“We don’t just support projects, we support people”: what drives StartUp Barreiro

In this month’s #IncubXdiscoveries, we feature StartUp Barreiro, a municipal incubator where proximity is more than a buzzword: it shapes how projects grow, and how founders are supported. We spoke with Nádia Leitão, Managing Director at StartUp Barreiro, about their model, the community they’re building, and the simple idea behind it all: “We don’t just support projects, we support people.”

This content is available in Portuguese.

How did StartUp Barreiro come about? What kind of projects do you incubate?

StartUp Barreiro emerged from a strategy led by the Municipality of Barreiro to create real conditions to support entrepreneurship and innovation in the region. The municipal incubator was inaugurated in 2022 with a clear mission: to turn ideas into viable, sustainable projects with economic and social impact. Since it was created, it has hosted over 110 projects, involving more than 140 founders and co-founders, which resulted in the creation of 28 companies and 267 direct jobs. We incubate projects at different stages of development, from idea to growth phase.

What does your incubation model look like?

StartUp Barreiro’s incubation model is based on providing a structured set of support opportunities for project development, with each entrepreneur defining their own pace, priorities, and level of involvement. The incubator offers support through one-on-one meetings, peer-sharing moments among entrepreneurs, mentoring with specialists, a continuous training plan with monthly sessions, networking events, and opportunities to connect with investors and business angels.

This model assumes an active stance from entrepreneurs. StartUp Barreiro creates the conditions, opens doors, and provides tools, but real progress comes from the initiative, focus, and consistent work of those who choose to become entrepreneurs. Incubation is therefore a space for support and capacity-building, where each project builds its own path.

Tell us the story of a startup that left its mark on the incubator. And where did incubation make a difference?

Throughout StartUp Barreiro’s journey, there have been many startups that left a mark on us, each in its own way and at its own moment. There isn’t just one story, there are several, because we experience projects very closely, sharing the difficulties, doubts, achievements, and victories of entrepreneurs.

One very special example is Trustful Journey. They arrived as just an idea, at a very early stage, and since then we have followed every step of the way. We were present in meetings, events, preparation moments, difficult decisions, and also in moments of celebration. We supported the founder on stages like Web Summit, brought the team into international challenges, and saw the project gain shape, consistency, and recognition. More than business growth, what stood out to us was the dedication, perseverance, passion for the work, and the strong connection these entrepreneurs have with the territory and with the incubator. It’s a project that grew with us, but above all because it never gave up.

Ultimately, what makes the difference in StartUp Barreiro’s incubation is this close relationship. We don’t just support projects, we support people. We live through the pains and victories of entrepreneurs, celebrate progress, and are present when things don’t go as expected. And that’s what makes this work so special to me: growing with them, learning with them, and believing in their dreams as much as they do.

Failure is also part of the journey. What is the biggest lesson from something that didn’t go well?

One of the biggest lessons throughout this journey was realizing that there isn’t always a clear alignment between the incubator’s role and the expectations of entrepreneurs. In some cases, projects see the incubator as someone who should do the work for them, create contacts, define strategies, or make decisions, when our role is above all to guide, mentor, and build capacity.

We also learned that it’s essential to work early on expectations around investment and results. Many entrepreneurs arrive believing that growth is fast and linear, or that investment comes almost automatically, when in reality entrepreneurship requires time, validation, focus, and a lot of consistent work.

From the incubator’s side, we recognize that at times we were overly available. In the desire to support, we ended up doing more than we should, which can delay an entrepreneur’s autonomy. Over time, we learned that supporting is not solving, it’s helping people think, decide, and take responsibility

Another important lesson was realizing that not every entrepreneur wants to grow in the same way. Some want to scale quickly, others want to consolidate local impact or grow in a more controlled way. When that misalignment isn’t identified early enough, it can create frustration on both sides.

What kind of projects or startups are you looking for right now?

Over the past year, StartUp Barreiro’s focus has increasingly shifted toward technology-based projects, in line with the ecosystem’s maturity and initiatives such as Barreiro Digital. We are looking for startups that integrate applied technology, digital solutions, or technological innovation with real impact, regardless of the sector they operate in.

In terms of development stage, we’re not limited to idea-stage projects. We support both early-stage projects and startups that are already validated, growing, or in a consolidation phase, where the incubator can add value through strategic structuring, positioning, and above all access to the partner and investor network. We value committed teams with a clear vision and an openness to work on the project in a structured way, whether their impact is local, national, or international. What we look for is not a specific stage, but projects where the incubator’s support can truly make a difference in the next leap of growth.

Community is one of the key elements that separates an incubator from a shared office space. How do you nurture yours, and what plans do you have to make it even stronger?

Community is a central element in how StartUp Barreiro operates. From the beginning, we aimed to create a close-knit environment, and that even shows in the way the space is organized. The coordination office sits in the middle of the coworking area, precisely to encourage daily contact, informal conversations, and a closer relationship with entrepreneurs. We believe many connections and collaborations are born in those less formal moments.

We ensure a regular program of training sessions, monthly meetups, and networking moments, designed to respond to entrepreneurs’ needs and strengthen the community. Still, this is one of our biggest challenges. There is an expressed desire to participate and belong to an active community, but engagement doesn’t always match that expectation. Time management, project priorities, and day-to-day demands often pull entrepreneurs away from the very moments that help build that connection.

What are the main challenges for incubation in your specific context?

One of the main challenges relates to the regional context and the constant need to counter the idea that innovation and more ambitious entrepreneurship only happen in major urban centers. Working outside those centers requires a continuous effort of affirmation, opportunity creation, and connection to external networks, to ensure incubated projects have access to the same kind of information, contacts, and visibility.

Another challenge is related to the diversity of projects we host. We work across very different areas, technology, tourism, commerce, culture, creativity, and sustainability, and that requires flexible, adaptive support that can respond to very different needs without losing coherence in the incubation model.

The incubator’s size and its municipal nature also bring specific challenges. On one hand, they enable proximity and faster coordination across services. On the other, they require careful management of resources, priorities, and expectations, both from entrepreneurs and from the ecosystem itself.

Finally, there’s a cross-cutting challenge that runs through incubation as a whole: finding the balance between supporting and demanding. Creating conditions, opening doors, and being closely involved without removing responsibility from entrepreneurs is an ongoing exercise. Incubation only makes sense when it strengthens autonomy, decision-making capacity, and sustainable growth, and that balance demands constant attention.

Is there any news, event, or initiative you’d like to share with us?

We invite everyone interested to follow current initiatives and upcoming activities through our website, where we regularly share new updates and available opportunities:
https://www.startupbarreiro.pt/iniciativas/

ABOUT #INCUBXDISCOVERIES

#IncubXdiscoveries is Startup Portugal’s monthly feature that will help you discover Portuguese incubators. What projects they incubate, how they manage their community and what success stories they’ve had and future projects are some of the topics covered in these interviews.

If you’d like to find out more about StartUp Barreiro, either because you’d like to see your project incubated in this region or because you’d like to establish a partnership, contact the Startup Portugal team at incubadoras@startupportugal.com.