Good practice:

Startup Braga

Created as InvestBraga's innovation hub, Startup Braga is dedicated to support projects of high entrepreneurial potential with global ambitions. Startup Braga act in the promotion and development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem and in the creation, acceleration and incubation of startups, and is focused on providing the best possible support to community's startups. Startup Braga work mainly with projects in the areas of nanotechnology, health technologies and digital economy, however, biotechnology and environmental technologies will be incorporated soon into Startup Braga verticals.
Startup Braga offers three main supporting programmes:
RE-ACCELERATION - Intensive training program aimed at stimulating technology-based business ideas that arise in an academic context.
ACCELERATION - Program designed to support startups in the validation and development of their business model, access to international markets and financing.
INCUBATION - Program aimed at startups in the early stage who need workspaces that include access to a set of resources and services with added value.

Startup Braga invests circa 100,000 € every year to support the entrepreneurial projects.

Startup Braga ecosystem has the support of 63 national and international mentors, and more than 50 strategic relationships. In 2018, Startup Braga supported 123 startups and received more than 140 applications for the current programs (incubation, acceleration and pre-acceleration) and received more than 3000 participants in the nearly 300 hours of events, workshops and training sessions developed, as well as more than 250 meetings between startups and mentors, investors and companies.

Success is only possible with work and the right tools, Startup Braga aims to provide support and knowledge to help the entrepreneurs to achieve their goals.
By transferring this measure, other regions can support SMEs to develop an innovative product, increase sales and prepare for investment phase and thus accelerate further business growth.