Startup Portugal: 10 Years Manifesto

Lisboa, September 2026

Over the last 10 years, Startup Portugal has turned “what if?” into answers: the Startup Law, Web Summit, the National Entrepreneurship Strategy, the RNi – Portugal Incubators network, SIM Conference, and a growing voice in the European Union and around the world.

We’re not stopping here. For the next 10 years, we commit to:

1. Remaining the national reference for promoting entrepreneurship, building bridges between all players, public and private;
2. Growing the number of startups in Portugal. We have more than 5,000, and there’s still room to grow. We want startups to account for 5% of GDP;
3. Helping build an economy that rewards hard work and resilience, and that is sustainable for anyone who wants to start a company;
4. Fostering an ecosystem that values parity and equality, starting with gender equality;
5. Strengthening Portugal’s role in European entrepreneurship, through projects that deliver and not just policy;
6. Hosting at least one world-leading entrepreneurship event in Portugal;
7. Recognizing those who drive social entrepreneurship and those who create support mechanisms for society;
8. Encouraging more conversation and communication about what startups do, and giving credit to the people behind them;
9. Recognizing and strengthening the work of good incubators, across all models;
10. Recognizing investors and giving them the means to help companies succeed.

Each point comes from 10 years of work so far. We keep asking the same question, “what if?”, and if we keep going like this, we’re only getting started.

Startup Portugal