03 · Startups
Working with startups, for corporates and cities
“We want to work with startups and don’t know how.”
Corporate innovation often stops at the press release, and city programmes stop when the funding cycle ends. I design startup programmes that produce deals, companies and jobs, and keep running after I leave.
Book a 30-minute callWhat I actually do
- 01Map the startups, investors and partners that matter to your goals, and where you stand against your peers.
- 02Design the programme that fits the goal: open innovation, pilots, an accelerator, a community or a festival.
- 03Build the partner and volunteer base that carries it, instead of a permanent payroll.
- 04Measure from day one, so the results hold up when the budget is discussed.
- 05Hand over the playbooks and train your team to run it.
What you walk away with
- A programme with owners, a budget and targets.
- Startup partnerships that turn into pilots and deals.
- Numbers you can defend to your board, your council or your funders.
Proof
Portugal Tech Week · ecosystems
Zero to 300+ events in 20 cities, with no production budget.
A national festival designed to scale on participation instead of payroll: any hub, university, city or company can run an event under one brand and one calendar. 1st place in Portugal at the European Enterprise Promotion Awards 2024.
Read the case- 300+
- events in 20 cities with Portugal Tech Week
- 3,000+
- members in 351 Startups, Portugal's largest startup community
- 20+
- national initiatives, built to run without me
How to work together
Three ways to start.
- 01WorkshopHalf a day or a full day, with your team
- 02Scoped project4 to 12 weeks, fixed scope, fixed fee
- 03Board advisorMonthly or quarterly
Questions
Questions
Who is this for?
Corporates that want to work with startups through open innovation, pilots or their own programmes, and cities, regions and agencies building a startup ecosystem.
What makes a corporate startup programme work?
A clear owner, a business unit that wants the result, and a short path from first meeting to a paid pilot. Most programmes fail on the last one.
Can you run the programme, or only design it?
I have run them myself: Portugal Tech Week, 351 Startups and Lisbon Entrepreneurship Week, which grew to 100+ events and 100+ partners. For you, I design it, launch it and then hand it over.
How do you measure success?
With numbers agreed at the start: startups engaged, pilots signed, events and attendance, partners and money raised. Measurement is part of the programme, not something added at the end.
Do you work outside Portugal?
Yes. I am based in Lisbon and work with clients across the world, in person or remotely, in English or Portuguese.
How much does it cost?
Every programme is scoped first, and the fee is fixed and agreed before we start. Tell me the goal on the first call.
Let's talk about what you're building.
Thirty minutes, no deck. Tell me where it's stuck and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right person.
Email is the fastest way to reach me. I read everything.