Name

Empowered Startups

Legal name

Empowered Startups Inc.

Website

https://empoweredstartups.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration and Business Incubation Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• Startup visa programs
• Entrepreneur immigration services
• Business incubation programs
• Residency by investment
• Innovation visa consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. HQA Visa Program Services: Concierge white-glove immigration, business incubation, and corporate legal services for the Portugal HQA® Visa Program. Revenue generated through program fees for qualified professionals and investors seeking Portuguese residency and EU citizenship.
2. EB-2 NIW Startup R&D Program: Fast-track immigration pathway for entrepreneurs and businesspeople to obtain US Green Cards. Program fee charged only after successful NIW application approval with 100% refund guarantee.
3. Canada Startup Visa Program: Business incubation services and immigration support for entrepreneurs launching innovative businesses in Canada. The program was closed to new applicants as of December 31, 2025.
4. Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream: Immigration and incubation services for foreign graduates establishing businesses in Alberta, Canada through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program.
5. Australia National Innovation Visa Program: Permanent residency pathway for accomplished professionals commercializing research with Australian accredited research institutions.
6. Portugal Innovation Investment Program (PIIP): Investment program for high-net-worth individuals accessing Portugal's IFICI (NHR 2.0) tax benefits through investments in Portuguese innovation ventures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Empowered Startups is a government-endorsed immigration and business incubation services provider. It delivers residency-by-investment and entrepreneur visa programs (Portugal HQA®, Australia NIV, USA EB-2 NIW, Alberta FGES, Canada Startup Visa, Portugal PIIP) that combine immigration case management with R&D partnerships at accredited universities and full venture incubation support. The company also operates supporting digital training platforms and internal R&D innovations.

Product overview

Empowered Startups operates as an immigration and business incubation services company rather than a traditional software product company. The core portfolio consists of government-endorsed visa and residency programs: the exclusive Portugal HQA® Visa Program, Australia National Innovation Visa Program, Canada Startup Visa Program (now closed), Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream, USA EB-2 NIW Startup R&D Program, and the Portugal Innovation Investment Program (PIIP). These programs combine immigration services with R&D partnerships and business incubation to help professionals relocate and launch ventures. Supporting the core programs are internal innovation ventures including the Empowered Startups Platform (EdTech for venture building), Young Empowered Startuppers (YES - EdTech for high schools), Empowered Nations (Indigenous entrepreneurship training), and Lungz (respirator product). The company maintains partnerships with over 70 universities and more than 50 Portuguese higher education institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lungz: Consumer-level respirator product line for athletes, wildland firefighters, and people with breathing-related concerns. Filters 99.97% of harmful airborne particles.
• Empowered Startups Platform
• Empowered Nations
• Young Empowered Startuppers (YES)

Products and services

• Portugal HQA® Visa Program Exclusive government-endorsed residency-by-investment program offering a pathway to Portuguese citizenship and EU residency for global academics, professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors through R&D partnerships with Portuguese universities. For highly qualified professionals and investors seeking EU residency.
• Australia National Innovation Visa Program Permanent residency program for accomplished academics, researchers, innovative investors, entrepreneurs, athletes, and creatives who can benefit Australia's future prosperity through skills transfer and innovation with accredited Australian research institutions.
• Canada Startup Visa Program Permanently closed as of December 31, 2025. Was a government-designated business incubation program offering permanent residency to entrepreneurs launching innovative businesses in Canada.
• Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Pathway to permanent residency for internationally educated graduates launching and growing innovative businesses in Alberta, Canada, under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program. Empowered Startups issues letters of recommendation as the designated agency.
• USA EB-2 NIW Startup R&D Program Fast-track immigration program offering U.S. Green Cards for accomplished entrepreneurs and businesspeople with exceptional abilities in fields serving U.S. national interest, requiring an R&D partnership with a U.S. research institution. Program fee charged only after successful NIW application with 100% refund guarantee.
• Portugal Innovation Investment Program (PIIP) Investment program launched in 2025 offering high-net-worth individuals access to Portugal's IFICI/NHR 2.0 tax regime through vetted investments in IFICI-eligible ventures, in partnership with Forvis Mazars for tax expertise.
• Lungz Respirator Consumer-grade active airflow respirator filtering 99.97% of harmful airborne particles, designed for athletes, wildland firefighters, and people with breathing-related concerns. Uses positive airflow technology eliminating fit-test requirements.
• Empowered Startups Platform Award-winning digital platform delivering comprehensive startup training with roadmapped curriculum, optimized tools, and mentor touch points for transforming ideas into validated business models.
• Empowered Nations EdTech platform supporting Indigenous self-determination and prosperity through accessible entrepreneurship and innovation training, mentorship, and networking with a fully virtual curriculum.
• Young Empowered Startuppers (YES) Platform Award-winning EdTech solution for high schools delivering state-of-the-art entrepreneurship curriculum with plug-and-play functionality for teachers to implement real-world startup and business methodology.
• Verify HQA Recruiter Tool Verification tool allowing users to confirm whether a company is an authorized HQA® Partner authorized to promote and pre-qualify candidates for the Portugal HQA® Visa Program.

Quantifiable outcome

• $37M in foreign direct investment facilitated
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Municipality of CoimbracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026MoU signed June 3, 2026 to support expansion of HQA® Program with focus on growth within Coimbra Tech District. Aims to attract international entrepreneurs, professionals, and investors to the region.
• Municipality of SantarémcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2025Memorandum of Understanding signed November 11, 2025 to expand the HQA® Visa Program in the municipality. Partnership includes Instituto Politécnico de Santarém and was witnessed by Canada's Ambassador to Portugal.
• Polytechnic Institute of ViseucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2025MoU signed to expand HQA® Visa Program, promoting international collaboration and investment in Portugal's innovation ecosystem. Partnership fosters research, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.
• Government of PortugalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 February 2023Official endorsement of Empowered Startups as exclusive partner for the HQA® Visa Program. The program was co-created with top R&D institutions in Portugal as a superior mobility and residency opportunity to the Golden Visa program. Minister Ana Abrunhosa stated Empowered Startups is viewed as 'a close friend and partner of Portugal.'
• Government of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated business incubator for the Canada Startup Visa Program since its inception in 2014. Empowered Startups has facilitated more successful Canada Startup Visa candidates than any other program in Canada.
• Government of AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated agency for the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream. Issues letters of recommendation for qualified foreign educated graduates.
• University of CoimbracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration since 2024 on R&D projects with the HQA® Program involving international founders, researchers, and students. Focus on advancing research and moving innovations toward commercialization.
• University of ÉvoracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for research collaboration and innovation projects under the HQA® Program.
• Forvis MazarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to develop the Portugal Innovation Investment Program (PIIP), combining strategic tax planning with meaningful innovation investment. Forvis Mazars provides tax expertise for the IFICI/NHR 2.0 framework.
• BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApplied research partnership through BCIT's MakePlus Product Development program for technology commercialization.
• AICEP Portugal GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Portugal's Trade & Investment Agency for promoting the HQA® Program internationally and attracting foreign investment.
• RNI Portugal IncubatorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of RNi (Portugal Incubators) network supporting startup ecosystem development and innovation cluster building.
• MitacscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting research and innovation projects including grant funding (e.g., $60,000 Mitacs grant to Apana startup).
• University of TorontominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerR&D collaboration for internal innovation ventures including the Lungz respirator project with university engineers.
• University of British ColumbiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerR&D partnership for internal product development including Lungz respirator technology with UBC engineers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Henley & Partners: Henley & Partners is the world's largest global residence and citizenship advisory firm, dominating the Portugal Golden Visa and broader investment migration market. While Empowered focuses narrowly on innovation-visa programs and HQA®, Henley covers the full spectrum of investor migration, making it a broad incumbent in the same residence-by-investment category.
• Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the world's leading startup accelerator. While Empowered operates a smaller, immigration-anchored incubation model, both share the accelerator/incubator DNA of structured programs connecting founders with capital and mentors to validate and launch startups.
• Techstars: Techstars is a global accelerator network running mentorship-driven programs. Comparable to Empowered in offering structured startup incubation, Techstars operates as a broad incumbent with many specialized verticals rather than an immigration-anchored model.

Direct peers

• Arton Capital: Arton Capital is a global citizenship and residency advisory firm that facilitates investment migration programs across multiple countries. Like Empowered, it operates in the residence-by-investment space with multi-jurisdictional coverage, though with a broader advisor/government intermediary model rather than direct incubator operation.
• LCR Capital Partners: LCR Capital Partners is a leading EB-5 investment and EB-2 NIW program operator, directly comparable to Empowered's US EB-2 NIW Startup R&D Program. Both firms combine immigration services with investment facilitation and have developed similar investor-entrepreneur pathways into the United States.
• Get Golden Visa: Get Golden Visa is a Portugal-focused Golden Visa advisory firm helping investors obtain residency. While Empowered's HQA® Program targets entrepreneur/innovator applicants (not passive investors), both firms operate in the Portugal residency-by-investment category and compete for high-net-worth relocation clients.
• CS Global Partners: CS Global Partners is a citizenship and residence advisory firm specializing in investment migration programs. It competes with Empowered in multi-jurisdictional investor immigration advisory, with comparable target clientele of HNW individuals and entrepreneurs seeking residency in Europe and beyond.
• Founder Institute: Founder Institute is a global pre-seed accelerator that helps entrepreneurs launch startups across 100+ countries. While not focused on immigration-linked programs, it shares Empowered's core model of providing structured startup training, mentorship, and incubation to international founders.

Emerging players

• Migrate World: Migrate World is an immigration consultancy that advises on entrepreneur and investor visa programs across multiple jurisdictions. As an emerging player in immigration advisory with similar target segments (global entrepreneurs seeking residency), it partially overlaps with Empowered's applicant funnel.

Others

• Laureate Education: Laureate is a global higher education operator with university partners in many of the same regions Empowered serves (Portugal, Australia, etc.). While primarily a degree-granting institution rather than an immigration-anchored incubator, it is an adjacent player in the ecosystem that supports Empowered's university-partner network model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empowered-startups
• Xx.com/EmpoweredStrtUP

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments36 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empowered Startups