UPTEC launches Matching Founders to strengthen start-up ecosystem in Porto

UPTEC has launched Matching Founders, a new initiative designed to address one of the main challenges in entrepreneurship: finding the right people to form a solid founding team. The project is developed within the scope of the Open Call 2025, an initiative by Porto City Council, coordinated by Porto Digital with the support of Porto Innovation Hub and ScaleUp Porto.

Through this initiative, UPTEC reinforces its commitment to strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem by creating opportunities for innovative projects to emerge with well-aligned and complementary teams from the very beginning. Matching Founders is aimed at early-stage entrepreneurs seeking to connect with individuals who share the ambition, talent and vision to develop start-ups collaboratively.

The platform combines a digital matching system with regular in-person networking events. Users can create founder or cofounder profiles, publish business ideas, explore available projects and assess compatibility levels between people and concepts. The initiative also includes a calendar of face-to-face events designed to encourage idea sharing, short pitches and the development of trust-based relationships. 

The first Matching Founders event will take place on the 24th at 5:30pm at UPTEC Baixa, bringing together entrepreneurs, founders and prospective cofounders in an informal setting aimed at fostering collaboration. This initiative marks an important step in further consolidating Porto as a dynamic start-up ecosystem and reinforcing UPTEC’s role as a key player in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.