UPTEC

Name

UPTEC

Legal name

Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia da Universidade do Porto

Website

https://uptec.up.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation and Science Park Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Science technology park
• Business acceleration programs
• Entrepreneurship ecosystem
• Innovation workspace

Headquarters

HQ city

Porto

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Incubation and workspace services: UPTEC provides physical and virtual office spaces, laboratories, and coworking facilities to startups and innovation projects. Revenue is generated through rental agreements and service contracts with resident companies.
2. Accelerator and programme services: UPTEC runs accelerator programmes including School of Startups, ClimateLaunchpad, and BluAct that support entrepreneurs and researchers. Some programmes are free while others receive funding from EU and national sources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

UPTEC (Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia da Universidade do Porto) operates as a science and technology park that incubates high-potential startups and hosts business innovation centres. It provides physical and virtual office spaces, laboratories, and coworking facilities, alongside accelerator programmes (School of Startups, ClimateLaunchpad, BluAct), mentorship, networking events, and access to global partner networks for startups at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey.

Product overview

UPTEC (Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia da Universidade do Porto) is the Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto, serving as an innovation ecosystem that supports startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs rather than offering a unified software product or platform. UPTEC provides startup support programs (incubation, acceleration), community networking, events, and access to workspace facilities. The resident and graduated companies within UPTEC's ecosystem develop their own independent products and services across sectors including AI/ML, HealthTech, CleanTech, SpaceTech, FinTech, and more. UPTEC itself does not offer a singular product or platform product but rather functions as an enabling infrastructure for the startups it supports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Incubation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 866 million euros GDP contribution to Portugal in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• PortugalFoodscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Organises Ecotrophelia Portugal Award, a food innovation competition, in partnership with UPTEC since 2017. Jointly selects and showcases innovative food products.
• University of PortocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Founding academic partner of UPTEC Science and Technology Park. Provides research talent, academic resources, and connection to university ecosystem.
• EIT Climate-KICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU initiative driving climate innovation that promotes ClimateLaunchpad, the world's largest green business ideas competition, in partnership with UPTEC.
• INESC TECcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institution that launches 1-2 spinouts per year and collaborates with UPTEC ecosystem for technology transfer and commercialization.
• Google CloudmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organiser and sponsor of UPTEC Community Gathering events, providing cloud technology partnership and event support.
• Produtech DIHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital Innovation Hub supporting Get Funded investment academy. Promotes digital transformation of industry through production technology initiatives.
• FraunhofermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean research organization with auditorium at UPTEC Asprela I hosting Get Funded and other events.
• NATO DIANAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefence Innovation Accelerator selecting Neuraspace and Connect Robotics from UPTEC. Provides €100,000 initial funding and access to 180+ NATO test centres.
• European Space Agency (ESA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpaceo is incubated by ESA, demonstrating UPTEC's connection to European space innovation ecosystem.
• EIT FoodmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurope's leading food innovation organisation providing programme access for Ecotrophelia competition winners.
• Câmara Municipal de MatosinhosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner for BluAct blue economy competition.
• Indaqua MatosinhosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater management company partnering on BluAct blue economy initiatives.
• European Innovation AcademyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner at Community Gathering events focused on entrepreneurship education.
• InvestPortominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPorto investment promotion entity partnering on UPTEC community events.
• Porto Business SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner participating in UPTEC community events and programmes.
• ScaleUpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStartup scale-up platform partnering on UPTEC community events.
• SograpeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine industry partner sponsoring UPTEC community events.
• TalTech (Tallinn University of Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstonian university partner in SMAR3TS project with UPTEC for circular construction research exchange.
• Forum OceanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOcean economy forum partnering on ClimateLaunchpad initiatives.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: World-leading global accelerator network with structured 3-month programmes and equity participation. Comparable as a programme-driven startup accelerator, though commercial and equity-backed rather than university-affiliated.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global innovation platform and accelerator operating across multiple verticals and geographies with corporate partnerships. Comparable as a multinational startup ecosystem with equity participation and major corporate sponsors (e.g., Google Cloud).
• Station F: World's largest startup campus in Paris, hosting thousands of entrepreneurs across programmes and corporate partners. Comparable as a broader, better-capitalized European incubator with similar workspace + community + programme model at much larger scale.
• Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): Global innovation campus operator with locations in Cambridge (US/UK), Rotterdam and beyond, providing flexible workspace and venture-building services. Comparable as a multi-city workspace + community operator serving startup ecosystems.
• Wayra (Telefónica): Telefónica's global corporate venture and accelerator arm operating hubs across Europe and Latin America. Comparable as a corporate-operated accelerator offering workspace, mentorship, and equity investment, though with substantially greater financial firepower.
• MaRS Discovery District: Toronto-based innovation hub supporting science, health, cleantech and fintech startups with workspace, programmes and capital connections. Comparable as a large urban innovation district with university affiliations and multi-sector programming.

Direct peers

• SETsquared Partnership: University-linked innovation hub formed by five UK universities (Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton, Surrey). Highly comparable as a multi-university science and technology park network offering incubation, acceleration and corporate programmes.
• Startup Lisboa: Portugal's flagship public-private startup incubator founded in 2012 in Lisbon. Directly comparable as a domestic Portuguese ecosystem hub offering incubation, acceleration and community programming to early-stage startups.
• Beta-i: Lisbon-based innovation consultancy and accelerator running programmes like Web Summit side events, Lisbon Investment Summit, and corporate venture programmes. Closely comparable as a Portuguese non-profit startup enabler offering accelerator and community services.

Regional players

• Startup Braga: Braga-based science and technology incubator linked to the University of Minho. Comparable as a regional Portuguese university-affiliated innovation hub supporting early-stage tech entrepreneurs, though serving a different metropolitan area than UPTEC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/UPTEC_PORTO
• Facebookfacebook.com/uptec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universidadedoporto
• Instagraminstagram.com/uptec_porto
• Xx.com/uptecporto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about UPTEC