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Portugal Startup Ecosystem Statistics (2020–2025)

From 0 To 5,000+ Startups And A Deep-Tech, Export-Led Economy

5,091
Active Startups (2025)
€2.856B
Total Turnover (2025)
28,000+
High-Skilled Jobs

Ecosystem Overview

Portugal has passed the 5,000-startup milestone and is now shifting from quantity to quality.

5,091
Active Startups
Portugal met and surpassed its PRR target of 5,000 startups in 2025.
8% growth vs. 2024
€2.856B
Aggregate Turnover
Startup revenue grew nearly 10% year-on-year and 30% CAGR from 2020–2023.
9.8% YoY turnover
28,000+
Direct Jobs
Startups employ around 28,000 people, with salaries ~81% above the national average.
~7–8% employment growth
€1.571B
Export Revenue
58% of startup revenue comes from foreign markets, vs. 20% in the wider economy.
Highly export-driven

R&D & Innovation

Portugal's startup scene is now powered by business-led research and deep-tech talent.

79,257
R&D Professionals
Researchers and R&D staff (FTE), increasingly split between universities and companies.
Private-sector R&D dominance
63%
Business R&D Share
The business sector now performs almost two-thirds of national R&D spending.
30%
STEM Graduates
Around a third of Portugal's ~96,000 annual graduates are in STEM fields.

Venture Capital & Funding

A 2024 rebound driven by tax-incentivised local funds, with pressure at pre-seed.

2024 Total VC Funding
€500M+
+148%
YoY Capital Rebound
76%
SIFIDE-Linked Capital Share
21%
Drop In Pre-Seed Deals
€187.95M
Iberis Capital
Local private equity and VC firm anchoring late-stage and growth deals.
€155.9M
Indico Capital Partners
Specialised in SaaS and tech, active across pre-seed to Series A.
€30.4M
Portugal Ventures
State-backed VC filling the pre-seed and seed "market failure".

Portuguese Unicorns

A growing cohort of billion-dollar companies built in Portugal and scaled globally.

OutSystems
$9.5B
Low-code platform founded in Lisbon, now HQ'd in Boston with global reach.
Talkdesk
$10B+
Cloud contact center unicorn scaling from Portugal to San Francisco.
Sword Health
$4B
AI-powered digital MSK care, part of the deep-tech wave.
Tekever
$1.33B
Defense and drone tech unicorn that kept its HQ in Lisbon.

Geographic Distribution

Lisbon leads, but Porto and emerging hubs like Braga and Coimbra are closing gaps.

Lisbon
#1
The country's main startup hub, specialising in SaaS, fintech, and marketing tech.
Porto
#2
Northern innovation hub, strong in e-commerce, retail, and product engineering.

Government Support & Incentives

One of Europe's most generous incentive stacks for founders and deep-tech teams.

125
Certified Incubators
The RNI network supports 4,900+ startup projects nationwide.
47.5%
Enhanced SIFIDE Rate
Startups can recover up to 47.5% of eligible R&D expenses as tax credit.
14%
Effective Stock Option Tax
Law 21/2023 defers tax to exit and cuts effective equity tax to ~14%.
D2 / D8
Founder & Talent Visas
Visa routes that international founders actually use to enter and build in Portugal.



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Methodology

How This Guide Was Researched and Verified

Updated for 2025

This article is not based on marketing claims. Every step, checklist, and red flag in this guide follows what Grenada’s authorities and leading compliance sources say about how the Citizenship by Investment program must operate.

Direct use of official IMA material

Verification instructions are drawn from the Investment Migration Agency of Grenada, including its official agent directory, program rules, and public guidance on how applications must be submitted.

Red flags based on real compliance issues

The warning signs in this guide reflect problems highlighted in enforcement notices, government statements, and known program rules, such as improper payment channels or unlicensed intermediaries.

Competitor review for completeness

We compared guidance from top ranking advisory sites, including Global Citizen Solutions, to understand what applicants are told elsewhere and to address any gaps or unclear areas in a more practical way.

No unverified third party claims

The article does not rely on anonymous forums, unofficial blogs, or untraceable testimonials. Only information that can be linked back to official rules or clearly identified expert commentary is included.






FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Essential information about Portugal’s startup ecosystem, data sources, and how to read the key metrics on this page.
What exactly counts as a “startup” in these statistics?
Here, a startup is a young, innovation-driven company with high growth potential, usually tech-enabled, formally registered in Portugal and mapped by incubators, VC funds, and national statistics.
How up to date are the numbers on this page?
The headline figures (5,091 startups, €2.856B turnover, 28,000+ jobs, etc.) reflect the latest available data up to 2025, with comparisons back to 2020 wherever robust historical series exist.
Are these startups only based in Lisbon?
No. Lisbon is the largest hub, but the dataset covers the whole country, including Porto, Braga, Coimbra, Aveiro, and several emerging regional ecosystems.
Do the turnover figures include all Portuguese SMEs?
The turnover and export revenue metrics refer specifically to the mapped startup population. They do not include the full universe of Portuguese SMEs in the wider economy.
Why do you highlight export revenue so much?
Export revenue is a proxy for global competitiveness. Around 58% of startup revenue already comes from foreign markets, versus roughly 20% for Portugal’s broader economy.
Which sectors are driving most of the growth?
SaaS, fintech, e-commerce, digital health, deep tech, and defense/dual-use technologies are among the most represented verticals in the current wave of scaleups and unicorns.
Where does the venture capital funding data come from?
Funding figures blend publicly reported rounds, fund reports, and ecosystem studies that track capital raised by Portugal-based startups and VC funds operating from the country.
What kind of government incentives support startups?
Key tools include the SIFIDE R&D tax credit, a large network of certified incubators, equity-friendly stock-option rules, and visa routes like D2 and D8 that help founders and talent relocate.
Are foreign-founded companies included in the stats?
Yes. If a company is legally based in Portugal and operates in the local ecosystem, it is generally counted as long as it meets the startup criteria, regardless of the founders’ nationality.
How should investors or founders use this page?
Treat it as a high-level dashboard: a way to quickly understand scale, growth, export intensity, funding dynamics, and geographic hotspots before diving into specific sectors, funds, or companies.
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