BRIDGE IN, a European expansion and compliance platform, aims to launch a version for SMEs in 2026 while projecting strong revenue growth as it advances its mission to serve as an “operating system for distributed teams” in Portugal, Spain, Italy, and beyond.
“We are looking forward to launching a version of our platform dedicated to SMEs so we can bring the success we’ve had with enterprises to smaller companies and help free them from the burden of bureaucracy,” founder and CEO Pedro Henriques told Portugal Startup News about the company’s plans for next year.
He added that BRIDGE IN is forecasting to reach €12 million in revenue by the end of 2026 – a milestone the team expects to achieve as new markets and business lines come online.
BRIDGE IN’s mission centers on “creating and supporting decentralized organizations,” replacing the traditional single headquarters with distributed hubs that allow companies to grow sustainably by remaining lean, flexible, and resilient while diversifying their talent pool and reducing geopolitical risk.
Founded in 2020, it has grown into a regional partner for privately held and publicly listed companies building teams in Europe, offering Employer of Record services, foreign employer registration, payroll and benefits administration, accounting and insurance compliance, as well as subsidiary incorporation.
It also provides soft-landing support, team relocation and operational back-office services for companies that want to hire locally before establishing a legal entity.
The company’s approach is shaped by Henriques’s two decades of experience in the tech industry. His experience managing distributed, cross-border teams across several global tech environments revealed how administrative and compliance barriers slowed international growth, leading to what he describes as “a clear vision: to eliminate the burden of bureaucracy for international companies.”
Growth across Southern Europe
BRIDGE IN expanded into Spain in 2024 and opened operations in Italy in the second half of 2025. Henriques said the Italian market has already welcomed its first customers.
While macroeconomic uncertainty introduced some headwinds during the year, he emphasized that the company remains profitable and has significantly increased its addressable market by adding more serviceable regions and expanding its business lines, positioning it favorably for the year ahead.
“Combined, Italy and Spain have roughly 10x the GDP of Portugal,” Henriques noted, underscoring the opportunity to replicate BRIDGE IN’s model in economies with far greater scale.
The company is currently hiring in both markets and expects to enter a fourth, and possibly a fifth, country by the end of 2026. He did not identify the markets under consideration, although the company had previously hinted at Greece and Ireland as potential targets.
Henriques says they are “very proud” of their contribution to the Portuguese economy, noting that BRIDGE IN has helped bring publicly listed companies and unicorns to Portugal, contributing to more than €110 million in foreign investment.
According to him, BRIDGE IN remains bootstrapped and does not anticipate raising capital in the near term.
“We aren’t planning to raise any funds until at least mid-2026,” he said. “There might be an opportunity to enable a strategic investor to join us as we evaluate some M&A activities to accelerate our expansion abroad.”
The company ranked 5th in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Portugal 2025 and was featured in the Sifted 50: Southern Europe (2024) ranking of the region’s fastest-growing startups, reporting a revenue CAGR of 174.31%.
According to data submitted to Sifted, the company grew its revenue from €648,000 in 2021 to €4.9 million in 2023, placing it among the standout performers in Southern Europe’s startup ecosystem.
Why distributed teams are driving demand
The company’s growth reflects a wider shift toward more agile and decentralized operating models. Research on organizational design increasingly points to the advantages of moving away from a single centralized headquarters and toward coordinated hubs that distribute decision-making and operational responsibilities.
These structures allow teams to respond more quickly to local needs, maintain alignment with broader company goals, and support collaboration across regions. Studies also suggest that decentralization can help organizations avoid bottlenecks, reduce duplication of work, and maintain cohesion while operating across different markets.
For internationally scaling firms, these dynamics have become especially relevant. Relying solely on fully on-site teams in each country can increase costs and slow execution, while remote-only structures often face challenges related to communication, coordination, and maintaining consistent standards.
Well-designed decentralized models provide a middle ground, offering the autonomy needed for speed and adaptation while preserving the structure required for accountability and operational harmony.
BRIDGE IN’s model is built to support this way of working, providing end-to-end operational support that enables clients to establish hubs in Europe without immediately forming local subsidiaries.
By combining local operational infrastructure with the flexibility to hire across regions, the company positions its approach as a way for organizations to gain structure without limiting their reach.
As BRIDGE IN continues expanding its service lines and preparing the release of its SME-focused platform, Henriques says the company is also looking to grow its team and collaborate with experienced operators.
“We currently have open positions, and we have a partnership program well-suited for senior executives and entrepreneurs with a generous rev-share program,” he said, encouraging those interested to reach out and explore opportunities to work with BRIDGE IN.
Featured image: Pedro Henriques, founder and CEO of BRIDGE IN (Photo courtesy of BRIDGE IN)
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