Techstars

Techstars Central LLC, founded in 2006 and based in Boulder, Colorado, operates as a startup accelerator and venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage technology-oriented companies. It specializes in a mentorship-driven accelerator program, selecting ten startups each summer to participate in a three-month incubation period, offering funding of $120,000 in exchange for equity. Techstars invests primarily in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, and IoT, while avoiding investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and local service-oriented businesses. In addition to its primary accelerator, Techstars has various specialized programs, including those focused on music, retail, mobility, and social impact, with global reach extending to regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm prefers taking minority stakes, typically between six and ten percent, without seeking board representation or investor rights. Techstars has built a robust network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners to foster innovation and growth within its portfolio, which includes over 1,000 companies with a significant collective market capitalization.

Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Max Kelly

Managing Director of Techstars London

Lesa Mitchell

Managing Director

Vijay Tirathrai

Managing Director

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in Portugal

Rely.io

Seed Round in 2022
detech.ai provides a unified modern AIOps platform that turns your data into actionable insights to help you detect & resolve issues proactively. When your online services hiccup, customers go elsewhere. And if your experts are constantly reacting to incidents after they happen, your innovation and agility will plummet. In order to remain competitive and grow, you need seamless operations. However, organisations generate amounts of data that humans simply cannot monitor effectively, therefore AIOps is critical to reduce and manage IT incidents. Our platform autonomously learns the normal behaviour of your applications, accurately detecting anomalies and alerting the right people to address only the problems that need addressing. This will allow you to resolve issues before they impact the business, while freeing people to focus on innovating.

Flecto

Venture Round in 2022
Flecto is the rental platform that makes businesses thrive in the circular economy.

Rely.io

Pre Seed Round in 2021
detech.ai provides a unified modern AIOps platform that turns your data into actionable insights to help you detect & resolve issues proactively. When your online services hiccup, customers go elsewhere. And if your experts are constantly reacting to incidents after they happen, your innovation and agility will plummet. In order to remain competitive and grow, you need seamless operations. However, organisations generate amounts of data that humans simply cannot monitor effectively, therefore AIOps is critical to reduce and manage IT incidents. Our platform autonomously learns the normal behaviour of your applications, accurately detecting anomalies and alerting the right people to address only the problems that need addressing. This will allow you to resolve issues before they impact the business, while freeing people to focus on innovating.

Rely.io

Pre Seed Round in 2021
detech.ai provides a unified modern AIOps platform that turns your data into actionable insights to help you detect & resolve issues proactively. When your online services hiccup, customers go elsewhere. And if your experts are constantly reacting to incidents after they happen, your innovation and agility will plummet. In order to remain competitive and grow, you need seamless operations. However, organisations generate amounts of data that humans simply cannot monitor effectively, therefore AIOps is critical to reduce and manage IT incidents. Our platform autonomously learns the normal behaviour of your applications, accurately detecting anomalies and alerting the right people to address only the problems that need addressing. This will allow you to resolve issues before they impact the business, while freeing people to focus on innovating.

Cargofive

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Cargofive is an online platform that allows users to search, compare, and manage ocean freight rates across multiple carriers. It empowers freight forwarders to be part of the digital era. The platform enables freight forwarders to manage contracts, automate the quotation process, reduce operational costs and have access to actionable data to increase sales. Cargofive was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Lisboa, Portugal.

YData

Pre Seed Round in 2020
YData helps adopters of AI to improve and generate high quality data so they can become tomorrow's industry leaders. We offer a data-centric development platform for Data Scientists to work with high quality and synthetic data.

20tree.ai

Seed Round in 2020
20tree.ai is an artificial intelligence platform focused on forest intelligence, utilizing satellite imagery and advanced computing to analyze various aspects of forests, including tree species, height, diameter, growth predictions, and harvesting potential. Founded in 2018 and based in Lisbon, Portugal, the platform provides precise insights that assist a variety of stakeholders, including forest industry companies, non-governmental organizations, governments, and corporate entities, in making informed decisions regarding natural resources. By offering data-driven solutions, 20tree.ai aims to enhance forest management practices and contribute to the preservation of global forest ecosystems.

Rnters

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Rnters, Unipessoal Lda. is an online rental marketplace based in Lisbon, Portugal, that facilitates the renting of everyday items, including GoPros, bikes, video games, books, and various other products. Founded in 2016 by Guilherme Guerra, the platform allows users to save money by renting items they need while enabling others to profit from their underutilized assets. Rnters offers access to over 3,000 unique items, providing a cost-effective alternative to purchasing goods outright. The company's innovative approach supports a sharing economy, encouraging users to both rent and lend items, thereby enhancing resource efficiency and accessibility.

Secret City Trails

Seed Round in 2020
Secret City Trails, founded in 2017 and based in Lisbon, Portugal, offers a unique marketplace for city discovery games designed to enhance urban exploration. The company creates interactive experiences where players solve a series of riddles through a web app on their mobile devices, requiring minimal data usage. These games are crafted by locals in over 40 European cities, guiding participants to hidden gems and local favorites while promoting sustainable tourism and supporting local entrepreneurship. As players engage with the trails, they unlock stories related to the city's history, culture, and art, alongside recommendations for independent shops, cafes, and bars. With more than 90 adventures available, Secret City Trails provides an entertaining and affordable way for travelers to see and enjoy cities in a playful manner.

EMOTAI

Pre Seed Round in 2020
EMOTAI is a privately held company based in Lisbon, Portugal, founded in 2018. It specializes in enhancing human performance through innovative technology. The company manufactures a wearable headband that monitors brain waves and heart rate, specifically designed for gamers. EMOTAI provides a platform that generates performance reports, offering insights into focus, stress, engagement, and heart rate levels. By tracking these biosignals, EMOTAI aims to improve gamers' focus and working memory, ultimately helping them to perform better in their gaming activities.

Rnters

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Rnters, Unipessoal Lda. is an online rental marketplace based in Lisbon, Portugal, that facilitates the renting of everyday items, including GoPros, bikes, video games, books, and various other products. Founded in 2016 by Guilherme Guerra, the platform allows users to save money by renting items they need while enabling others to profit from their underutilized assets. Rnters offers access to over 3,000 unique items, providing a cost-effective alternative to purchasing goods outright. The company's innovative approach supports a sharing economy, encouraging users to both rent and lend items, thereby enhancing resource efficiency and accessibility.

EVA

Pre Seed Round in 2020
ELECTRIC VISIONARY AIRCRAFTS, INC. designs landing and charging stations for drones and electric flying vehicles. It also manufactures battery-enabled aircrafts. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Lisbon, Portugal with additional offices in Toulouse, Paris, France; Doha, Qatar; and Tokyo Japan.

kencko

Seed Round in 2019
kencko foods, inc. produces and sells organic fruit and vegetable products in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company offers sachet-based drink, including ten pack, thirty pack, and sixty pack. kencko foods, inc. was founded in 2017 and is based in New York, New York with a processing facility in Lisbon, Portugal.

EVA

Pre Seed Round in 2019
ELECTRIC VISIONARY AIRCRAFTS, INC. designs landing and charging stations for drones and electric flying vehicles. It also manufactures battery-enabled aircrafts. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Lisbon, Portugal with additional offices in Toulouse, Paris, France; Doha, Qatar; and Tokyo Japan.

20tree.ai

Pre Seed Round in 2019
20tree.ai is an artificial intelligence platform focused on forest intelligence, utilizing satellite imagery and advanced computing to analyze various aspects of forests, including tree species, height, diameter, growth predictions, and harvesting potential. Founded in 2018 and based in Lisbon, Portugal, the platform provides precise insights that assist a variety of stakeholders, including forest industry companies, non-governmental organizations, governments, and corporate entities, in making informed decisions regarding natural resources. By offering data-driven solutions, 20tree.ai aims to enhance forest management practices and contribute to the preservation of global forest ecosystems.

kencko

Pre Seed Round in 2018
kencko foods, inc. produces and sells organic fruit and vegetable products in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company offers sachet-based drink, including ten pack, thirty pack, and sixty pack. kencko foods, inc. was founded in 2017 and is based in New York, New York with a processing facility in Lisbon, Portugal.

kencko

Pre Seed Round in 2018
kencko foods, inc. produces and sells organic fruit and vegetable products in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company offers sachet-based drink, including ten pack, thirty pack, and sixty pack. kencko foods, inc. was founded in 2017 and is based in New York, New York with a processing facility in Lisbon, Portugal.

Sensei

Seed Round in 2018
Sensei Tech specializes in developing an AI-powered real-time video recognition system that enhances traditional video surveillance cameras, transforming them into advanced analytical sensors. Founded in 2017 and based in Lisbon, Portugal, the company creates algorithms that enable retailers to digitize their physical stores and monitor various aspects of the shopping experience. This includes measuring traffic flow, evaluating product performance, detecting out-of-stock items, and providing store benchmarking. By offering accurate in-store analytics, Sensei Tech helps retailers optimize operations and improve customer experiences, facilitating a seamless, checkout-free shopping environment. Their technology supports the evolution of "Phygital" stores, which blend physical and digital retail experiences to drive sales and enhance operational efficiency.

GRAPHENEST

Funding Round in 2018
Graphenest is a provider of an end-to-end turnkey solution based on a proprietary, economical, scalable and environmentally-friendly manufacturing technology for graphene materials. Graphenest's expertise is focused on lightweight, flexible and conductive applications for advanced composites and functional coatings that fit across automotive, electronics, aerospace, and specialized composite industries. Graphenest was part of Techstars Air Force program (Q1 '18) in Boston. After the program ended, Graphenest's team was able to successfully develop multiple partnerships with major corporations, build its first industrial facility, expand the team and showcase two off-the-shelf products, HexaMatrix and HexaShield.

GuestU

Seed Round in 2017
GuestU is a company that offers software-as-a-service (SaaS) mobile solutions specifically for the hospitality industry. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in London, GuestU operates in multiple regions, including the United States, Spain, and China. The company provides cloud-based mobile applications for both iOS and Android platforms, enabling hotels, guesthouses, short-term rentals, and hostels to create and customize their concierge services. One of GuestU's key offerings is the GuestU Phone, a mobile solution designed to enhance guest connectivity with hotels and their surrounding destinations. This innovative amenity provides free internet and voice calls, thus eliminating roaming charges, and allows for personalized travel concierge services and smart device control through a single interface. GuestU is currently equipping thousands of hotel rooms across Europe while also gathering valuable data analytics on tourist behavior.

Muzzley

Seed Round in 2017
Muzzley is an intelligent mobile app+cloud+api/sdk intelligent platform for IOT consumer world. It's a single entry point that avoids the consumer to have hundreds of different apps to interact with hundreds of different devices. The system predicts the user desires according to the constant learning algorithm and suggests/takes actions to improve his/her relation with the connected devices.

Attentive

Seed Round in 2017
Attentive develops sales assistant software designed to enhance the sales process for users. Founded in 2014 and based in Braga, Portugal, the platform enables users to create and manage deals, monitor their status, and generate tasks efficiently. Attentive analyzes user activity and deals to provide insights that help close more transactions, identify deals that may impact performance, and determine optimal times to follow up on stagnant deals. By focusing on relevant key performance indicators, Attentive ensures that no deal is overlooked, maintaining an organized and streamlined sales pipeline. The software allows sales teams to operate smoothly and predictably, requiring minimal daily engagement to keep the revenue pipeline consistently updated.

kencko

Angel Round in 2016
kencko foods, inc. produces and sells organic fruit and vegetable products in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company offers sachet-based drink, including ten pack, thirty pack, and sixty pack. kencko foods, inc. was founded in 2017 and is based in New York, New York with a processing facility in Lisbon, Portugal.

Didimo

Seed Round in 2016
Didimo focuses on humanizing technology and reducing digital isolation. They automate 3D character creation - a once expensive and time-consuming task - in 30 sec or less. Their product - a Didimo - a lifelike 3D characters that look, act and speak like a person will connect every one of us more closely to the digital world, driving a new paradigm for communication, through the image they know the most - their own face.

Attentive

Seed Round in 2016
Attentive develops sales assistant software designed to enhance the sales process for users. Founded in 2014 and based in Braga, Portugal, the platform enables users to create and manage deals, monitor their status, and generate tasks efficiently. Attentive analyzes user activity and deals to provide insights that help close more transactions, identify deals that may impact performance, and determine optimal times to follow up on stagnant deals. By focusing on relevant key performance indicators, Attentive ensures that no deal is overlooked, maintaining an organized and streamlined sales pipeline. The software allows sales teams to operate smoothly and predictably, requiring minimal daily engagement to keep the revenue pipeline consistently updated.