Startup Capital Summit returns on 3 June
General
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The Startup Capital Summit, a leading national event with a growing international reputation in the fields of deep tech, venture capital, innovation, entrepreneurship and technology transfer, returns to Coimbra on 3 June, reinforcing Coimbra’s position as a Startup Region. More than 1,100 participants are expected to attend the event, organised by the University of Coimbra in partnership with Coimbra City Council, the Instituto Pedro Nunes and the Coimbra Metropolitan Region.
The Convento São Francisco will once again host the biennial summit, which will bring together companies, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, lecturers and students for a programme featuring dozens of initiatives, including conferences, panels, pitches and workshops. The main new feature of this edition is the Showcase of Start-ups and Academic Spin-offs, an exhibition space where science- and/or technology-based start-ups and national academic spin-offs/projects will be able to present their projects, products and services.
Applications to participate are open until 10 May – the same date on which applications close for the now traditional Pitch Competition, which includes a start-up competition and another competition for science- and/or technology-based ideas and businesses. The Startup Capital Summit fosters partnerships, business opportunities and investment attraction through dozens of pitches where ideas seek capital and capital seeks ideas.
These two initiatives, the Startup Showcase and the Pitch Competition, promise to be two of the main highlights of the Startup Capital Summit. The programme is split between a morning focused on the conference in the Grand Auditorium, which will address Deeptech2market – specifically highly successful international deep-tech entrepreneurial initiatives – as well as the entrepreneurial and funding ecosystem at national and European level; and a more dynamic and informal afternoon, featuring different formats and taking place in various spaces at the Convento São Francisco, which will include panels, one-to-one talks, workshops, pitches and the opportunity to hold one-to-one meetings.
The Startup Capital Summit thus plays a pivotal role in connecting universities, startups, entrepreneurs, investors and companies, positioning Coimbra as a prime choice for entrepreneurs and investors who create jobs, capitalising on its high-quality education and research systems, as well as its central geographical location. The event helps Coimbra consolidate its leadership in the Central Region and establish itself, both nationally and internationally, as a destination where startups stop off. It also reinforces the University of Coimbra’s position as an entrepreneurial university, ranked second nationally and among the top 50 in Europe in the ‘Top European Universities for Deep Tech and Life Sciences Spinout Value Creation’, according to the European Spinouts Report 2025.
The Startup Capital Summit’s position as a leading national platform for deep tech, with international ambition and participation, reinforces the external perception of Portugal as an emerging, credible and competitive ecosystem in the promotion of scientific knowledge and the creation of innovation with economic and social impact.
The last edition of the event (2024) brought together over 1,100 participants, 100 investors and 80 speakers, figures the organisers hope to surpass this year.
The Startup Capital Summit 2026 benefits from the institutional support of the European Investment Fund, Banco Português de Fomento, AICEP and Turismo do Centro, as well as funding from the Coimbra Startup Region and UI-CAP — Universities as an Interface for Capacity Building for Technological Job Creation projects. It also benefits from sponsorship from Santander Universidades, Empowered Startups, Accenture, Galp, Deloitte, TUU, Rodda, Altice Labs, Active Space, Incentea, Civilria and Bluepharma, amongst others.
Further information and registration forms for attending or participating in the event are available at www.startupcapitalsummit.com.
The Evolution of the Startup Capital Summit
The first edition, in 2019, brought together around 350 participants and over 50 experts, establishing the event as a structured platform for debate on venture capital, technology transfer and scientific entrepreneurship in Portugal.
The second edition, in 2022, saw significant growth, with over 1,000 participants, around 50 investors and more than 100 speakers, and 12,300 live stream views, consolidating the SCS as a national benchmark in the sector.
In the 3rd edition, in 2024, the event attracted over 1,100 participants, more than 100 investors and over 80 speakers. There were over 15,200 live stream views and more than 200 one-to-one meetings, demonstrating the high level of engagement from the entrepreneurial and investment community.
In 2026, SCS will hold its 4th edition, with the aim of further consolidating its position as a strategic meeting point for national and international players in the deep tech sector, deepening the matchmaking and investment aspects and raising the profile of both the event and the region hosting it.
The Startup Capital Summit, a leading national event with a growing international reputation in the fields of deep tech, venture capital, innovation, entrepreneurship and technology transfer, returns to Coimbra on 3 June, reinforcing Coimbra’s position as a Startup Region. More than 1,100 participants are expected to attend the event, organised by the University of Coimbra in partnership with Coimbra City Council, the Instituto Pedro Nunes and the Coimbra Metropolitan Region.
The Convento São Francisco will once again host the biennial summit, which will bring together companies, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, lecturers and students for a programme featuring dozens of initiatives, including conferences, panels, pitches and workshops. The main new feature of this edition is the Showcase of Start-ups and Academic Spin-offs, an exhibition space where science- and/or technology-based start-ups and national academic spin-offs/projects will be able to present their projects, products and services.
Applications to participate are open until 10 May – the same date on which applications close for the now traditional Pitch Competition, which includes a start-up competition and another competition for science- and/or technology-based ideas and businesses. The Startup Capital Summit fosters partnerships, business opportunities and investment attraction through dozens of pitches where ideas seek capital and capital seeks ideas.
These two initiatives, the Startup Showcase and the Pitch Competition, promise to be two of the main highlights of the Startup Capital Summit. The programme is split between a morning focused on the conference in the Grand Auditorium, which will address Deeptech2market – specifically highly successful international deep-tech entrepreneurial initiatives – as well as the entrepreneurial and funding ecosystem at national and European level; and a more dynamic and informal afternoon, featuring different formats and taking place in various spaces at the Convento São Francisco, which will include panels, one-to-one talks, workshops, pitches and the opportunity to hold one-to-one meetings.
The Startup Capital Summit thus plays a pivotal role in connecting universities, startups, entrepreneurs, investors and companies, positioning Coimbra as a prime choice for entrepreneurs and investors who create jobs, capitalising on its high-quality education and research systems, as well as its central geographical location. The event helps Coimbra consolidate its leadership in the Central Region and establish itself, both nationally and internationally, as a destination where startups stop off. It also reinforces the University of Coimbra’s position as an entrepreneurial university, ranked second nationally and among the top 50 in Europe in the ‘Top European Universities for Deep Tech and Life Sciences Spinout Value Creation’, according to the European Spinouts Report 2025.
The Startup Capital Summit’s position as a leading national platform for deep tech, with international ambition and participation, reinforces the external perception of Portugal as an emerging, credible and competitive ecosystem in the promotion of scientific knowledge and the creation of innovation with economic and social impact.
The last edition of the event (2024) brought together over 1,100 participants, 100 investors and 80 speakers, figures the organisers hope to surpass this year.
The Startup Capital Summit 2026 benefits from the institutional support of the European Investment Fund, Banco Português de Fomento, AICEP and Turismo do Centro, as well as funding from the Coimbra Startup Region and UI-CAP — Universities as an Interface for Capacity Building for Technological Job Creation projects. It also benefits from sponsorship from Santander Universidades, Empowered Startups, Accenture, Galp, Deloitte, TUU, Rodda, Altice Labs, Active Space, Incentea, Civilria and Bluepharma, amongst others.
Further information and registration forms for attending or participating in the event are available at www.startupcapitalsummit.com.
The Evolution of the Startup Capital Summit
The first edition, in 2019, brought together around 350 participants and over 50 experts, establishing the event as a structured platform for debate on venture capital, technology transfer and scientific entrepreneurship in Portugal.
The second edition, in 2022, saw significant growth, with over 1,000 participants, around 50 investors and more than 100 speakers, and 12,300 live stream views, consolidating the SCS as a national benchmark in the sector.
In the 3rd edition, in 2024, the event attracted over 1,100 participants, more than 100 investors and over 80 speakers. There were over 15,200 live stream views and more than 200 one-to-one meetings, demonstrating the high level of engagement from the entrepreneurial and investment community.
In 2026, SCS will hold its 4th edition, with the aim of further consolidating its position as a strategic meeting point for national and international players in the deep tech sector, deepening the matchmaking and investment aspects and raising the profile of both the event and the region hosting it.
