Acredita Portugal winners
The seven winning projects of the 9th edition of the Montepio Acredita Portugal entrepreneurship competition have been selected from more than 10,000 applications received. The projects were subjected to various stages of evaluation and mentoringThey will now receive specialized support for their entry into the market.
The seven winning projects of the 9th edition of the Montepio Acredita Portugal Entrepreneurship Competition, selected from over 10,000 business ideas submitted, are now known. The winners, one for each category of the initiative, were selected at the Gala held at the Lisbon Congress Center:
- Social Entrepreneurship Award: Pata D'Açúcar
- Brisa Mobility Award 2019: Safy
- PrêmioTech: Alfredo
- H2O Innovation Award by Águas de Gaia: Scubic
- Autónoma Award: Cinema.Action!
- Products and Services Award: IRcycle - Custom Handmade Sneakers
- Prize Health and well-being: e-Rehab
The winners will now receive a package of services provided by Acredita Portugal's partners, including business card printing from 360 Imprimir, training vouchers from Flag, legal support from Vieira de Almeida, a grant of accounting hours from Grupo Your and support in developing a communication plan from Say U Consulting, among others.
For Fernando Fraga, Innovation Director at Acredita Portugal, "Now that we have reached the ninth edition of this initiative, we can see that the mobilization around entrepreneurship continues, so the existence of this Contest continues to make perfect sense as a platform to give visibility to these projects, foster contact between entrepreneurs, mentors and investors and help develop business ideas and their entry into the market. For the winning projects honored today, we hope that the partnerships established by the Acredita Portugal Association will be the decisive contribution for these ideas to become effective business projects and manage to impact the national economy.".
In the opinion of Fernando Amaro, director of the social economy and public sector area at Banco Montepio, "With this partnership with Acredita Portugal, Banco Montepio is fulfilling its mission as a partner for impact projects and Portuguese companies, both those already established in the market and those that are taking their first steps or are just an idea with a lot of potential. It is very gratifying for Banco Montepio to be able to help so many innovative projects grow".
The Winners of the Montepio Acredita Portugal Competition:
Social Entrepreneurship Award
Pata D'Açúcar - The aim is to rescue shelter dogs so that, with specific technical training, they can signal low blood sugar levels, enabling them to help people with diabetes.
Brisa Mobility Award 2019
Safy - It features an easy-to-install and easy-to-use signaling system for bicycles, scooters, skateboards, etc., for maximum protection of users of this type of vehicle.
K.Tech Award
Alfredo - It aims to organize the real estate market using Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, to help professionals in the sector achieve more transparent valuations and facilitate decision-making.
H2O Innovation Award by Águas de Gaia
Scubic - An intelligent platform that improves asset management in water networks, helping companies to reduce energy costs, improve operational efficiency, increase network security and maximize productivity efficiency. Scubic optimizes pumping operations, which are responsible for more than 40% of operating expenses, guaranteeing reductions of up to 20% in energy bills.
Autonomous Award
School.Cinema.Action! - Its aim is to use cinema as a learning tool, contributing to the education of younger audiences, increasing visual literacy and social inclusion.
Products and Services Award
IRcycle - Custom Handmade Sneakers - Transforms plastic collected from the oceans into sneakers customized by the customer, guaranteeing the best quality materials and techniques available.
Health and Wellness Award
e-Rehab - A virtual reality tool that enables neuropsychological rehabilitation, even at a distance, for people with acquired brain damage or neurodegenerative diseases.
About Acredita Portugal:
Acredita Portugal is a non-profit organization focused on the development and promotion of national entrepreneurship, which was born in 2008 by José Miguel Queimado. Since then, Acredita Portugal has worked by and for all Portuguese people, regardless of their background or culture, allowing any citizen the opportunity to pursue their entrepreneurial dream. Each idea in the competition is submitted free of charge, undergoes an evaluation and sees its business plan developed. Winning projects are given the opportunity to develop strategic partnerships with a view to implementing them on the market.
Further information is available at www.acreditaportugal.pt