Startup Sintra
Startup Sintra is a non-profit technology business incubator and accelerator in Sintra, Portugal, offering a 2-month intensive acceleration program, physical workspace across 18 offices, mentorship from 50+ industry figures, and investor introductions for early-stage tech startups.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersRio De Mouro, Portugal
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Startup Sintra does
Startup Sintra is a non-profit technology business incubator and accelerator headquartered in Rio de Mouro (Sintra), Portugal. Founded in 2013 and operational since 2015, it operates a 2,000 m2 state-of-the-art facility comprising 18 offices of approximately 70 m2 each, meeting rooms, an 84-seat auditorium, and shared leisure and parking facilities, located within Grupo Metal's industrial estate. The organization was established through a partnership between Sintra City Council, Grupo Metal, and Sintra Business Association to address the absence of technology business incubation infrastructure in the Sintra region, eliminating the need for local entrepreneurs to commute to Lisbon-based incubators.
The core product is the Sintra Start Acceleration Program, a 2-month intensive program described by the organization as an "MBA on steroids," combining customer discovery methodology, weekly workshops, weekly mentor support, peer-team metric presentations, and structured introductions to business angels and venture capital firms. The offering is supplemented by physical incubation (Incubação), a network of more than 50 mentors spanning serial entrepreneurs, CEOs, investment professionals, and the Mayor of Sintra, the Sintra Tech Talks video interview series, and an investor-access pathway connecting startups with Portugal Ventures, Indico Capital, Magnum Capital, and Semeia Ventures. A virtual incubation option extends access beyond the Sintra region.
Revenue is generated through monthly incubation rental fees scaled to each startup's development stage, with no publicly disclosed pricing. The organization has supported 12+ featured success stories including Beyondevices (record Portugal Ventures investment), Homeit.pt, j.lisbon, Package Point, Topissima, and Sensefinity. Leadership consists of an executive director (João Cabral) and a small team of 1-10 employees; the organization does not publish financial results and operates on a cost-recovery basis anchored by its public-sector and industrial founding partners.
Startup Sintra firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Startup Sintra
- Legal name
- Startup Sintra
- Website
- https://startupsintra.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Startup Sintra is a non-profit technology business incubator and accelerator in Sintra, Portugal, offering a 2-month intensive acceleration program, physical workspace across 18 offices, mentorship from 50+ industry figures, and investor introductions for early-stage tech startups.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Startup Sintra industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Incubation Services
- NAICS
- Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Technical Bootcamps & Accelerated Reskilling (Full-time/Part-time) (BPAEANAE)
Keywords
Where Startup Sintra is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rio De Mouro
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Startup Sintra business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Incubation Services: Revenue is generated through incubation services where startups rent office space at Startup Sintra. Rental values vary based on the stage of development of the company. The organization provides physical workspace including 18 offices of 70m2, meeting rooms, and shared facilities. Virtual incubation options are also available through an online application process.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Variable incubation rental based on company development stage |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Startup Sintra product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Startup Sintra is a non-profit technology business incubator and accelerator that provides physical office space, a structured two-month acceleration program (Sintra Start), and access to a 50+ mentor network for early-stage technology startups. Its offering combines incubation infrastructure (18 offices, meeting rooms, 84-seat auditorium in a 2,000 m2 facility), weekly workshops, customer discovery methodology, peer-team metric presentations, and introductions to business angels and venture capital investors. The organization is headquartered in Rio de Mouro, Sintra, Portugal, and primarily serves entrepreneurs in the Sintra region and Lisbon area.
Product overview
Startup Sintra is a technology business incubator and accelerator that provides a comprehensive ecosystem for early-stage startups. The core offering consists of the Sintra Start Acceleration Program, a two-month intensive program combined with physical incubation facilities (offices, meeting rooms, auditorium). The program is supplemented by mentorship services from over 50 mentors, weekly workshops, networking events, investor access facilitation, and the Sintra Tech Talks video content series. The company supports technology-based projects in various stages, from ideas to companies with up to three years of activity.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Incubação (Incubation)
- Programa de Aceleração Sintra Start (Sintra Start Acceleration Program)
- Mentoria (Mentorship Service)
Quantifiable outcome
- Startups validate business models and secure first customers during the 2-month program
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Startup Sintra
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Startup Sintra technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Startup Sintra partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Câmara Municipal de Sintra (Sintra City Council)coreThe municipality of Sintra provides orientation and support for Startup Sintra. Mayor Basílio Horta was instrumental in the conception of the incubator in 2013. The municipality's backing provides legitimacy and regional development focus for the initiative.
- Grupo MetalcoreFounding partner of Startup Sintra. Provides the physical infrastructure including the industrial estate facility in Rio de Mouro where Startup Sintra is located. Contributes to the ecosystem through real estate and industrial estate resources.
- Sintra Business AssociationcoreFounding partner representing the Sintra business community. Contributes business development expertise and connections to the local business ecosystem.
- Startup BragaminorBraga-based startup accelerator. Homeit.pt, a Startup Sintra graduate, later joined Startup Braga's acceleration program, demonstrating collaboration between regional incubators.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Startup Sintra competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Startup Lisboa: Leading Lisbon-based technology business incubator and accelerator offering workspace, mentorship, and investor access to early-stage startups. Most directly comparable peer as a Portuguese urban incubator with the same core mission, even though Startup Sintra serves the Sintra region specifically.
- Startup Braga: Regional Portuguese startup accelerator that explicitly accepted a Startup Sintra graduate (Homeit.pt) into its acceleration program. Operates the same incubator + accelerator model for a different Portuguese region, making it a structurally identical comparator.
- Beta-i: Lisbon-based innovation hub running accelerator programs (e.g., EBN-supported initiatives), bootcamps, and corporate venture programs. Co-founder Ricardo Marvão also mentors at Startup Sintra, evidencing direct ecosystem overlap and functional comparability.
Regional players
- UPTEC: University of Porto's science and technology park and business incubator providing workspace, acceleration programs, and investor connections. Same category of regional Portuguese incubator/accelerator serving a different geography.
- IPN - Instituto Pedro Nunes: Coimbra-based technology business incubator affiliated with the University of Coimbra offering incubation, acceleration, and tech-transfer services. Comparable as a Portuguese regional technology incubator with university/regional roots.
Broad incumbents
- Techstars: Global startup accelerator operating 3-month mentor-driven programs with investor introductions. Provides the international benchmark Startup Sintra's 'MBA on steroids' framing implicitly references, even though scale, geography, and funding model differ.
- Y Combinator: Largest global startup accelerator offering short intensive programs, mentorship, and seed funding. Functions as the category-defining incumbent against which all short-format accelerators including Startup Sintra's 2-month program are positioned.
- Microsoft for Startups: Global corporate accelerator offering cloud credits, mentorship, and go-to-market support to early-stage startups. Comparable as a global startup-enablement platform; Startup Sintra's mentor network even includes Microsoft's local Startup Lead.
Others
- Indico Capital Partners: Portugal-focused venture capital firm whose CEO (Stephan Morais) sits on Startup Sintra's mentor network. Comparable as a partner in the funding pathway Startup Sintra offers its startups rather than a direct operator competitor.
- Portugal Ventures: Portuguese state-backed venture capital firm that made a record investment in Startup Sintra alumnus Beyondevices. Functions as a downstream investor in the pipeline Startup Sintra develops, not a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses2 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Startup Sintra social profiles
Digital presenceStartup Sintra financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Startup Sintra leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Startup Sintra funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Startup Sintra M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Startup Sintra
What does Startup Sintra do?
Startup Sintra is a non-profit technology business incubator and accelerator that provides physical office space, a structured two-month acceleration program (Sintra Start), and access to a 50+ mentor network for early-stage technology startups. Its offering combines incubation infrastructure (18 offices, meeting rooms, 84-seat auditorium in a 2,000 m2 facility), weekly workshops, customer discovery methodology, peer-team metric presentations, and introductions to business angels and venture capital investors. The organization is headquartered in Rio de Mouro, Sintra, Portugal, and primarily serves entrepreneurs in the Sintra region and Lisbon area.
Is Startup Sintra a public or private company?
Startup Sintra is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Startup Sintra founded?
Startup Sintra was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Startup Sintra based?
Startup Sintra is headquartered in Rio De Mouro, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does Startup Sintra make money?
One revenue line is on record: incubation Services.
Who are Startup Sintra's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Startup Lisboa, Startup Braga and Beta-i. Regional players are UPTEC and IPN - Instituto Pedro Nunes. Broad incumbents are Techstars, Y Combinator and Microsoft for Startups. Others are Indico Capital Partners and Portugal Ventures.
Does Startup Sintra have an API?
No public API is recorded for Startup Sintra.
What industry is Startup Sintra in?
Startup Sintra's product category is Business Incubation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAC, Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators, with a secondary code of BPAEANAE, Technical Bootcamps & Accelerated Reskilling (Full-time/Part-time). Its NAICS code is 6114 and its SIC code is 8200.