The seventh edition of the Startup Braga Acceleration Program will once again distinguish the best entrepreneurial project. This time, the innovation hub will guarantee prize money of 20,000 euros, plus a period of physical incubation and the support and services provided by the community's network of partners and mentors. Entrepreneurs can apply until 31 December here.

Aware of the importance of once again distinguishing the best project of the acceleration program, Luís Rodrigues, director of Startup Braga, believes that "this will be an extra motivation for applications to the programme, since, besides all the growth that this can potentiate to its participants, the prize is a great advantage for a startup that is consolidating its position in the market".

Created to support startups in the validation and definition of their business model, as well as in the construction of a stronger product that will help them reach new markets and clients, together with a network of mentors and partners, the final purpose of this initiative is to help startups in the development of their minimum viable product (MVP) and in the preparation of the pitch so that each startup can present its product to investors, partners and clients, capturing the greatest possible attention of each one of these entities.

For Luís Rodrigues "this program is fundamental for Startup Braga to fulfill one of the assumptions of its creation: to encourage the development of startups with global ambition and with the capacity to scale their business model".

The new edition of the Acceleration Program will count once again with a series of bootcamps, workshops and mentoring sessions, customized to the needs of the projects selected for the programme.

Those interested in the Acceleration Programme may apply for projects in a prototype phase, and the team must have at least one full-time element developing its technological basis. In addition, the product under development must be framed in the Startup Braga verticals: digital economy, health technologies, nanotechnology and biotechnology.

Applications are open until 31 December and can be made by registering on the innovation hub's website.

Altice Portugal supports Startup Braga's Acceleration Program

In addition to the return of the prize for the best project of the Acceleration Program, the seventh edition has the support of Altice Portugal. This is the first initiative of Startup Braga that the multinational company will support, following its strategy of supporting entrepreneurship and developing the national entrepreneurial ecosystem.

For Altice Portugal, this support will strengthen the Company's connection to the region, opening a set of opportunities for entrepreneurs who are connected to Startup Braga. Recognizing the importance of Startup Braga in the national entrepreneurial ecosystem, through this collaboration, Altice Portugal intends to strengthen its commitment to innovation, encouraging the development of new technological products in areas such as digital or health, particularly in specific challenges such as interoperability, telemonitoring, data science or telemedicine.

Carlos Silva, executive director of InvestBraga, highlights the fact that "the connection is essential to strengthening the value proposition presented to the projects involved, both through facilitated access to real scenarios for testing and validation of new products and technologies and through access to a specialized network of mentors".