Granter.ai among 12 startups selected for Techstars Torino 2025

Portuguese startup Granter.ai, incubated at UPTEC – the Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto, was one of the twelve companies selected for the 2025 edition of Techstars Transformative World Torino. The only Portuguese startup in the programme, Granter.ai showcased its solution at the Demo Day on May 22: the world’s first AI agent dedicated to public funding applications.

With the mission of making access to public grants faster and more accessible for companies of all sizes, Granter.ai has developed a tool capable of identifying grant opportunities, checking eligibility, drafting applications, and managing post-approval processes – all in an automated manner.

“This transforms the way companies discover, write, submit, and manage grants,” said CEO Bernardo Seixas. “Every company gets its own personalized agent working 24/7 to ensure they find the best funding opportunities.”

Being selected for the Techstars program, which accepts fewer than 1% of applicants, marked a turning point. “It was unexpected but fantastic news,” said the founder. Granter.ai had applied the previous year with a more manual approach. “Being accepted now shows how much we’ve evolved. We changed direction with a much more ambitious, automated, and product-focused vision.”

Over the 13-week acceleration program, the startup went through a complete structural transformation. The previous hybrid model of consulting and technology was replaced by a fully scalable and automated system free of language or geographical barriers. In addition to technical advancements, the team rebranded and began attracting a new profile of clients, including large companies, universities, and public entities. “Everything changed,” Bernardo Seixas stated.

Participation in Techstars also provided access to a valuable network of contacts that is rarely available in other contexts. “We spoke with over 100 mentors from very diverse fields. In the end, we selected five main ones – and two were truly pivotal,” noted the CEO, referring to Valentina Sorgato from SMAU and Andrea Sasso, a consultant to the European Commission. Both offered strategic input for product development and facilitated access to key industry contacts.

Granter Prepares Seed Round After Techstars

Following the program’s conclusion, Granter.ai is now preparing a seed investment round to scale its product across Europe.

“Demo Day was our announcement to the world. In less than a week, we gained over 200 new companies on our waiting list. Now we want to harness that momentum,” said the CEO. Currently, Granter.ai is already testing the new version with nearly 20 clients and has more than 450 companies on its waiting list. Sold through an annual subscription, the solution promises to cut the average cost of a traditional grant application by up to five times.

“It’s always a magical experience when we onboard a new client,” Bernardo said. “They immediately realize the system has already checked eligibility for the first grant. And if they want, they just click a button, and the application starts being written automatically.”

UPTEC, which has supported the startup since its inception, played a pivotal role in its journey. “Some of our first clients came from UPTEC. We’re even discussing a partnership to bring our AI agent to the incubated companies there. We hope this collaboration becomes even more active throughout the year,” concluded Bernardo Seixas.