Ten years of building the Portuguese startup ecosystem wasn’t a finish line—it was just the warm-up. This week, the startup community gathered once again at Edifício Transparente for Above & Beyond Hangout #55, a special anniversary edition that used a decade of history as a launchpad to ask one central question: where will we be ten years from now?
From Launchpad to Global Scale
Hosted by Ivanoel Rodrigues and João Moreira Pires, the event kicked off with an Ecosystem Briefing by Madalena Cardoso before diving into two strategic discussions. In “The Founder’s View”, founders Rosane Marques (iTRecruiter), Daniela Seixas (Tonic App), and André Miranda (Musiversal), moderated by Patrícia Roque, shared the real journey of building companies from Porto. Right after, in “Looking Back to Build Forward”, Alexandre Santos (Startup Portugal), Vanda de Jesus (Doutor Finanças), and Manuel Caldeira Cabral, moderated by Miguel Aguiar, offered their vision on the ecosystem’s maturity.
🎙️ The main message of the evening was unmistakable: while the last decade proved that Portugal can effectively help startups get started, the next ten years will be defined by our ability to scale them globally.
To reach the newly unveiled Manifesto target—raising startups’ contribution to 5% of national GDP—ambition must be global from day one. In Porto, the foundation remains clear: real collaboration, international visibility, and a community ready to build for the world.
✨ Building the future together
The Above & Beyond Hangout series continues to bring founders and ideas together. Missed this edition? Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to be part of the next chapter.
📸 Photos: Miguel Ribeiro Fernandes and Ricardo Meireles / @startupportugal_
