About Us
The First Grassroots Startup Community in Portugal
Embracing innovation and entrepreneurship, 351 Startups began its journey in 2019 as a grassroots initiative and swiftly transformed into the heartbeat of Portugal’s startup ecosystem.
Today, as the Association of Portuguese Startups, we stand as a pillar for over 1600 startups, companies, and investors, ensuring a collaborative and inclusive environment where ideas prosper. Your journey, infused with our robust network and boundless opportunities, unfolds here—where weekly activities and potent national initiatives are crafted to fuel your entrepreneurial spirit, all steered by our passionate team of 70+ volunteers. Welcome to 351 Startups —where your startup story takes flight in a community that thrives together.
The rise of the 351 Portuguese Startup Association
351 Portuguese Startup Association's vision is to enable Portugal's startup ecosystem to be a globally renowned hub of innovation, with rapid growth, vibrant collaboration, and sustainable founder success. To reach that vision, we work everyday supporting startup founders in every stage of their growth and connecting ecosystem players.
Culture
What if every week in Portugal was like the Portugal Tech Week? What if, every week, there were events, content, training and workshops for startups and the whole innovation ecosystem? We want to build a dynamic ecosystem, where more and more people want to become founders, growth hackers, developers and where corporations understand and use more tech and innovation to their processes.
Investment
One of the key issues of the Portuguese ecosystem is the scarcity of funding. Here we will work to help Portuguese startups to access either national or international funds, so they can boost their growth
Market
It is hard for pre-seed & seed stage startups to access the local and global markets, so they can achieve sustainable growth based on their sales and not only on investment. 351 Startups will be working on promoting programs to help startups to sell more and internationally.
Legislation
Finally 351 Startups will also be working on policy and legislation to make sure that the business environment in Portugal doesn’t scare great innovators away.
International Recognitions
Invited by OECD and the European Union to participate in YEPA
The 351 Portuguese Startup Community, was recognized as a successful initiative in Portugal to promote entrepreneurship and was invited by the OECD and the European Union to participate in YEPA, a project in which 150 global leaders from the 27 EU countries, among ministries representatives till institutions such as 351 Startups, will work together to help EU to create policy guidelines to encourage young entrepreneurship (up to 35 years old) in the region.
Portugal Tech Week
The “Portugal Tech Week” festival, one of the biggest innovation festivals in the country, & world, on its second edition promoted +200 events, from +150 organizers in 10 cities in Portugal and it was recognized as a “pledge” by the “Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition” from the EU Commission.
Team & Consulting Board
The work from 351 Portuguese Startup Association is guided by an experienced team that is advised by the most influential founders and key ecosystem players.
