Scaling Up Program
Launched in Jan 2023, the Scaling Up Program is the first Portuguese acceleration program designed for growth-stage startups, shaped by international best practices and supported by strategic partnerships.
Some achievements so far
48 scaleups
336ME funding
+1657 employees
(1072 in Portugal)
6 EDITIONS
67% of the scaleups have HQ in Portugal
25% are female founders
+140 C-level mentors from unicorns, scaleups, large companies and venture capital investors
+100 investment and corporate partners
Our scaleups testimonials
SCALEUP, COHORT 1
SCALEUP, COHORT 2
SCALEUP, COHORT 3
Scale up Criteria
- Post-seed to series A startups
- Strong team in place
- Product market fit
- Generating revenue
- Clear growth trajectory
- Expanding internationally
Program Structure
The Scaling Up is an 8-month acceleration program that aims to support scaleups in their journey towards growth.
Program Pillars
What to expect
- Structured into 8 modules strategically designed to address the top challenges startup founders and their senior teams face when scaling the company.
Methodology
- Group sessions and one-to-one meetings guided by world-class growth experts from unicorns, scaleups, big corporates and venture capitals.
Modules
➔ Leadership, Culture & Hiring for High Growth: Features group and one-to-one sessions with Steve Cadigan, the first Chief HR Officer of LinkedIn.
➔ Fundraising Bootcamp: hands-on capacity-building program centred around Series A and post-Series A, facilitated by an investor and former entrepreneur.
➔ Hyper Growth Sales Showcases insights from senior founders and executives of late-stage scaleups and unicorns.
Other modules
→ International Expansion & Strategy
→ Product Development & Generative AI
→ Financial Runway & Due Diligence
→ Burnout Avoidance
What to expect
- Scaleup mentoring by 3 dedicated experts, carefully selected through a match-making process, based on your needs and focused on the growth stage;
- Ongoing structured support with regular meetings every 2 months, a safe space for personalized, impartial and confidential advice, while creating sprints to accelerate strategy evolution and fostering growth;
- Access to our mentor network which includes a portfolio of 140+ mentors for support on specific and timely issues.
Our mentors include
- Ex-founders that scaled up their ventures and/or accomplished successful exits;
- C-level executives with an array of functions comprising CEOs, CDOs, COOs, Head of Digital, Head of Innovation and others;
- Industry experts from different verticals, geographies and backgrounds.
What to expect
- Possibility of presenting the value proposition to large corporate companies operating in Portugal;
- Access to potential partners, customers, investors and successful leaders;
- Structured and constructive support with impartial feedback for fine tuning the business model.
Our corporate partners include
- Global big tech companies;
- Market leaders in Portugal also operating in other geographies;
- Corporates from a broad range of industries with a strong focus on innovation.
What to expect
- Upskilling Session focused on International Expansion & Strategy with scaleup founders and experts
- Access to international summits
- Access to international events
- Introduce to local ecosystem players such as startups, VCs, incubators, hubs and corporates
What to expect
- Connect with program peers while integrating Unicorn Factory Lisboa’s vibrant community, comprised of alumni and founders of other scaleups and unicorns who have been through it all;
- Join Unicorn Factory Lisboa’s diverse array of events, a great networking opportunity for you to grow your connections;
- Reach out, learn and get invaluable advice from other founders and the community as a whole.
Our events include
- Talks, fireside chats, meetings on relevant themes;
- Speakers, mentors, experts, founders and thought leaders;
- Networking and social events.
At a glance
Duration
8 months
Cohort
Target
. Post-seed scaleups,
. Strong team in place,
. Product/Service market fit,
. Clear growth trajectory,
. Expanding internationally
Format
Face-to-face and Remote
English
Applications
On-going applications
2 Cohorts per year
Applications are ongoing and reviewed every 5 months to select a new cohort of 10 scaleups.
Applications are open all year round
Our scaleups
Cohort 1
Cohort 2
Cohort 3
Cohort 4
Cohort 5
Cohort 6
Our Strategic Partners
