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Fundraising and Investment: From 'nice to have' to 'must have' solutions
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Over the last few days, Empreender@Braga organised two Bootcamp sessions focused on Fundraising and Investment, bringing together entrepreneurs and youth associations to explore new ways of growing and financing.
On Wednesday, the Youth Associations had the opportunity to meet Célia Cunha, a senior technician at IPDJ, and explore the mission of the public institute, as well as the various services that can support the development of projects. Afterwards, an enriching talk with Sónia Files, Northern Regional Representative of Portugal Inovação Social, allowed participants to discuss innovative strategies and various forms of support to boost their projects. The event culminated with association members presenting their projects, openly exploring opportunities for improvement and their potential.
On Thursday, the focus was on Entrepreneurs. Paulo Moura Castro, Associate Partner at BDO Portugal, shared his vast knowledge of the start-up life cycle and the sources of funding available. Using practical metaphors, such as "marriages with an announced divorce" and the offer of an "umbrella when it's sunny", he emphasised three main pieces of advice: good preparation, a keen negotiating ability and the importance of "not putting all your eggs in one basket". Pedro Quelhas, Investment Manager at Portugal Ventures, then went into more detail about the importance of a good team and presenting ‘must have’ solutions rather than ‘nice to have’ ones, emphasising that being an entrepreneur is a mixture of audacity and madness.
The Empreender@Braga programme continues next Wednesday with more sessions, workshops and networking opportunities.