Every year, Startup Portugal, in partnership with Informa D&B, publishes the Startup & Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Report. This year’s edition, “Portugal’s Startup Ecosystem 2026: From a Startup Ecosystem to a National Strategy”, was developed with the support of Amazon Web Services. It is a comprehensive study of the Portuguese startup landscape, aimed at updating the main indicators of the ecosystem, tracking its evolution, and identifying emerging trends.
This edition also includes interviews with international experts and a new chapter on companies recognized under the Startup Law (Law No. 21/2023).
1. The ecosystem keeps growing
- There are 5,495 active startups in Portugal, an 8% increase compared to last year.
- Together, they generate a turnover of nearly €3 billion (€2.995 billion).
- 661 companies are officially recognized under the Startup Law: 651 startups and 10 scaleups.
2. Qualified jobs with salaries well above the national average
- Employment: around 30,000 workers (+7% YoY).
- Average monthly salary: around €2,300, 76% higher than the national average.
- In startups recognized under the Startup Law, the average salary rises to €2,900 per month, 28% higher than other startups and 122% above the national average.
3. A strong international profile
- Exports: €1.681 billion (+7% YoY).
- Exports account for 56% of startups’ total turnover, confirming the weight of international markets in their activity.
4. Scaleups are pulling the numbers
- Just 2% of startups generate 40% of total turnover and more than half of all exports.
- The challenge ahead is helping more companies follow that path and scale from Portugal to the world.
5. Tech-driven and financially solid
- 80% of startups operate in high-tech, knowledge-intensive services.
- Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) account for 66% of the sector’s turnover.
- 74% of startups show a minimal or low risk of insolvency.
- 52% have medium-high or high financial resilience.
6. Investment
- Up to September 2026, startups raised €694 million across 50 investment rounds.
- This figure is strongly influenced by Tekever’s recent €527 million round.
7. Beyond Lisbon and Porto
- Lisbon: 45% of startups
- Porto: 16%
- Together, the two districts concentrate 61% of Portuguese startups.
- Among districts with 100 or more startups, Faro (+26%) and Leiria (+19%) stand out for the growth in the number of startups.
8. Overall conclusion
Portuguese startups are growing in number, jobs, and business. The ecosystem is more international, more tech-intensive, and financially stronger, with signs of growth spreading beyond the two main cities.
“The numbers show that Portuguese startups are growing and gaining scale. We have more companies, more jobs, and more business, but the scaleup figure is particularly important: just 2% of startups generate 40% of turnover and more than half of exports. The next step is getting more companies on that path, with the conditions to grow from Portugal to the world,” says Miguel d’Aguiar, Executive Director of Startup Portugal.
The next chapter is about scale: turning a growing startup ecosystem into a national strategy for growth.
