Pixelmatters, a Porto-based digital product studio, has introduced Tech Hubs in Portugal, a softlanding service to help technology companies set up in the country, while preparing for a leadership transition starting in January, according to an exclusive report by ECO.
The new service is positioned as a product-driven application of the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model and aims to allow companies to launch or expand product design and engineering teams in Portugal without immediately establishing a local entity, recruiting, or managing compliance processes.
According to André Oliveira, founder of Pixelmatters, the initiative emerged organically from a collaboration with an American company that selected Pixelmatters as its local partner to launch a technology hub in Portugal.
“With this collaboration, we realized the significant added value we can offer and that this could be a saleable model, in a package specifically created for this purpose,” he told ECO.
A ‘natural evolution’ of the company’s offer
Pixelmatters describes Tech Hubs in Portugal as a “natural evolution” of its existing offer. For the past 12 years, the company has designed and developed digital products from Portugal, working with multidisciplinary teams and a “quality-oriented” culture.
Oliveira said this experience, combined with the company’s market recognition and ties to the technology community, creates favorable conditions to support companies opening hubs in a new geography.
The company argues that its focus on product and quality, rather than headcount, distinguishes its offer from typical softlanding solutions.
Under this approach, customers can experience the Portuguese market without risk or the need to put professionals on their payroll, with the lowest possible operational and cultural risk, while keeping the focus on growing their product instead of dealing with the bureaucracy usually involved in this type of operation.
If things progress positively, the model provides transition windows for its planned teams when it makes sense to move some professionals to the client’s own entity, a process that Pixelmatters says results in less friction and more real impact on the product and the business.
United States as priority market
The United States is the priority target market for Tech Hubs in Portugal. Pixelmatters said more than 80% of its customers are historically based in the U.S. and highlighted previous collaborations with companies such as Rubrik, VMware, Salesforce, and Fortinet.
While the service is available to companies from other regions, the U.S. remains the main focus.
The first confirmed client under this model is ujet.cx, a San Francisco-based cloud contact center platform.
Oliveira said the U.S. company’s decision to open a hub in Portugal was driven by the search for a quality-oriented culture and skilled professionals, rather than cost considerations.
Collaboration with ujet.cx is ongoing, with Pixelmatters’ product teams working on critical initiatives. The team supporting the project has grown by around three times since mid-April 2025.
In 2026, ujet.cx will have the option of “trying to directly hire” some of the professionals involved, which Oliveira considers one of the main selling points of the initiative.
Cautious growth targets for 2026
In terms of growth, Pixelmatters is taking a cautious approach. The company’s founder said scaling service companies while maintaining a premium and high-quality offering requires prudence.
They aim to attract two to three new customers under this model during 2026, depending on the size and scope of each hub, representing approximately 30% to 50% of annual turnover.
The launch of Tech Hubs in Portugal is also expected to influence team growth. Pixelmatters says its team expanded throughout 2025 despite “challenging” market conditions and the use of AI as a productivity accelerator.
If the initiative gains traction, the company expects continued recruitment, mainly in design and engineering roles, while maintaining a focus on product impact, efficient processes, and business-driven decisions rather than headcount growth.
Leadership transition in 2026
Pixelmatters will also undergo a leadership transition in early 2026. After more than a decade as CEO, Oliveira will become chairman, with Bruno Teixeira, currently head of product, succeeding him.
Teixeira joined the company nine years ago as a software engineer, and the transition is presented as a reflection of the company’s internal culture and values.
“Twelve years leading a company is a long time, even if you are its owner. Coming from scratch, there is accumulated wear and tear, as well as a need for new challenges and new dynamics. I also think that one of the noblest attitudes an owner can take is to show that they are not attached to the position,” Oliveira explained.
Featured image: André Oliveira (left), outgoing CEO and future chairman, and Bruno Teixeira, who will succeed him as CEO. (Photo courtesy of Pixelmatters/via ECO)
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