Empowered Startups

It was our great pleasure to attend last week's executive lunch hosted by Câmara de Comércio Portugal-Canadá / Canada-Portugal Chamber of Commerce in Lisbon. We are proud to support the continued growth of this recently founded organization, and we look forward to further collaboration in 2025 and beyond!

"Empowered Startups’ team is working together very efficiently and gets results very quickly. From the beginning to finishing the biometrics appointment took about four months. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them." - Hendra Tjahayadi As the adoption of cryptocurrency grows, consumers have increasingly diverse access requirements. The latest Portugal HQA® Visa Program project at the Universidade do Algarve aims to develop novel solutions to these complex challenges. From fintech to sustainability to health care and beyond, the HQA® Visa Program is stimulating innovation and bringing foreign direct investment to Portugal. We're proud to work with such accomplished entrepreneurs, talented researchers, and exceptional Portuguese universities to bring these projects to fruition. João Rui Ferreira Christopher Lennon Paul Girodo Hugo Valadas Elise Racicot Sónia J. Djordje Vidović Antonio Dias Martins Hortense Santos Vitor Ferreira Pedro Perestrelo Pinto Daniela Afonso Paulo Martins Francesco Berrettini Filipe Duarte Galego Joana Ferreira Reis Sara C. Carlos Cardoso soumodip sarkar https://lnkd.in/egPAPztk

Invitation ➡️ Conversation ➡️ Collaboration ➡️ Innovation 🚀 One of the many ways we support our entrepreneurs is through various networking events, from formal conferences to casual get togethers. Our recent Coffee Connect event in Vancouver brought together several founders who are at different stages of their entrepreneurial journeys in the Canada Start-up Visa Program. By sharing stories, discussing best practices, asking questions, and celebrating obstacles overcome, our entrepreneurs support each other in their respective pursuits. We're proud to create an environment where our founders can thrive together 🙌 Christopher Lennon Paul Girodo

We helped Harley Bach and Nova Kha Ai come to Canada to launch innovative startups. Now their children are following in their footsteps! 🚀 We're proud to amplify this fantastic story about Amy and Sunny, the innovative teenagers behind Bin Genius. We know that entrepreneurs bring far more than their first venture to Canada. This unique story provides yet another example of how the seeds of entrepreneurship can grow in so many different ways to enhance our communities and countries. https://lnkd.in/gBQ8t8-9

Two more projects in Portugal that are poised to positively impact people 👨👩👧👦 and the planet 🌍 Entrepreneurs Toyosi “Toy” Ogunkua MD, MS and John Haghor have signed agreements with the University of Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra) to collaborate on innovative research projects, one aimed at decreasing maternal mortality and the other on reducing food and packaging waste. We're proud to facilitate such meaningful endeavours through the Portugal HQA® Visa Program Amilcar Falcão Nuno Mendonça Elise Racicot Djordje Vidović João Rui Ferreira Paul Girodo Christopher Lennon Sara Proença Hugo Valadas Sónia J. Antonio Dias Martins Hortense Santos Luís Saraiva da Silva Pedro Perestrelo Pinto Daniela Afonso Paulo Quaresma Sara C. Joana Ferreira Reis soumodip sarkar Vitor Ferreira Francesco Berrettini António Ramos Ricardo Arroja Paulo Martins Carlos Cardoso Filipe Duarte Galego Kyle Kirkegaard https://lnkd.in/gq6V4Zqd

Vietnam has long been a country rife with innovative founders who aspire to positively impact the world beyond their own borders. Our recent trip to Ho Chi Minh City fortified this fact and further strengthened our already robust relationship with entrepreneurs from this welcoming South Asian nation. In 2025, we look forward to a return visit and adding to the nearly 150 Vietnamese entrepreneurs who have successfully completed our various programs over the past decade. https://lnkd.in/gC_esNSJ

“Spain and Portugal are well aware of how learning from each other’s best practices can produce widespread benefits that go beyond borders." Filipe Duarte Galego Collaboration and entrepreneurship are at the heart of the Portugal HQA® Visa Program, and it's drawing talented people to Portugal. https://lnkd.in/gDYxwyqr

“With the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the United States, and the strong relationship between Vietnam and Canada, more Vietnamese businesses are seeking to expand internationally with creative business ideas. I look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Vietnamese business community to promote innovative startups and foster a sustainable ecosystem between Vietnam and global markets." - Paul Girodo What a weekend in Ho Chi Minh City! Our in-person conference was teeming with enthusiasm and curiosity from Vietnamese entrepreneurs interested in expansion to North America. Thank you to our wonderful hosts and attendees for helping us create an extremely successful event. More details to follow in coming days! https://lnkd.in/gBuwXwJe

“As a Canadian, I am extremely proud and happy to see the kind of work that a company like Empowered Startups is doing because I think it is bringing great benefits to the relationship between our two countries, but also, I believe, to the economic cohesion of a country like Portugal.” - Elise Racicot “If we build a critical mass here, investing initially into the innovation research ecosystem, we really can't fail, and we're going to create considerably great impacts for the country. So, let's continue to explore those opportunities together.” - Christopher Lennon “I believe, and we at the University of Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra) believe, that this is the right path to be able to improve both scientific performance, academic performance, and, with this, also maximize the economic return to the country.” - Nuno Mendonça The Portugal HQA® Visa Program is creating cohesion through collaboration, and support is growing as quickly as the program itself. Amilcar Falcão Djordje Vidović João Rui Ferreira Paul Girodo Sara Proença Dina Pereira Hugo Valadas Sónia J. Joaquim Brigas Antonio Dias Martins Hortense Santos Luís Saraiva da Silva Pedro Perestrelo Pinto Daniela Afonso Paulo Quaresma João Carreira Sara C. soumodip sarkar Vitor Ferreira Rogério Palmeiro Francesco Berrettini António Ramos Ricardo Arroja Paulo Martins Carlos Cardoso Filipe Duarte Galego https://lnkd.in/g4Mz5B5Q

Last week, we had the opportunity to highlight the importance of universities and polytechnics in building robust innovation ecosystems. 🎉 With Web Summit in town and with Lisbon abuzz with innovation-driven discussions, we were pleased to celebrate the partnership between Empowered Startups and Universidade de Coimbra, reiterating the central role universities and polytechnics play in welcoming and nurturing talent and ideas. These institutions are at the heart of knowledge creation and cutting-edge research - no matter how big, old or how close to larger urban areas, they continue to play an essential role in driving innovation forward. Looking forward to continuing to build bridges between 🇨🇦🇵🇹, in this case where education and innovation thrive! 😀 ********************************************** La semaine dernière, nous avons eu l'opportunité de mettre en lumière le rôle essentiel joué par les universités et les écoles polytechniques dans la mise-en-place d'écosystèmes d'innovation robustes et durables. 🎉   Avec le Web Summit en ville et avec l'innovation ao cœur des discussions animant Lisbonne, nous avons eu le plaisir de célébrer le partenariat entre Empowered Startups et l'Université de Coimbra, réaffirmant le rôle central des universités et des écoles polytechniques dans l'attraction des talents et des idées et de création d’espaces propices a leur épanouissement. Ces institutions sont au cœur de la création de connaissances et de la recherche de pointe – peu importe leur taille, leur ancienneté ou leur proximité avec les grandes zones urbaines, elles continuent de jouer un rôle essentiel dans l'avancement de l'innovation.   Nous continuons de bâtir des ponts entre le CA-PT, dans ce cas-ci avec l'éducation et l'innovation au premier plan! 😀 Christopher Lennon Scott Rintoul Francesco Berrettini Nuno Mendonça Paul Girodo ANI | Agência Nacional de Inovação António Grilo Alexandra Vilela LCI Education Claude Marchand aicep toronto Luís Sequeira Startup Portugal Pedro Sacramento Denise Castilho de Matos Manuel Durães Rocha Patricia Viana Carlos Brandao Aaron Beeson Eurico Nobre Djordje Vidović Elise Racicot