In November, the world’s largest technology conference invades Lisbon again and spreads the streets of the capital with its entrepreneurial spirit. And for the 3rd consecutive year, Altice Portugal is the technological partner. In countdown to the event, the ENTER space was the stage of one of the Road 2 Web Summit road show meetings, which promotes the support programme for national startups in its participation in the Web Summit.
Pedro Carvalho, responsible for the ENTER programme, opened the session that was intended to inspire other entrepreneurs, but also to share more information about the Road 2 Web Summit. The initiative is organized by Startup Portugal, in collaboration with the Web Summit team, and its purpose is to support national startups in order to make the most of the various moments of the conference.
Present at the event, Manuel Caldeira Cabral, Minister of Economy, highlighted the direct involvement of the portuguese ecosystem and portuguese startups at the Web Summit. “We started with 65 startups, raised to 150, and this year there are 200 companies that will have access to the Web Summit, but even more companies and people will participate in the preparation bootcamps. And this is another very interesting aspect of Road 2 Web Summit. It’s not just about providing the startups the possibility to participate, it’s also really preparing the companies with a range of initiatives to get the most out of the Web Summit”.
Simon Schaefer, CEO at Startup Portugal, begins by questioning the audience about who likes to speak publicly and who hates it. This is because, in his opinion and based on his own experience, the Web Summit is all about the pitch.
For those who will be at the Web Summit, Miguel Fontoura, director of AICEP, gives some important tips. Above all, companies and startups have to know their products very well and have to realize how the Web Summit works to ensure maximum results. The AICEP director stresses that the conference represents a “colossal window” because the right people, who come from all over the world, are there sharing trends and knowledge, giving access to new products and fostering partnerships.
The Web Summit operating center in Portugal works daily at the ENTER space, where Ricardo Lima spends his days. His team is responsible for selecting the startups that are part of the technology conference. During the Road 2 Web Summit, Ricardo Lima spoke of his experience as a participant in the last two editions of this conference, from the perspective of someone who, like him, selects the startups involved.
João Borga, director of Startup Portugal, talked more about the program that works as a launching pad for startups in Portugal. The Road 2 Web Summit “aims to help Portuguese startups get the most out of the Web Summit”. Applications for this programme can be submitted until the 30th June, and the winners will be announced in September 2018.
During the event, which was part of the Road 2 Web Summit roadshow that is touring the country, Tiago Ribeiro, founder of Supper Stars, and Bernardo Gonçalves, founder of MyPolis, presented their experience and tips. The first had the opportunity to enjoy the Road 2 Web Summit programme in 2017 and the second was part of the Startup Momentum, an initiative promoted by Startup Portugal.