Hey steemers,
The #WebSummit2017 is finished. And Lisbon already sees the new European tech capital.
It's the Web Summit Week. In Lisbon, for the first time. Because this city was chosen by the organization and the list of the EU startups
Me and a websummit symbol :)
Let's start with a couple of data. Certain numbers, so far. In 2014 at the Dublin Web Summit there were 98 Italian startups. Become 53 in 2015. And in the first edition of Lisbon (where this year's event will take place) there will be 45. Falling numbers for Italy, in contrast with the rest of the world, where the total of participants is more which doubled. They were 22,000 last year, 53,000 this year. But for official numbers, we will have to wait 11 November. The closing day of the event.
The Web Summit audience continues to grow, doubling from year to year, according to tradition. From 2008 to today. This year it hosts Lisbon. After a long controversy between the organization and the city of Dublin. It is a fact that the event will bring about € 250 million to the local economy.
worldwide know boxer Wladimir Klitschko speaking:
Even with the number of Italian founders falling (who knows why then, and who knows why so in contrast to the rest of the world. We will try to understand it these days) the first edition of Lisbon will be a new record so. Whoever goes there to meet other founders. Participate in networking events. Hoping for some investor (the mythical red cards that many investors wear on the contrary to not be too disturbed, the mirage of every founder in the 4 days of the fair).
Lisbon is a new European startup capital
However, there is a lot of controversy last year, the Web Summit remains the most important startup event in Europe. Startupitalia.eu will follow this year again. From Lisbon. That the Guardian, the authoritative British newspaper, has officially launched a new startup venture capital in Europe. "One of the" at least. According to the London daily newspaper, low prices, quiet life, fast internet, and surf make the difference. But not only.
Everything starts from an image. That of the Bridge on April 25 of the Portuguese capital. Here, this bridge has become the symbol of Portugal's technological revival.
The reason is, on the one hand, that in the last few years an innovative ecosystem of top-level enterprises has been created in the city. On the other because of its similarity (more symbolic) with the Golden Gate of San Francisco.
ETH co-fouder speaking on stage on blockchain application for the music industry:
The symbol of the Bridge of April 25 in Lisbon
Parallelism is a bit forced and not to take too seriously. Even if, for example, Portuguese Minister of Economy Manuel Caldeira Cabral really believes, at least a bit: "I think California is sunny and has a bridge just like ours. The idea we want to promote is that we too have an economy now based on a growing business and technological fabric. "
this is the bridge that is very similar to the SF one:
The incentives to create a European startup scene
Since 2008, Portugal has attracted hundreds of young people from all over the world. Many who after erasmus have remained there and have taken advantage of government tax incentives to launch their own business. Many are young local entrepreneurs. But the government has pledged much to attract it all over Europe. The latest initiative is a 10m microfund for tourism startup, aimed precisely at those of all member states.
But there is more: at the end of 2009, Portugal introduced a tax-facilitated regime for "non-resident residents". In short, as long as some pre-conditions are met, such as having lived in Portugal for more than 183 days in a year, or having a home there, you are entitled to ten-year earnings-free, of 20%.
"We have a long history of 500 years of relationship with different cultures," said in an interview with Guardian João Vasconcelos, India's secretary and former director of the Portuguese Incubator Startup Lisboa. "The Portuguese live everywhere and what we did from the 16th century to today is the same. Only today we do it with startup and entrepreneurship. "
But Lisbon will never be like San Francisco. And the same legislators hope. Because it has its own specifics. And it will hardly become so expensive to live. A perfect recipe for the emerging European startup scene, they say.
The numbers: 40 scaleup, 166 million scanned. 4.2 each
A bit of numbers to understand the growth of the Portuguese phenomenon. In Portugal, last December, they were identified by Startup Eruope Partnership 40 scaleup, selected on the basis of this criterion: "Startups that started up more than $ 1 million and have at least one financing round in the last 5 years." Here it is. These companies raised over 166 million in total from venture capital funds. On average about 4.2million each. Twenty-four other companies were able to get funding between half a million and a million. Numbers that already carry Portugal over Italy in the European average. And they approach a bit 'Lisbon to become a European hub of all respect. Going to the Web Summit too.
So are your expectation of the WebSummit reached? Let me know what do you think ?
Best
Francesco 🇵🇹