The distinction of Unicorn Factory Lisboa, Startup Portugal and 351 Associação Portuguesa de Startups at the Startup Ecosystem Stars Awards 2025 confirms something that has been felt for some time. Portugal is not only a good place to launch startups. It is a country that knows how to build ecosystems with global impact.
The awards given by the International Chamber of Commerce recognize programs and initiatives that stand out in supporting entrepreneurship, developing innovative ecosystems, and creating real conditions for the growth of startups. The fact that three Portuguese entities are distinguished in the Best-in-Class Startup Programs category shows that this recognition is not a one-off. It is structural.
Unicorn Factory Lisboa has been one of the most visible pillars of this journey. In recent years, it has supported hundreds of startups, created innovation hubs in strategic areas, and developed programs that accompany companies from the initial phase to internationalization. This work has a direct impact on the economy, on the creation of qualified employment and on the ability to retain young talent in a country that for a long time saw its best leave.
Startup Portugal plays an essential role as a national platform for connecting entrepreneurs, incubators, investors, and public institutions. Programs such as Business Abroad and the Road 2 Web Summit have helped hundreds of startups take their first steps abroad. At the same time, the production of data, reports and the management of the National Network of Incubators create something fundamental for any mature ecosystem. Vision, alignment, and continuity.
The 351 Portuguese Association of Startups operates where it all begins. In communities, at grassroots events, and in direct contact with early-stage founders. Initiatives such as Techstars Startup Weekend or the Community Leader Academy show that entrepreneurship is not only born from large investments, but from people, ideas, and collaboration. This is where an entrepreneurial culture is created, something that cannot be improvised.
What makes this award particularly relevant is the fact that it recognizes different layers of the same ecosystem, from those who create institutional conditions, to those who follow the growth of companies, to those who work daily on the ground with founders and local communities. It is proof that success comes from the sum of effort and not from isolated solutions.
I have written many times that Portugal is no longer just an attractive country for foreign startups. Today, it is also a country that trains, supports and scales its own companies to the world. This international recognition reinforces this idea and gives it substance.
In an increasingly competitive global context, this type of distinction is not an end point. It is an incentive to continue. When Portuguese startups conquer the world, they do not do it alone. They take with them an entire ecosystem that has learned to work together and think globally from day one.