UPTEC startup Granter wins Web Summit 2025 competition

Nearly twenty startups linked to the institution showcased their projects at Europe’s largest technology event at Web Summit, reflecting UPTEC’s growing influence in the innovation ecosystem.

The spotlight this year fell on Granter, which emerged as the winner of the prestigious Startup Pitch Competition. The company topped a field of more than a hundred startups, earning the clear preference of both the audience with an impressive 80% of the votes and the expert jury. Their decision highlighted not only the clarity and conviction of the presentation but also the robustness of Granter’s business model and its ambitions for international expansion.

Founded in 2023 by Bernardo Seixas and Bernardo Tavares, Granter has developed what it describes as the world’s first "AI Grant Consultant”. The platform helps companies identify suitable public funding opportunities, assess eligibility, draft applications, and manage approved projects. By entering basic company details, users are matched with relevant grants, while the AI agent streamlines every step of the application and funding process.

With this achievement, Granter becomes the third UPTEC startup to win the Web Summit’s pitch competition in consecutive years. The victory follows Intuitivo’s win in 2024 and Smartex’s success in 2022, reinforcing UPTEC’s reputation for fostering high-potential startups that stand out on global stages.

Porto's entrepreneurship ecosystem is further solidified through the activity of ScaleUp Porto, the Porto City Council's initiative to develop a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem in the city. Together with a wide network of partners, ScaleUp Porto is supporting the sustainable development of the ecosystem by fostering funding opportunities, access to markets, knowledge and talent, communities, business intelligence monitoring, and ecosystem communication.