The shortlist of startups who participated in the Startup Challenge consisted of startups competing for prizes which will give the winner the best conditions to be successful in the U.S., including the opportunity to showcase their solutions at the Microsoft booth at the Web Summit, one year membership at a Boston accelerator, flights to Boston, and legal assistance to setup a U.S. legal entity, among other benefits.
The Startup Challenge was launched by the U.S. Embassy and Microsoft Portugal, with the goal of finding the most innovative startup, which has the most potential do invest and grow in the U.S. market. Line Health, Eat Tasty, Xhockwave, Define Crowd, Peta Pilot, Top Dox, Pro Drone e Prod Smart were the challenge’s eight startup finalists.
Nearly 140 startups participated in the Startup Challenge, all of which were already at a mature stage and had a well-defined business vision. The eight finalists stood out for the quality of their products, the convenience and timeliness of the solution they want to implement, the business model and the team’s quality.
The winner was announced on October 18, at the SelectUSA Tech Seminar, on a day which started with the Seminar & Startup Challenge Final Pitch (sessions on how to invest and grow a business in the U.S. market) that was held at Microsoft Portugal, and ended at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence, where the winner was announced. “Creating more opportunities to connect the Portuguese and U.S. business community is one of my top priorities as the U.S. Ambassador. Fusing Portuguese innovation with the world-class start-up ecosystem in U.S. creates unparalleled opportunities for Portuguese start-ups to thrive in the United States.” said the Ambassador in his remarks introducing the winner of the U.S. Embassy-Microsoft Challenge.
