Portugal Startup News

More than 800 businesses have registered for early access to what Granter describes as the “world’s first AI grant consultant,” with the Portuguese startup eyeing broader access in Q4 2025 while expanding into new European markets and the United States.

“These include startups, scale-ups, SMEs, consultants, and even larger organisations such as universities, research centres, and public entities. All of them are looking for a smarter and faster way to find, apply, and manage grants,” CEO Bernardo Seixas told Portugal Startup News in an interview. 

The Lisbon-based company, which he co-founded with CTO Bernardo Tavares, has developed a tool to support the entire lifecycle of grant funding, from opportunity discovery to post-approval management. 

The platform is designed to cut application time by up to 90% and double approval rates with AI-powered writing tools, evaluation insights, and automated workflows.

The current version of Granter is an evolution of its earlier model, which helped thousands of businesses apply for EU grants worth over €20 million, resulting in more than €1.5 million in approved funding.

Unlike traditional consultants or point-solution tools, Granter offers an end-to-end system that can be integrated into a company much like a full-time employee. The AI is built to operate across borders and supports a broad range of funding programs, including Portugal 2030, the EIC Accelerator, and America’s Seed Fund. 

Granter was recently named one of three finalists moving forward in the “Most Promising Startup” category at the Entrepreneurship Awards 2025, following a live jury vote during Unicorn Factory Lisboa’s Portfolio Day. 

The platform’s rollout is being conducted in phases, with priority given to companies based on factors such as grant-readiness, sector, and potential to provide product feedback. 

“Broader access will probably be available in the last quarter of 2025, as we plan to expand our operations,” Seixas noted, adding that their vision is to democratize access to funding by making opportunities transparent and removing bureaucratic barriers that often hold smaller players back.

“We believe grants should be accessible to all kinds of businesses, regardless of their previous experience, their size, or stage of growth. If you’ve ever felt that the process is too slow, too complex, or just too disconnected, we’ve built this for you.” 

Read the full interview with Granter‘s CEO to learn more about the platform’s mission, features, use cases, rollout strategy, and expansion into markets such as Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.

Granter is described as the world’s “first AI grant consultant.” Could you please share what sets Granter apart to earn this distinction? 

It all comes from our vision of translating the traditional human consultant experience into an automated AI agent. 

While most other tools focus on just one part of the grant journey, we’ve always wanted to support customers end-to-end: from discovering relevant opportunities and matching calls to their business, to generating applications, reviewing them against official criteria, and submitting them through the platform. 

Even the post-approval phase will be managed with the help of our agent, collecting invoices, generating payment requests, and producing reports. It’s like having a full-time employee, available 24/7. No other platform today delivers this level of automation and guidance across the full grant lifecycle.

What does the next big milestone on your rollout timeline look like? 

We have ambitious goals for this quarter. The next step includes continuing to onboard new clients, using their input to shape the platform, create new features, and quickly improve the experience.

We’re also kicking off case studies with clients and partners across key sectors like health, agro, academia, and the public sector. On top of that, we’re expanding to new markets in Europe like Spain and Italy, as well as the US and the UK.

Is there a target date or phase for broader access? 

We’re always going to prioritize the user experience, and that starts with onboarding. Each company goes through a detailed setup and receives tailored support to begin their funding journey.

Due to high demand, we’re rolling out gradually. Joining the waitlist means we’ll reach out early to understand your goals and how grants fit into your strategy.

That said, broader access will probably be available in the last quarter of 2025, as we plan to expand our operations.

How many people are currently on the waitlist? 

The waitlist keeps growing daily. At this point, we have over 800 businesses registered for early access to the platform. 

These include startups, scale-ups, SMEs, consultants, and even larger organisations such as universities, research centres, and public entities. All of them are looking for a smarter and faster way to find, apply, and manage grants.

What factors do you consider when prioritizing waitlist users?

We prioritise users based on a mix of grant-readiness, sector relevance, and potential for immediate feedback. 

We also look at diversity, especially in terms of industry and company structure, to make sure the platform works for different types of users.

Do current clients of Granter automatically get access to new updates of the platform? 

We have completely changed the way our product works, evolving from a simple tool that helps companies find grants and write a first draft to a full-fledged AI agent that handles the bureaucracy of grants end-to-end.

So, previous users aren’t automatically included in this process, but they’re definitely on our priority path. We continue to offer support and a discounted price to help them take full advantage of the new platform.

Is there anything else you’d like future users or readers to know at this stage? 

We believe grants should be accessible to all kinds of businesses, regardless of their previous experience, their size, or stage of growth. If you’ve ever felt that the process is too slow, too complex, or just too disconnected, we’ve built this for you. 

Our team is working closely with users to make sure we bring real change to the funding ecosystem. Join the waitlist, stay tuned, and get ready to simplify your grant journey like never before.

Featured image: Bernardo Seixas, co-founder and CEO of Granter (Photo courtesy of Granter)