50+
mentors
20+
startups
10+
speakers
The Program
Discoveries is an intensive five-week acceleration program that will turn fresh ideas into successful businesses, through a set of bootcamps where the entrepreneurs will define, validate and develop the model under the Lean Startup methodology.
We expect aspiring entrepreneurs with a tech startup related to the travel & tourism industries for the 6th edition of this successful acceleration program. The program will be held remotely, guaranteeing the dynamic environment, networking opportunities, and intensive work-flow.
What to Expect?
This is the 6th edition of Discoveries and we continue to push ourselves to meet your expectations in order to create successful businesses. Therefore, we have some extra perks for you:

INVESTMENT
ACCESS TO A NETWORK OF INVESTORS
Namely Portugal Ventures – the biggest venture capital in Portugal -, Finy Ventures and APBA – Business Angels Portuguese Association.

MENTORSHIP
A ROSTER OF AMAZING MENTORS
You will find both national and international mentors ranging from executives and startup founders to investors who will give you support along the way.

NETWORKING
WORKSHOPS & TALKS
Designed to help you and to support the different stages of your startup as well as promoting the exchange of experiences between teams and other startup founders.

TOURISM INNOVATION TOUR
The jury of the Final Pitch event will select up to 3 winners of the program that will win a Tourism Innovation Tour in Portugal in 2021!
PRIZE

PARTNERSHIPS
BENEFITS TO HELP YOU ALONG THE PROCESS
The program comprises a set of benefits that will make your project a success. We set up partnerships with companies such as Amazon and Hubspot, among many others.
Timeline
January 2021
Applications Open
7th March 2021
Applications Closed
12nd March 2021
Results Announced
30th March to 22nd April
Bootcamps
29th April
Final Pitch
Agenda
We will tell you where to go and how to get there, just like a GPS, guiding you towards your product-market-fit. We want you to get a business rolling with paying customers!
Bootcamp #01
Business Model Canvas | 30th March
Bootcamp #02
Customer Segment | 1st April
Bootcamp #03
Value Proposition | 6th April
Bootcamp #04
Channels & Relationship with Clients | 8th April
Bootcamp #05
Revenue Streams | 13rd April
Bootcamp #06
Key Activities, Resources and Partners | 15th April
Bootcamp #07
Cost Structure | 20th April
Bootcamp #08
How to Pitch | 22nd April
Final Pitch | 29th April
The agenda may change at the last minute!
In addition to Bootcamps there will also be another important tasks such as:
-
Mentorship sessions;
-
Homework from the bootcamps;
-
Working hours dedicated to help and support all the teams;
-
FabTalks;
-
Workshops.
Who Can Apply?
Discoveries invites all startups (in the idea, prototype or launch stages) related with one of the strategic areas of Tourism for 2021, to overcome the impact of COVID-19:
-
big data and metrics
-
productivity
-
cities
-
mobility
-
community
-
hospitality
-
entertainment
-
e-commerce
-
crowdsourcing
-
software as a service
-
marketplaces
-
augmented reality
Mentors
António Lucena Faria
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
André Marquet
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Afonso Rebelo
de Sousa
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Sara Aguiar
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
José Damião
Business Design, Startups & Innovation
Susana Gama
Intellectual Property: Brands & Design
João Perre Viana
Entrepreneurship, Strategy & Business
Paulo Mesquita
Marketing, Sales & ROI
Miguel Barbosa
Investment & Innovation
Katia Menezes
Persuasive Communication & Pitching
Luis Costa
Innovation in Tourism
Mário Tarouca
FoodTech, Business Model, Sales & Marketing
Paulo Rodrigues
Internationalization & International Tax
Rui Costa
Tourism, Strategy, Territorial Development
José Lopes Costa
Innovation, Strategy & Marketing
João Vilas Boas
Lean Startup, Pitching & Investors Relations
Jonathan Hassid
Entrepreneurship & Digital Strategy
Miguel Ribeiro
Marketing, Digital Business
& Internationalization
Luís Geraldes
Investment Rounds
Daylon Soh
Marketing, Digital Product Design & Management
Nuno Veloso
Impact Innovation, Product & Entrepreneurship
Lisa Azevedo
Marketing, Sales & Operations
Eduardo Cruz
Programming, Finance & Management
Catherine de Freitas
Marketing & Communication
Fábio Santos
Marketing & Communication
Marta Poggi
Marketing & Innovation
Patricia Costa
Branding, Communication & Tourism
Pedro Caramez
Marketing & Sales
Rita Ferreira
Tourism & Smart Cities
Artur Pereira
Economics & Technology
Myriam Nassar
Entrepreneurship
Sam Bruce
Entrepreneurship, Management & Sustainability
Sandra Sick
Growth Marketing & Business Development
Fábio Jesuíno
Entrepreneurship
Wendy van Leeuwen
Entrepreneurship & Communication
More mentors to be confirmed in the next few weeks!
Why Portugal?
We are calling all startups in the travel and tourism sector to join one of the fastest entrepreneurial ecosystem in Europe: Portugal. Besides being ranked as the World’s Leading Destination and Europe’s Leading Destination in 2019, Portugal has been recognized as the new European hub for startups from all over the world.
Graduated Startups
After 6 editions of Discoveries, we have a track record of successful startups that accelerated their business with us. Check them out:


Who We Are
Fábrica de Startups helps companies to develop new ideas and innovative solutions and identify new investment opportunities, so that they can grow and increase their competitiveness. How we do that? Through programs designed to support the process of creation, validation and internationalization of startups. These programs follow an innovative methodology, which ensures the identification of business ideas and the translation of the idea into a business model. This methodology facilitates the validation of all the components of the model and reduces the risks associated with launching a new business. We are trusted by more than 50 companies and 3000 entrepreneurs during our 8 years of activity.
Integrated in the Ministry of Economy, Turismo de Portugal is the National Tourism Authority responsible for the promotion, valuation and sustainability of tourism activity, adding in a single entity all the institutional competencies related to the promotion of tourism, from supply to demand. With a privileged relationship with other public entities and economic agents in Portugal and abroad, Turismo de Portugal is committed to fulfilling the goal of strengthening tourism as one of the pillars of the growth of the Portuguese economy.