1. What is Startup Lisboa?
Lisbon’s main incubator with a founder-driven mindset, focuses on tech startups that are disrupting their industries.
Our mission is to support the creation of startups and track their first years of activity, promoting the creation of jobs and the social, economic, and urban rehabilitation of the city center. We don’t take equity or invest. Instead, we support your growth with relevant connections. We are leading the journey.
It was born out of the will of citizens, by being the most-voted idea in the Lisbon Participative Budget, an initiative of the Municipality of Lisbon. Opened in 2012, it is a private nonprofit association.
2. What we do?
Startup Lisboa supports the development and growth of incubated startups by connecting startups to relevant parties. Our value proposition is very extent:
1- Fundraising: we connect startups with investors that we have a relationship with, helping our companies to be prepared for investment.
2- Mentorship: we connect startups to a vast pool of experienced mentors from a variety of backgrounds.
3- Perks: discounts and office hours useful for a startup (lawyers, clouds, project management, accounting, etc).
4- Corporate Matching: we connect startups with entities that we have a relationship with in order to partner up, understand their needs or do a pilot with them.
5- Community: we have more than 180 actively incubated startups and we do different activities and events with other entities to foster networking.
6- Physical Spaces: we are located in Downtown Lisbon, and we offer coworking spaces and private offices for our incubated startups. We also provide space in other locations.
7- Rocket Sessions: because there’s no such thing as knowing everything, we offer sessions with different and relevant topics for newly incubated startups to attend.
3. What is a startup?
A startup is a new company, even embryonic or still in the seed stage, which promotes a promising project, related to the development of an innovative business idea. Usually, it is technology based, but not necessarily, and it is based on an entrepreneurial spirit, in constant search for an innovative business model. Startup companies are distinguished from others by creating highly scalable business models, based on innovative ideas. Startups are not only internet companies, but they are in that field more frequently since the costs of creating a software company are lower than creating a “physical” industry or business. Beyond being a young company and launching an innovative idea in the market, another characteristic of a startup is having risk involved in the business, but usually, it also has lower initial costs and high scalability, i.e., it has an expectation of major growth if successful.
One of our favorite definitions is Paul Graham’s: “A startup is a company designed to grow fast. Being newly founded does not in itself make a company a startup. Nor it is necessary for a startup to work on technology, take venture funding, or have some sort of ‘exit’. The only essential thing is growth. Everything else we associate with startups follows from growth”.
4. What’s the difference between an incubator and an accelerator?
The main difference between the two is related to the duration, selection of projects, and focus. Accelerators tend to be more intense, time limited and with a specific goal to move startups from A to B (fundraising, market exploration, business development). Incubators have a longer time frame, accept a wider range of projects and focus on different subjects (check our value proposition in question 3.).
Startup Lisboa offers an Incubation Program (main focus) and acceleration programs, according to the market and community needs, currently for Clean Tech (Clean Future), Health Tech (NetZero-health) and Food and Beverages (From Start-to-table).
5. Can I rent a workspace in Startup Lisboa?
Startup Lisboa is not an office center, it’s an incubator, so to be incubated and have access to our support and services you have to apply with your project.
However, our coworking is also open to digital nomads, entrepreneurs and/or freelancers who are just looking for a space to work and get to know the community.
6. How can I apply to Startup Lisboa?
To apply to the Incubation at Startup Lisboa you have to complete and submit the online form here.
Applications are open all year round and we review them every 90 days.
After a first screening of the forms, we invite some founders to pitch their idea to a jury session so we can meet the team, better evaluate the business model and select the startups that will become members of our community.
7. How long does it take to get a response to my application?
It depends on the volume of applications we are receiving at the time, but within 3 months you will have an answer, either negative or positive. The decision is communicated by email.
8. Who is assessing the applications to Startup Lisboa?
Applications are assessed by a jury consisting of leading members of Startup Lisboa, mentors, businessmen, investors and some experienced entrepreneurs and alumni.
9. What is the assessing criteria?
The project will be analyzed considering the following evaluation criteria which must be met in full:
– Project with an innovative product / service;
– Product / service with global character, that is scalable;
– Reasonableness and feasibility of the project submitted;
– Capacity of implementation by the promoting team;
– Having big growth potential.
10. I don’t have yet a company created, can I apply?
Yes. We select projects in several stages. You may not have yet a company created and be still developing your product, or it may be a company that is already on the market.
11. Which are the requirements to apply to Startup Lisboa?
Since Startup Lisboa is an incubator that focuses on early-stage startups (from ideation to Series A), have that in mind when you apply for the Incubation Program and our Acceleration Programs.
12. I'm not a Portuguese citizen. Can I apply?
Yes. Citizens of all nationalities can apply.
13. Which projects are not accepted?
Not all new businesses are startups or fall within the scope of Startup Lisboa. Check questions 3. and 8. for further clarification.
14. My business is not technological. Can I apply?
As mentioned above, in question 3., a startup is a scalable business, with an innovative business model, which is easier to obtain through technology. However, if you think you have this and an entrepreneurial spirit, feel free to apply!
15. In case my application is accepted, is there a membership fee?
Yes, we have a fixed price for our services, which is communicated at the time of acceptance of the application. Since we are a non-profit association our prices are below the market and are intended to cover basic operational costs.
If you plan to have a physical office in our building or a seat in the cowork, an extra value is added.
16. I only intend to be remotely incubated. Do I have to apply?
Yes. Projects are selected based on their quality, experience of the team, market attraction capacity, value generation potential, and innovation model, among other factors, rather than the availability of our physical workspaces.
17. In case I’m not accepted, can I apply again?
Yes. There is no limit to the number of times you can apply as you can improve your project or undertake another one.
18. I have a business idea, but I have no business plan and I'm still developing the product. Can I apply?
Yes. You may only have a business idea when applying, yet it is taken into consideration if part of the product has already been developed or a market test has been carried out — these are factors that we consider more important than the business plan itself.
19. Can Startup Lisboa invest in my startup?
No. Startup Lisboa doesn’t invest in startups, and does not take any equity. Its support in this field is to facilitate the contact with investors and other financing sources, helping entrepreneurs connect with investors (business angels, venture capital, etc.) and attract investment for their business.
20. If my project is accepted for incubation, how long can I stay in Startup Lisboa?
The maximum period of incubation is 5 years, 3 of which can be physical incubation. However, the startup must leave the incubator when:
– The maximum incubation period of 5 years comes to an end;
– There is a breach of any clause in the service contract to be agreed between the parties;
– There is failure to pay the incubator or any mandatory provision to the State;
– There is significant change to the initial objectives that originated the application to the incubator;
– The incubated company becomes insolvent;
– There is temporary cessation of the company’s activity;
– There is a duly justified request from the company;
– The incubator is no longer able to meet the growing space requirements of the entity being incubated.
21. I want to apply for the Startup VISA. Is Startup Lisboa able to help me?
Regarding the StartUP Visa process, you must contact the entity responsible for it IAPMEI (an institute that promotes business growth and internationalization) or Startup Portugal. If your application is accepted, then you must select an incubator of your preference to house your startup.
If you choose Startup Lisboa as an incubator and if your project is accepted for Incubation at Startup Lisboa, only then, your Startup Visa Portugal request is finally activated.
22. I will move to Portugal or I will visit Portugal. Do you offer any solutions?
CASA Startup Lisboa is a short-term co-living for entrepreneurs that aims to help people working in startups to come to Lisbon either to work, to expand their business, or to go to an event.
Launch in Lisbon is a three-day program (remote and in-person) for you to understand how to set up your life and business in Lisbon.
23. What happens if my startup grows to the point that it’s no longer considered “early-stage”?
Startup Lisboa focuses on early-stage startups. As a next step in your startup journey, Unicorn Factory Lisboa offers an acceleration program for the “growth stage”, giving scaleups the skills, mentoring, and connections to unlock their growth potential.
24. Is Hub Creativo do Beato connected to Startup Lisboa?
Yes. Hub Creativo do Beato is a project that Startup Lisbon manages. The goal is to create an open space of innovation through a hub for entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, scaleups, and global companies.