7 years deeply embedded in Portugal’s startup ecosystem—working alongside founders, building programs from scratch, and forging partnerships that help early-stage teams grow. His work has supported over 100 startups through community initiatives, strategic collaborations, and national-scale events. Nuno brings a hands-on, ecosystem-first approach to solving growth challenges. He thrives at the intersection of people, purpose, and execution: where momentum matters more than polish, and real traction beats hype.

Rita is a Manager at Maze, supporting companies, foundations, and third-sector organizations in scaling their impact. She holds a degree in Economics from the University of Porto and a Master’s in Management from Nova SBE. Rita brings experience and passion for finance, social innovation, and corporate sustainability. Before joining Maze, she worked at Oxy Capital, the social startup SPEAK, and the sustainability team at Fidelidade.

Sara Mendes is an Innovation Manager at Sogrape, a global family-owned wine company with a strong international presence in more than 120 markets. She leads strategic innovation initiatives and manages the Sogrape Ventures fund. Her experience bridges corporate and startup ecosystems, always focused on impact and collaboration.

Raphael Stanzani designs and implements programs that support the creation of new startups. In this role, he has already guided over 70 projects and worked with over 100 entrepreneurs.

Susana is the Head of InvestPorto, the investment promotion agency of Porto City Council. She has been actively working on the international promotion of Porto, supporting investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and decision-makers, while fostering institutional cooperation. She also has a strong background in the design and implementation of public policies.

Christopher Lai serves as Director of France, Spain, and Portugal for Hong Kong Trade Development Council, overseeing operations and strategies for enhancing economic relations between the region and Hong Kong. He has held several positions during his tenure, including Section Head of IP and Technology, Director of Korea, and Section Head of Financial Services. Christopher is a trusted advisor on trade and investment, curating connections between corporates, investors, project owners, and entrepreneurs, along with consulting on expansion and growth strategies for worldwide businesses.

Afonso is the Head of Southern Europe & LATAM at Kevel, leading growth in Retail Media. He was previously VP of Growth at Velocidi, helping scale the company from four pilots to dozens of enterprise clients and supporting its successful exit. Former CEO of Tuizzi.com, where he raised VC and angel investment, Afonso is also a Partner at Laika Ventures, a global AI-focused fund, and co-founder of Founders Founders. He mentors several startups and initiatives, including Startup Esposende. Outside of work, he’s a proud father of three daughters and values time with family and friends.

Dynamic and experienced startup mentor and incubator manager, passionate about fostering innovation and collaboration. Based in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, Luís Santos has a deep understanding of the startup ecosystem and the unique challenges and opportunities it presents. With a background in management, EU funds, and supporting SMEs, has successfully moderated numerous round tables and panels, bringing together diverse voices to explore critical topics in the tech and startup world.

Eliano is a Technology, Product, and AI executive with experience establishing game-changing capabilities across Enterprises in many industries and geographies worldwide.

Gustavo is Director of Innovation and Knowledge Transfer at Casa do Impacto, one of the top 125 Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs in 2024 and 2025 for the Financial Times. Previously he was Head of Investment, responsible for the Impact Investment Fund of Casa do Impacto. Works in social innovation and impact entrepreneurship for 12 years, delivering capacity-building programs, co-creation processes, and European R&D projects. He’s an accredited expert in Social, Organisational and Community Psychology and has taught at various higher education institutions.

João is a seasoned engineer with 15+ years of experience building data-driven solutions across multiple industries. He co-founded Inovretail, later acquired by Sonae IM, and now leads AI strategy at Tonic Easy Medical. He’s also a Managing Partner at Savvy Capital.

Manuel Baptista is an Innovation Consultant at Beta-i, experienced in facing the particularities of industrial clients and driving the projects to meet clients’ innovation ambitions.

With over 20 years of experience across both public and private sectors, Miguel has built a career at the intersection of innovation, public policy, and smart cities. He served as Deputy Mayor of Lisbon, leading key areas such as mobility, entrepreneurship, and the city’s Green Pact. Currently at SIBS, he works to drive digital transformation of SIBS customers and partners with a focus on payments and digital identity topics.

Nick Huber is a thought leadership and media consultant, specialising in the tech sector. He helps thought leadership editors and PR agency executives grow their audiences, build trust, and increase revenue through high-quality writing. He has worked as a journalist for outlets including the Financial Times and the BBC.

Patric Gresko is Head of Institutional Relationship Management at European Investment Fund (EIF), assisting private and public institutions in developing European risk capital markets through EIF’s equity and debt instruments. Previously, he was Head of Division for Innovation & Technology Investments (ITI) at EIF, co-leading the venture capital team for over two decades and managing a portfolio of over EUR 12b across 500+ VC funds.

Pedro Cerdeira is at the intersection of Business, Tech, and Innovation, where Web3, AI, and deep-tech meet investors, startups, and corporates. He invests in universe-denting startups at 3CommaCapital. He empowers revenue growth at businessplug.com by delivering next-gen services on transformational strategy, game-changing Go To Market, and impactful partnerships.

Pedro Coutinho is a tech entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience building software products, businesses, and startups. Angel investor and VC Emerging Manager. Empowering founders with empathy, insight, and lasting relationships.

Tom Allen founded The AI Journal, a contributor-led platform with over 2,000 thought leaders from some of the biggest institutions, tech vendors, and enterprises in the world today. Currently, we reach over 2 million views per month across our channels. I love talking about AI and helping businesses tell an inspiring story for their product. I advise companies in NED and advisory roles for Go To Market (GTM) and AI implementation strategy.

Yesenia Otamendi holds a degree in Business Administration and Management and a Master’s degree in International Economic Studies and Diplomatic Relations. She has worked in both the public and private sectors, involved in business internationalization processes. She has over 15 years of experience in the preparation, coordination, management, and oversight of European projects.

Ricardo Sequerra is a VC investor in software and AI globally at the seed stage.

Miguel Damas is the founder of Prime Human Performance. His mission is clear: to ensure the body never limits what we can achieve in life or in our careers. Combining medicine, nutrition, psychology, biohacking, and technology, he helps people and organisations optimise health, focus, and longevity. He has worked with patients, athletes, clubs, and companies in over 40 countries.

Filipe Araújo is the Vice-President of Porto City Hall, in charge of the Department of Finance, Employment and Entrepreneurship, the Department of Environment and Climate Transition, and the Department of Innovation and Digital Transition – RM

Mário Moreira has over 20 years of professional experience working with companies and is currently the Equity Manager – Direct Investments at Banco Português de Fomento. After some initial experience as a consultant for SMEs and private banking, he entered Norgarante (BPF Group), where he worked as Business Manager, then Branch Manager, and finally Deputy Director of Credit Risk Analysis.

Passionate about promoting collaboration and with a strong focus on social impact and sustainability, I have led several initiatives that promote entrepreneurship and social innovation. These include supporting university students in developing entrepreneurial projects and co-creating a unified strategy for social innovation within the university. Currently, I am driving the development of Lisboa’s innovation ecosystem through Lisboa Innovation, a Lisboa City Council initiative that serves as a platform to connect several initiatives and the city’s innovative community.

Business Development Manager at Ínclita Seaweed Solutions, Catarina Ricca has over 15 years of experience in product and sales management, driven by a passion for connecting science and business strategy. Her career began as a Food Biotech Researcher before transitioning to Information Technology. Since then, Catarina has supported companies by crafting tailored sales and marketing strategies, while leading new product development to meet clients’ needs. Today, she is committed to driving innovation and sustainability within the seaweed industry.

With an Executive MBA from Porto Business School, an M.Sc. in Innovation and Technological Entrepreneurship, and a 5-year degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Porto, he has worked as the Business Developer Manager for the Blue Economy at INESC TEC, where he crafted and oversees innovation strategies. With extensive experience in executive management and advisory roles, excels in fostering business opportunities and partnerships, driving high-impact results.

Dr. Felipe Torres is a physician and certified Functional Breathing instructor who helps high-performing professionals transform stress and anxiety into focus, resilience, and well-being—one breath at a time. While working on the front lines of the pandemic, Felipe faced deep burnout that led him to rediscover his purpose. Through conscious breathing, he found a powerful, science-backed tool to restore mental, emotional, and physical health. What began as a personal journey became a mission. Today, he blends medical insight with breathwork to help leaders and teams perform at their best.

Manuel Gaspar is the community manager at Casa do Impacto. He is the main point of contact between the network of impact entrepreneurs, CI’s team, and partners. Responsible for running the Incubation program and all activities and events occurring at CI’s headquarters, Manuel is also part of the team behind capacity building and acceleration programs at CI. With a background in Sustainable Management, Manuel provides support to entrepreneurs seeking advice, startup cohorts needing training sessions, as well as overviewing community building initiatives.

Miguel Fernandes (Engineer) – graduated in 1999 from the UTAD in Zootechnical Engineering. Obtained a HBO-Honours Bachelor – European Engineer Degree in Food Chain Management, in 2001, by CAH – Professional University), in Dronten (Holland) , in 2005 obtained an MBE – Master in Business and Engineering in Innovation, at the Portuguese Catholic University (ESB/UCP). Between 2002 and 2007, he assumed roles in the Industrial Manager area, in a Food Industry. He is a founding partner of SAport Lda. (2007) and Foodintech Lda. (2008), companies dedicated to the development and implementation of MES

Pierre Lucena is President of Porto Digital (Brazil) and Professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE).

Co-Founder and CTO of SafetyScope with a degree in Computer Science, specialising in Artificial Intelligence and Video Games, and a certification in Samsung’s Innovation Campus Artificial Intelligence bootcamp.

Lucien Burm is President of the Dutch Startup Association, a board member of Allied for Startups, and the founder of Prompting Europe. An entrepreneur since 2008, he previously founded the AI company Nine Connections and played an active role in launching some of the first acceleration programs in the Netherlands. He is also the co-founder of 10X, an initiative that promotes disruptive innovation across Europe. His mission is clear: to help build trillion-euro companies from Europe.

Carla is an economist with an MBA and a background in investment banking and venture capital. She began her journey in the energy sector in 2008, where she engaged with cleantech companies from around the globe. Since then, her passion for innovation, eagerness to learn, and drive to introduce new business models have only grown stronger. Working closely with leading tech companies has shaped her approach, fueling her with inspiration, resilience, and agility. These qualities are central to her success as a corporate innovation leader within major energy players.

Pedro Sá is Director of Delta Ventures, the innovation unit of Grupo Nabeiro. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from IST Lisbon and completed postgraduate studies at ISEG Lisbon, INSEAD, Católica Lisbon, and the Kellogg School of Management. Throughout his career, he has worked at companies such as Arthur Andersen, Jerónimo Martins, Sonae, and Grupo Nabeiro, with experience in project management, logistics, supply chain management, eCommerce, and innovation.

Luís is a Partner in the Corporate and M&A department, where he leads Team Genesis and co-heads the Private Equity practice. With deep expertise in technology, life sciences, and healthcare, Luís specializes in advising IP-rich and asset-light companies. He focuses on supporting founders, high-growth businesses, and investors with their most complex cross-border transactions and go-to-market strategies.

Dzenis Skopljak is the Project Leader for the HER FUND EU project, an initiative dedicated to tackling the funding divide in the European innovation ecosystem. With over 10 years of experience building startup communities in Stockholm and Malmö, she co-founded Women in Tech Alliance and currently runs the Nordic Fe:male Invest Summit. She is deeply invested in creating equitable opportunities for underrepresented individuals and fostering a more inclusive startup landscape. With the rise of AI, community building and human connections will be more important than ever.

Rogério Tavares is part of the project management and mentoring team at the INOVAGAIA technology incubator, located in the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia. As a mentor, he regularly provides guidance and mentoring to incubated projects at INOVAGAIA, also supporting entrepreneurs in their fundraising efforts. Additionally, he is part of the project management team at the incubator, assisting with INOVAGAIA’s own projects.

Business manager, strategist, and entrepreneur with a drive for using innovative and creative strategies to solve complex problems. Forbes 30 under 30 for Science and Healthcare, with a background in Computer Science, I have spent several years focusing on innovation and improving strategies in companies from Tech to Healthcare.

Ângela Crisóstomo is Head of the InvestMatosinhos Unit at Matosinhos City Hall (Portugal).

Carolina Sampaio Dinis is the EIT Community Officer for Portugal, connecting local innovators to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s pan-European network. With a background in biomedical sciences, an MBA, and a Master’s in Innovation underway, she brings experience across health, insurance, and innovation consultancy. A founder herself, she blends strategic insight with a people-first approach — also sharing practical, bilingual content through her project Innovation Pill to make innovation more accessible.

Tomás leads open & internal innovation and programs at imatch, co-designing and co-developing innovative solutions alongside with brands like Delta, PRIO, Microsoft, Startup Portugal, etc. He is known for designing collaborative formats that connect startups with corporates to drive real-world impact. A frequent speaker and facilitator, Tomás brings an energetic, hands-on approach to events such as Building The Future, where he recently curated the Startup World by Galp stage or co-designed and curated the agendas on this event.

With over 25 years of experience in the technology and digital sector, Vítor Magalhães began his career at PUUG – Portuguese Unix Systems Group, where he contributed to the creation of the first ISP in Portugal. He co-founded the projects Infopulse, Webware, Telemoveis.com, Netcall, and BySide, the latter acquired by CoreMedia in 2023. Currently, he is an Advisor at CoreMedia, a Partner at Laika Ventures — an investment fund specialized in Artificial Intelligence — and an Executive Director at Grupo Insparya.

Vasco Teixeira Esteves is the CEO of Tecmafoods, a Portuguese company focused on sustainable food innovation through insect-based solutions. He is also President of Portugal Insect, an industry association promoting the use of insects in food and feed, and works closely with regulatory and academic stakeholders. With a background in Business Economics from Católica Porto Business School, Vasco combines corporate experience with entrepreneurship in the agri-tech and circular economy sectors. His mission is to build scalable, sustainable food systems that generate local impact and reduce waste.

Bruno is the CEO and co-founder of Addvolt, the World’s 1st solution to replace 4.5 Million diesel gensets used on refrigerated transport.
With Addvolt, the logistics and transportation companies reduce operational costs while promoting a cleaner and quieter goods distribution.
The company is led by four founders who have been working together since the first prototype in 2013. Starting their company straight out of university, the team developed strong in-house experience in engineering, which they complemented with commercial expertise acquired over the last seven years.
Bruno has a Master’s Degree in Electrical engineering from FEUP—University of Porto, and he has integrated a business and management program from Carnegie Mellon University. In 2020, he was nominated by Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Manufacturing & Industry category.

Miguel Garcia is an engineer at heart, a Tech enthusiast, and a Founder and Executive leading over 300 engineers across four locations, crafting products for a better working life.

University of Cambridge graduate, Musician and Co-founder of Musiversal, Xavier helped take Portugal’s 10th fastest growing company from 0 to €1.5M ARR in 12 months. He also co-led the company’s fundraising efforts, helping Musiversal raise over €7M to date from notable Portuguese VCs including Shilling, Lince, and Iberis.

André Campos is the Transformation Officer at Sogrape, where he oversees the group’s Strategy, Innovation, and Transformation. In his role, André has been dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation within Sogrape and positioning the company as a significant player in the innovation ecosystem. André Campos holds an MBA from INSEAD, a degree in Economics, and a master’s degree in Finance from the School of Economics at the University of Porto.

Diogo Mónica is General Partner at Haun Ventures and Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Anchorage Digital.

Anchorage Digital brings the world’s most advanced and proven security architecture to cryptocurrency custody, to deliver the services institutions expect from a traditional custodian.

Before founding Anchorage Digital, he was security lead at Docker, an open platform for building, shipping and running distributed applications. While at Docker he worked on the security foundations of the container and orchestration subsystems that are now used as core building blocks of modern IT infrastructure worldwide.

Diogo Mónica was an early employee at Square where he led the platform security team and built the security infrastructure used by Square to move over $80B in annualized volume. He has a BSc, MSc and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science has published several papers in peer-reviewed security conferences on the topic of distributed systems and information security, and is the author of several patents in secure communications, encrypted hardware, and payment systems.

Diogo Mónica is a sought-after public speaker having keynotes, lectures and technical briefings on the topics of usable security, infrastructure security, and distributed systems security. He is also an angel investor and an advisor and board member to numerous startups.

General Partner, Haun Ventures and Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Anchorage Digital

Daniela Seixas is a medical doctor passionate about tech. She worked in the pharmaceutical industry early in her career; received her PhD in Neuroscience collaborating with the University of Oxford in 2012. In 2015, she completed an Executive MBA at IE Business School Madrid (entrepreneurship). Co-founded Tonic App in 2016, a digital health startup, to which she is now fully dedicated as CEO.

Founded 4 bootstrapped companies. Conducted and published Big Startup Studios Research 2023. Hosted 7 online conferences for Venture Studios, VCs, & Family Offices with 500-3200 registrations each. Founded a venture studio community.

Ezequiel Abramzon is the founder of LALO, a brand strategy consultancy that works with entrepreneurs and their startups worldwide providing the strategic clarity and creative direction necessary to establish an indisputable market position for their brands. Previously, he was a senior executive at The Walt Disney Company in Latin America and Europe for 22 years, helping develop brands such as Disney, Marvel and Star Wars. As General Manager of digital business in Latin America, he led international teams and established multiple B2B and B2C operations for the company.

Theoretical neuroscientist, entrepreneur, author, and mother of two, Vivienne is featured frequently for her research and inventions in The Financial Times, The Atlantic, and the New York Times. Her AI inventions have launched a dozen companies and nonprofits with a focus on human potential: education, workforce, and health. A self-described “professional mad scientist”, Vivienne founded The Human Trust to fight some of the world’s most pressing problems, and she travels the world sharing the stories of these astonishing projects. In her free time, Vivienne works to design AI systems to help treat her son’s diabetes, predict manic episodes in bipolar sufferers, and reunite orphan refugees with extended family members. She sits on the boards of numerous companies and nonprofits, including UC Berkeley’s Neurotech Collider Hub and RFK Human Rights. For relaxation, she writes science fiction and hikes with her wife and children.