23 Portuguese startups at Web Summit Qatar
Web Summit Qatar, which runs in Doha from February 1-4, is hosting the first Portuguese delegation of startups.
The Portuguese delegation comprises 23 companies that operate in multiple sectors. Five of the startups are involved as part of Startup Portugal’s Business Abroad programme and have already received investments of around €13.5 million and employ over 100 professionals.
The startups are supported by Startup Portugal and Unicorn Factory and represent a strategic step in positioning Portuguese startups in the most relevant global ecosystems in terms of capital, technology, and international expansion.
The Middle East has been asserting itself as one of the main centers of investment in innovation, attracting sovereign wealth funds, venture capital and major technological players, creating unique opportunities for companies with global ambitions.
The companies in the Portuguese delegation selected by the Business Abroad programme have already received a cumulative investment of around €13.5 million. In addition, the companies selected under this initiative employ more than 100 people.
It is also worth noting that the Portuguese presence reveals a significant set of projects focused on Healthtech & Wellness and Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning.
The companies selected as part of Startup Portugal’s Business Abroad are: Complear – a company that uses AI to automise the certification of software in critical sectors; Criamknowledge – develops portable medical devises to automate blood diagnostics and rapidly detect illnesses on site; sheerME – an app that helps consumers find, reserve and pay for beauty and wellness services with cash back and additional benefits; Move – a marketplace leader in the purchase, optimisation and resell of businesses, especially geared towards non-professional buyers.
iRecruiter – talent recruitment with AI and automation. The other companies are taking part in partnership with Unicorn Factory Lisboa or are registered independently. In addition to Healthtech and Wellness, the startups also come from the world of Fintech, Human Resources, Agritech, E-commerce, Tourism, and Education.
“The Middle East is an important region for internationalisation of our startups and this mission is a concrete opportunity to continue to create partnerships, attract investment, and give visibility to innovation developed in Portugal.
Web Summit as a strategic conference for Portugal too enables us to reach this market on the ground in a stronger and more qualified way”, said Alexandre Santos, President of Startup Portugal.
Photo: Supplied
