On 28 January, at 2.30 p.m., in the UPTEC Asprela I Auditorium, the outstanding projects that have gone through the 13th edition of the School of Startups will have the opportunity to present themselves to the public. At Pitch Day, an event that marks the end of the acceleration programme at UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto, ten projects will have three minutes to present their business ideas.

Among the innovative solutions that will take the stage is a technology that uses cellulose and carbon inks to develop sustainable flexible electronics, a brand of personalised jewellery created from voices and sounds, and drone-based aerial wind energy technology that captures energy from high-altitude winds.

In addition to these ideas, other notable projects include a technology for indoor photovoltaic devices designed to provide reliable power to small electronic equipment, a platform that automatically identifies all existing encryption in an organisation and implements new protections, and a project that provides practical tools and spaces for reflection focused on well-being.

The event will also highlight a video-first recruitment platform that helps small and medium-sized enterprises hire better, a SaaS platform geared towards more efficient collaboration between suppliers, and an Artificial Intelligence-based solution that transforms long texts into audio summaries with human voice and instant translation.

Over three months, the 16 projects that participated in the programme had the opportunity to take part in practical workshops on topics such as market analysis, differentiation, intellectual property and pitch training, as well as benefiting from individual mentoring with experts and access to UPTEC’s workspaces. The 13th edition of the School of Startups also had the support of Vodafone Business and the Santander Portugal Foundation, which awarded inclusion grants to women entrepreneurs and those of African descent.

The afternoon will also feature a special interview led by CNN journalist Francisco David Ferreira, with two members of the UPTEC community: Felipe Ávila from Infraspeak, a School of Startups alumni, and Raquel Magalhães from Connected, who will be sharing insights from their entrepreneurial journeys.

On Pitch Day, the selected participants will present their ideas to a jury composed of Francisca Vieira Matias (Santander), Tiago Ilharco (NCREP) and Sérgio Rodrigues (COREangels). In addition to the Best Pitch award, the jury will award a Best Evolution award, highlighting the progress of one of the projects throughout the programme. There will also be an Audience Choice Award, which will give the audience the opportunity to select the presentation that stands out the most.

Admission to the Startup School’s Pitch Day is free, but registration is required via this link.

Over 13 editions, the UPTEC acceleration programme has supported around 540 entrepreneurs and more than 240 business ideas, resulting in more than 80 companies. Startups that have gone through the School of Startups – such as Smartex, Addvolt, Adapttech, Wisecrop, Summary, among others – have raised more than €65 million in investment.

21 January 2026