Sustainable Innovation: Get to Know These 17 Portuguese Startups

An entrepreneur focuses on creating value. Achieving the dream. Making the world a better place.

And Portugal shines more and more in this regard, thanks to new entrepreneurs dedicated to changing the world with sustainable innovations.

In this article, we list 17 sustainable Portuguese startups. We delve into detail on the first eight, exposing the encountered problem and the developed solution. Towards the end, we highlight more Portuguese startups worth discovering. And believe me, the challenge was choosing only 17.

 

1. Bling Energy

Problem

The substantial investment in solar panels poses a significant obstacle for many Portuguese families, preventing more households from benefiting from all the advantages of solar energy.

Solution

Bling Energy, a Portuguese startup based in Amadora, has developed a business model where anyone can install solar panels without making an initial investment, eliminating this financial barrier. To achieve this, Bling Energy provides its turnkey services through a subscription, which not only eases the investment but also ensures all necessary installation and maintenance throughout the panels’ lifespan.

Website: https://blingenergy.pt/

Founders: Bernardo S. C. Fernandez

2. CO2offset

Problem

Forests are one of the great allies in carbon capture. One of the best ways to protect them, even expand them, is by rewarding all owners or organizations actively managing them. This is where carbon credits come into play. If an owner can sell these carbon credits, they can acquire more funds to continue protecting and expanding their forest. However, measuring these carbon credits is not an easy task.

Solution

Enter CO2offset. This Portuguese startup has developed a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that measures carbon credits quickly, reliably, and at a lower cost, making these credits more accessible to everyone. This way, forest owners can sell these credits to companies needing to offset their carbon footprint.

Website: https://co2offset.ai/

Founders: Pedro Cipriano and Rui Lopes

 

3. Wayz

Problem

Fashion – especially fast fashion – generates a lot of waste. With the textile and footwear industries holding significant weight in the Portuguese economy, there’s a need to find more ethical and sustainable ways to develop these products, meeting the demands of a more modern consumer who is mindful of these issues.

Solution

This is where Wayz comes in. This Portuguese startup develops sneakers using biodegradable materials or by reusing items like tires. Additionally, the brand contributes to the job market by focusing on the artisanal craftsmanship of its products.

Website: https://wayzforlife.com/

Founders: Daniel Gonçalves and Pedro Maçana

4. Flowco

Problem

Every company generates some form of waste. However, they often struggle to recycle it or give it a second life, leading to this waste ending up in landfills.

Solution

The solution arrives with Flowco. This Portuguese startup aims to create value from the waste generated by companies right from the beginning of each process. In other words, Flowco collaborates with any company seeking to reduce its waste, repurposing and transforming it into new products, such as gym flooring made from tires.

Website: https://flowco.pt/

Founders: António Vale and João Goulão

5. Simby

Problem

E-waste (WEEE), waste generated by companies or consumers of technology, is growing at an alarming rate. The pollutants contained in electronic waste are extremely hazardous to soil, water, and the entire food chain that depends on these resources.

Solution

Simby, a Portuguese startup based in Porto, has created a platform that facilitates communication between e-waste producers and organizations capable of recycling it. Both parties benefit: the producer can sell their e-waste to a recycling company, which in turn reuses the valuable metals present in this e-waste for profit. Additionally, the environment benefits as pressure on raw materials decreases, reducing the accumulation of e-waste in landfills.

Website: http://simby.pt/

Founders: Filipe Gonçalves, José Carlos Carvalho, and Nuno Novo

 

 

6. Build.ing

Problem

When constructing a building, it typically begins with architecture, followed by engineering and all the challenges that arise to make the engineering aspects align with the architectural design. Building a structure is always a challenging task, especially in managing the relationship between architecture and engineering. There’s a need to make this relationship more efficient, thus saving time and resources.

Solution

The Portuguese startup Build.ing has developed an artificial intelligence platform that integrates the strengths of both architecture and engineering, making the building construction process more efficient. This platform creates models and studies on energy performance using various eco-friendly materials. As a result, Build.ing reduces the fragmentation of construction projects, enabling construction companies to optimize their choices and lower construction costs through shorter and sustainable project cycles. Location: Coimbra

Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/build-ing-a-greener-future/people/

Founders: Elias Silva and Leonardo Costa

 

7. InBfusion

Problem

We all use toothbrushes, whether they are electronic, disposable, or bamboo-based. Eventually, they all come to an end, contributing to waste generation.

Solution

Developing a lifelong toothbrush. That’s precisely what the Portuguese startup InBfusion did. And they did it using sustainable materials. The toothbrush, aside from being aesthetically pleasing and promoting good oral hygiene, has only one disposable part: the head, made of biodegradable filaments.

Website: https://www.inbfusion.pt/

Founders: Carolina Ferreira, Sara Guerreiro, and Tatiana Padrão

8. Blue Oasis

Problem

Reefs are among the marine ecosystems that contribute most to the balance of oceans, acting as filters and even sequestering carbon. However, they are disappearing, and with their disappearance, the entire marine ecosystem will suffer irreversible damage.

Solution

The Portuguese startup Blue Oasis creates and installs carbon-neutral artificial ‘reefs’, facilitating the recovery of damaged marine ecosystems and reversing the decline of ocean biodiversity. Alongside this solution, Blue Oasis develops others focusing on renewable energies and artificial intelligence, all related to the ocean. Location: Ericeira, Lisbon

Website: https://blueoasis.pt/

Other Sustainable Portuguese Startups

Portuguese startups are making an increasingly positive impact on the world. The eight examples above are just a simple demonstration of the good that’s happening in Portugal. Below, we highlight a few more Portuguese startups that are worth discovering:

1.Ecoceno: Reusable take-away packaging

2.Matterpieces (Studio8): Reuse and transformation of construction-generated waste

3.Revoco: Reutilization of waste from the textile industry

4.AI: Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to reduce waste in the textile industry during the manufacturing process

5.SEAentia: Sustainable aquaculture

6.N9ve: Recovery of rare earth metals through e-waste

7.Inokem: Ultra-concentrated eco-friendly and pet-friendly cleaning and disinfection products

8.Noocity: Community gardens for companies

9.Bambu Bycicles: Sustainable bicycles made from bamboo

Conclusion

Looking toward the future is important. But it’s crucial to act in the present. Creating sustainable innovations that day by day decrease our impact on the planet. Doing so through a startup with growth potential and profitability only proves that sustainability works as a business model. That’s the future. And these Portuguese startups prove that it can also be our present. Congratulations!