Opening

Welcome Remarks

How can innovation break through the walls of a region and drive economic and cultural development?

Prominent figures from the region will join this conversation, bringing diverse perspectives on how innovation can break through the walls of a region and drive economic and cultural development. It will be a moment of sharing and reflection on the paths that can project Guimarães and the region into the future.

Opening

From Challenges to Growth: The Entrepreneur’s Journey

An inspiring talk about the highs and lows of the entrepreneurial path, highlighting the challenges overcome and the lessons that fueled the personal and business growth of the Fitness UP group.

Coffee Break

From Zero to Infinity: Lessons from a Unicorn

Hosted by Sword Health, will be an inspiring conversation about the journey of a Portuguese startup that became a unicorn, highlighting the challenges faced, key strategic decisions, and valuable lessons learned along the way.

The Founder–Investor Equation

Luís Gutman (OW Ventures) joins the founders of Nutrium and SheerME (two startups backed by the same fund) to explore what it means to build companies together. From early trust to strategic alignment, they’ll discuss how to create value beyond capital and scale with the right partner by your side.

Lunch

Women Leading Innovation: Inspiring Startup Stories

A roundtable dedicated to highlighting the role of women in leading innovative projects, featuring real stories from female founders who are transforming the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Coffee Break

Connections that drive Entrepreneurs: The Role of Communities

A roundtable on the importance of entrepreneurial communities as a driving force for support, inspiration, and growth for those launching and developing new businesses.

Opening

Empowering Startups: How Incubators, Accelerators, and Venture Studios Fuel Entrepreneurial Success

A roundtale of the impact of entrepreneurship support programs, exploring how incubators, accelerators, and venture studios drive startup success.

Coffee Break

Green Innovation and Startups: New Business Models for a Sustainable Economy

The session highlights the role of startups in driving a greener economy, showcasing innovative business models that unite sustainability and competitiveness while inspiring solutions to global environmental challenges.

Beyond Borders: Strategies for Scaling and Internationalizing Startups

A roundtable on effective strategies for scaling and internationalizing startups, featuring real experiences and lessons learned from expanding into global markets.

Lunch

ACAth[ON] Challenge

The ACAth[ON] Challenge comes to Guimarães, challenging students and researchers to develop solutions for the construction, water, and environment sectors.
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💡Choose from 3 strategic challenges
🌟 Win €1,500 per challenge
🚀 Get support to scale your solution
🤝 Connect with key industry leaders

The 100x Startup: Vibe Code It, Automate It, Scale It

A talk on building highly scalable startups through culture, automation, and technology, based on the experience of the zaai founder.

Coffee Break

Will AI Replace Creators?

AI is reshaping the way we create, design, and tell stories. But will it ever replace human creativity? In this talk, we’ll explore the opportunities and challenges of AI in the creative industries, from how it can accelerate processes to where the irreplaceable human touch still makes all the difference.

ACA Innovation Challenge

A call for bold ideas to reshape construction, water, and environmental sectors. Join the challenge and help build a smarter, more sustainable future.

Opening

What a Business Angel is looking for in a founder?

Attend personalized consultation sessions with industry experts to gain insights and advice on your digital projects.

Coffee Break

Founders First: Aligning Visions with Legal Clarity

A session focused on the importance of founders’ agreements, covering key legal and strategic aspects to ensure clear and sustainable collaboration in business development.

Feedback Canvas for Startups: Building a Real Feedback Culture from Day One

Be inspired by our keynote speakers as they share their success stories and visions for the future of digital creation.

Lunch

The Startup Ride: Stories of grit, growth, and doubt

The founders of Intuitivo, Granter, and Cycling District share the real behind-the-scenes: the grit, the growth, and the doubts that come with building something from scratch. No sugar-coating, just raw, honest stories from the ride.

Coffee Break

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for Greener Communities

Explore how innovation, startups, and local ecosystems can drive sustainable impact, turning environmental challenges into opportunities for growth and community resilience.

Opening

Pitch Competition

Join the livestream and see startups pitch their vision to investors and the community.
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Startups Pitching:
- Manuscript
- Plant Smart Homes
- Coalex.ai
- ubbu
- Axios-Care
- Invisible Lab
- Complear
- Insight Digital

Coffee Break

The power of a global network to build and scale from Portugal to the world

What does it take to scale from Portugal to the world?
In this session, we’ll uncover how the strength of a global network empowers founders to think bigger, connect faster, and build companies that go beyond borders.

Pitch Competition
- Winners Announcement