💡 BRING YOUR IDEA TO LIFE!

Don't miss out on the latest news, calls and events! Hi {firstname}, Cíntia here 😄 I'm thrilled to be halfway through September, as everyone is back from vacation and the ecosystem is now so vibrant with new initiatives and events coming to life. This past weekend, we just had our 1st National Community Gathering Day! 💙 This event brought together volunteers, members, and friends for a Saturday full of energy, ideas, and inspiration. From brunch and networking to team challenges and bold plans for the future - the room was buzzing with collaboration! It was a lot of fun to think collectively about how we can improve the volunteer and community experience with 351 Startups, but also how we can join forces and together contribute to building a better ecosystem for entrepreneurs. We also had a new batch of volunteers joining us this month! If you'd like to join our movement and help us bring more value to founders, you can sign up to become a volunteer with us! Become a volunteer 💡 BRING YOUR IDEA TO LIFE! Viseu will be the next location to host a Techstars Startup Weekend in Portugal, following successful editions held in Porto and Lisbon (in 2024), and in Coimbra, Albufeira, and Évora (in 2025). From October 17th to 19th, the synvert xgeeks office will host the initiative that aims to bring together the city's community of entrepreneurs and innovation enthusiasts. In just 54h you'll join a team and develop an idea, with the guidance of mentors and new tools and methodologies, and pitch it in front of judges (a bit like Shark Tank!). The event is funded by the European Commission's Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRP) and sponsored by Critical Software, Visabeira, and SageScan. It will also be supported by several local entities, such as IPV, AIRV, and Viseu Tech Talks, and national entities, such as Turismo do Centro de Portugal, Incubau, Sprint, Fintech House, and Unicorn Factory Lisboa. Join us at the TSW Viseu! 📢 PARTICIPATE IN THIS PUBLIC CONSULTATION OF THE 28TH REGIME 351 Portuguese Startup Association has joined forces with leading European organisations to call for a true 28th regime – a single, digital-first EU company form that allows startups to scale across borders without unnecessary barriers. Now is the time to make your voice heard. The European Commission is running a public consultation on this critical issue. Founders, investors, and ecosystem players: your input can shape Europe’s future competitiveness. 👉 Have your say until September 30th here: Public Consultation on the 28th Regime Let’s make sure Europe becomes the best place in the world to start and grow a business. 🤝 DISCOVER OUR MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM The 351 Membership Program is the first membership program purely organized by startup founders to support other founders, and is your gateway to a vibrant community of founders, investors, mentors, and ecosystem builders shaping the future of entrepreneurship. This program leverages the power of the 351 community to support startup founders with:🤝 Access to exclusive events & networking opportunities💬 Dedicated support channels for founders & matchmaking with corporate and investors📚 Resources, mentorship & tools from top ecosystem partners🌍 Visibility within Portugal’s fastest-growing startup movement ➡️ Join our Individual Plan ➡️ Join our Startup Plan 🎉 WE'RE LOOKING FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS! 351 Portuguese Startup Association is growing - and we need your help! We're looking to find new volunteers in different areas to help us deliver projects such as Portugal Tech Week and Techstars Startup Weekend! We need your support, especially if you are: ✅ A videographer looking to perfect your skills; ✅ A designer wanting to enrich your portfolio; ✅ A communications expert willing to broaden your network; ✅ An event manager wishing to bring unforgettable events to life! If you'd like to connect with the entrepreneurial world, help out our community of founders and innovators, and make friends along the way, join us by applying here! 👇 DISCOVER OUR PARTNER'S NEXT INITIATIVES! 💸 OPEN APPLICATIONS: SANTANDER X PORTUGAL AWARDS 2025 The 4th edition of the Santander X Portugal Awards is here — bigger, bolder, and more impactful. With €30,000 in prizes, national workshops, and a live demo day with top-tier judges, this is your chance to scale your idea or startup and join a global network of innovation. Applications close October 15th — don’t miss out! ➡️ Apply here if you're a startup ➡️ Apply here if you're a University project 🎙 PME PITCH AWARDS 2025: DON'T MISS THIS CHANCE! Calling all the startups in our community! The first edition of the PME Pitch Awards by PME Magazine will take place in October, and the applications are now open to startups, micro-enterprises or early-stage entrepreneurs. The candidates will be able to attend the PME Magazine Forum, an event that highlights the best projects in the Portuguese entrepreneurial ecosystem, where they’ll have a stand and also an opportunity to make their 3-minute pitch to a group of investors. The winner will receive a cash prize of €5,000 and visibility in PME Magazine with an interview, an Mrec button on the news website and a banner in the monthly newsletter for 6 months. 🚀 Are you ready to take on this chance? ➡️ Apply here for the pitch competition ➡️ Get your ticket for the PME Magazine Forum with a 10% discount here 🏅 ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARDS 2025 The Entrepreneurship Awards 2025 are Portugal’s biggest celebration of entrepreneurship. This year’s edition carries the motto “Run the System”, showing how every part of the ecosystem matters: founders, investors, corporates, incubators, universities, mentors, and international partners. The event will take place on October 23rd at the Técnico Innovation Center, in Lisbon, where startups and leaders who deserve recognition will be awarded in several categories. 📅 Nominations close: 18 September📅 Applications close: 23 September ➡️ Apply here. 👇 351'S ONGOING PROGRAMS: 📢 +€700k IN STARTUP PERKS On our first version of the perks program, you will be able to claim perks from Amplemarket, Apollo.io, AskCory.ai, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Closum, Croissant, Freshworks, GitHub, Google, HubSpot, InvoiceXpress, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Miro, Notion, OpenAI, OVHcloud, Pipedrive, Rauva, Wise, and Zendesk. 🚀 ➡️ Learn more and apply here! 📢 PORTUGAL COMMUNITY FUND The Portugal Community Fund is now distributing the €10,000 by local communities, on an average of €250 per project. This is a shared basket of money and resources made available by 351 Startups and its partners so that local communities can carry out activities, research and investigation projects, reports and white papers, or collaborative events. ➡️ Find more information here. 👇 STARTUP PORTUGAL'S ONGOING PROGRAMS: 📢 ROAD 2 WEB SUMMIT 2025 R2WS is a joint initiative by Startup Portugal and Web Summit to spotlight the most promising early-stage startups in Portugal and get them ready to take the global stage at one of the world’s biggest tech events, Web Summit, happening November 10–13 in Lisbon. ➡️ Learn more and apply here! 📢 STARTUP RECOGNITION Startup recognition in Portugal gives you access to tax incentives and funding. Discover the criteria and how to apply through Startup Portugal. ➡️ Learn more and apply here! 📅 UPCOMING EVENTS 📌 September 18th - Founder Institute Portugal | Startup Funding in Porto Do you have a startup that needs funding? Do you want to learn how startup funding works, what you need to do before trying to raise funding, and where you can go to get it? Then join us for this Porto fundraising workshop, which will provide practical, step-by-step advice. It will feature talks from entrepreneurs who have successfully raised money for their businesses. Grab your spot here. 📌 September 20th - 21st - Community Leader Academy The Techstars Community Leader Academy returns in 2025 to empower and connect the individuals driving growth within Portugal’s dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem. This 2-day, community-led program will bring together 40 selected leaders to receive exclusive training supported by Techstars on building successful startup communities. Learn more here. 📌 September 24th - Above & Beyond Hangout #44 | Engaging with the Public Sector For many startups, the public sector can feel like a complex or distant partner. However, public entities are also key players, as funders, regulators, and clients. In this Hangout, we’ll look at how startups and other ecosystem actors can engage with the public sector and the opportunities they have: from applying for grants and incentives, to navigating procurement processes, to supplying innovative solutions that answer public needs. Sign up here. 📌 September 25th - Meet Founder Institute's Top Startup Mentors and Ask your Questions! Many people don't know there is an abundance of Founder Institute startup mentors and experts that are ready (and willing) to help founders launch and grow their business. At this upcoming online event, you can meet and build relationships with some of the startup mentors and advisors in the country, including the Local Leaders of the Portugal 2025 program. Get your ticket here. 📌 September 25th - Startup Grind Lisbon | Hit the Right Note Startup Grind Lisbon returns this month to help founders from launching their project to getting their first clients. On September 25th, at 6 PM, Unicorn Factory Incubation Hub will welcome everyone who want to see how entrepreneurship and music collide. We’ll host a panel where successful artists will share the entrepreneurial side of their musical journey. You’ll hear from artists who have just broken through, as well as some performers with years of experience. Enroll now here. 📌 Every Thursday - Coworking Thursdays Lisboa & Porto Coworking Thursdays is back in Lisboa and Porto! Every Thursday, we invite you to join us in a different and dynamic coworking space. Whether you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur, or just someone with a passion for innovation, Coworking Thursdays is the perfect place for you. Get your seat here. 📢 SHARE YOUR NEWS!Does your startup or organisation have any news to share with the community? Let us know by replying to this email or in Slack @Cíntia Costa and we’ll include it in the next update. 📲 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!We are aiming to create a stronger community inside and outside of slack, so we are trying to be more active on social media. Come give us a boost by following us on the networks linked in the banner below. Thanks for being part of this awesome and ever-growing community! 😃 Cíntia Costa 351 Portuguese Startup Association Team https://351startups.com/ 351 Portuguese Startup Association was born in 2019 as a grassroots gathering of founders and ecosystem players. Today we are the largest and most active startup community in Portugal. © 351 Portuguese Startup Association. Todos os direitos reservados. You are receiving this email because you are a member of the 351 Community, or you opted to receive our community emails via our website. To unsubscribe, please click below.