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The startup scene in Portugal
ScaleUp Porto’s 2025 study defines its Porto Region as the 17-municipality Porto Metropolitan Area, rather than Porto city alone. It reported 937 registered ventures in 2024, including 706 that met its Dealroom Signal threshold of 20, and 5.8% annualized growth in the regional count from 2019 through 2024. [36022, 36023, 36024]
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ScaleUp Porto’s 2025 study defines its Porto Region as the 17-municipality Porto Metropolitan Area, rather than Porto city alone. It reported 937 registered ventures in 2024, including 706 that met its Dealroom Signal threshold of 20, and 5.8% annualized growth in the regional count from 2019 through 2024. [36022, 36023, 36024]
In the study’s 2024 regional dataset, 644 companies were founded in the region and 635 were headquartered there. The report lists enterprise software, health, marketing and fintech as leading sectors, with enterprise software exceeding 20%, and says international capital exceeded domestic capital in its dataset. [36025, 36026, 36027]
UPTEC’s application form describes its applicant audience as knowledge-intensive projects, startups, innovation-driven companies and R&D teams in scientific, technological and creative fields. UPTEC states that it is not participating in Portugal’s Startup Visa program in 2026. [36029, 36030]
The University of Porto describes BIP Proof as a route for researchers to test technical and commercial feasibility before company creation or technology licensing. [36031]
Startup ecosystem standing
Where Porto ranks
| Ranking | Edition | Position | Since last edition | Trust | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Global Startup Ecosystem Index (cities) | 2025 | #171 | No prior edition | B | Ecosystem, Activity, Finance, Business Climate |
 Emerging Ecosystems Ranking (GSER Top 100) | 2026 | 51 to 60 | No prior edition | C | Ecosystem, Performance, Finance, Talent |
20 organizations with a profile
Who's based in Porto
Investors 14
Investor
InvestorInvesting in the future of food through innovation and sustainability.
InvestorEmpowering innovative technology startups in Portugal.
The 3 most prominent of 14. Browse all investors
Accelerators 3
AcceleratorAccelerating health innovations.
AcceleratorAI-Powered Business Accelerator for SMEs
AcceleratorAccelerating design-driven startups in Portugal.
Venture studios 2
Venture studioEmpowering innovators through venture building.
Venture studioThe Startup Studio From Ideation to Validation
Incubators 1
IncubatorIncubator of Social Business
Pick what describes you
Your way in
Raising in Porto
Investors based here, and the programs that take teams at your stage.
Get investor introsFinding startups in Porto
Accelerators and incubators here see the earliest teams first.
Get startups that fitScouting in Porto
Campuses and communities are where teams form before anyone funds them.
Start scoutingFrom public sources
What the sources say about Porto
Dealroom explicitly labels its Porto page as metropolitan.
Source: Porto — city startup ecosystem profileTechCrunch reports the 2024 Series B's lead investor and participants.
Source: Infraspeak raises $19.5M to bring collaboration to facilities managementTechCrunch identifies Infraspeak as a Porto-based facilities software firm founded in 2015.
Source: Infraspeak raises $19.5M to bring collaboration to facilities managementTechCrunch names the reported round amount, lead investors and participants.
Source: Smartex sews up $24.7M to put smarter eyes on textile manufacturingTechCrunch reports Smartex applies machine vision to catch fabric defects during production.
Source: Smartex sews up $24.7M to put smarter eyes on textile manufacturingU.Porto links the startup to doctoral research, UPTEC incubation and ESA BIC Portugal.
Source: Spin-offs U.Porto
Questions about Porto
How does Porto rank as a startup ecosystem?
Its best position is #171 in StartupBlink Index (cities) (2025). It appears in 2 published rankings; the table above lists each one.
How many startup investors are based in Porto?
14 investors based in Porto have a profile here, including 33N Ventures, Sparkfood and Beta Capital. The real number is higher.
Are there accelerators or incubators in Porto?
Yes. Porto has 3 accelerators, 1 incubator and 2 venture studios on record, including RESOLVE-Health, IUNI - Social Business Incubator and Driven Venture Builders.
Geographic proximity
Nearby cities to Porto
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