If Lisbon’s “Unicorn Factory” are the physical heart of Portugal’s startup ecosystem, Startup Portugal is its central nervous system: the interface connecting policy, capital, incubators, and founders.
On the ground for our Tech Odyssey series, we turned to the organization that has shaped nearly every major national initiative for startups in Portugal. Part public-facing agency, part private association, Startup Portugal acts as both coordinator and translator—linking government action with founder needs, in a role rarely seen in European startup ecosystems. In an extended conversation with its president, Alex Santos, we explored how a small European nation has built a deeply interconnected innovation system, despite its limited size.
