A new association, STUDIOS.PT, has been launched to strengthen the venture studio model in Portugal and promote its role in driving innovation and entrepreneurship by bringing together venture studios, corporations, investors, and national institutions.
The association estimates that there are currently 10 to 15 venture studios operating in Portugal – a figure its president, Rui Gouveia, describes as “clearly little” considering the potential impact of such a model on the country’s innovation.
Speaking to ECO, Gouveia – who is also the CEO of Build Up Labs, a venture studio and startup incubator – said the idea for the association took shape after organizing an event in Lisbon that brought together around 20 international and several national venture studios.
The discussions revealed a clear difference in maturity between American, European, and Portuguese studios – a gap that became the catalyst for creating the association and promoting a more professionalized venture studio industry in Portugal.
Mapping, education, and collaboration
The mission of STUDIOS.PT includes mapping existing studios, supporting the creation of new ones, and documenting their impact and success stories – something the association’s president notes has been missing in Portugal until now.
The new platform was founded by 12 members, representing studios and ecosystem players from across the country.
Its executive director, João Neves Monteiro, is the CEO of Cron Studio, based in Coimbra. Among Cron’s projects is Bloq.it, a smart-locker company recently invested in by Poland’s InPost Group, and which earlier this year raised €28 million to expand across Europe.
“More than an absolute number of members, we want continuous growth,” said Monteiro. “That will show the model is becoming known and adopted in a sustainable way.”
Events and ecosystem engagement
To raise awareness of the model, the association plans to organize conferences, public debates, and workshops for entrepreneurs, investors, universities, and policymakers. These initiatives will share best practices, case studies, and data, while encouraging research on startup creation in Portugal.
As part of its debut, STUDIOS.PT will host an event titled “Venture Studios – Web Summit Side Event” on November 10 at Hood Lisboa, in parallel with Web Summit, which takes place from November 10 to 13 in the Portuguese capital.
The side gathering will bring together investors, entrepreneurs, academic institutions, and corporate leaders for presentations, discussions, and networking around this model of startup creation and acceleration.
Featured image: Photo courtesy of STUDIOS.PT
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