Mafra & Ericeira Business Factory

Name

Mafra & Ericeira Business Factory

Legal name

Business Factory

Website

https://businessfactory.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI)

Keywords

• Business incubation services
• Startup incubator
• Entrepreneurship support
• Coworking spaces
• Soft landing program

Headquarters

HQ city

Mafra

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Incubation Services (Physical and Virtual): The incubator generates revenue through monthly fees charged to incubated entrepreneurs for workspace access and support services. Fees are established in Annex II of the operating regulations, subject to annual updates. Physical incubation includes dedicated workspace, telephone, internet, mail reception, meeting room access, printing allowances, utilities, and parking. Virtual incubation offers the same support services without physical workspace.
2. Coworking Services: Coworking service provides up to 3 workstations per contract with mail reception, printer access (prepaid), meeting rooms (up to 20 hours/month), and parking. Minimum 6-month contract, renewable up to 3 years total.
3. Hot-Desk Services: Flexible workstation in coworking arrangement for 3-month periods, renewable up to 12 months total. Payment is required before use.
4. Company Affiliation Services: Company affiliation service for established market companies seeking registered office address domiciliation, mail reception, printer access (prepaid), and meeting room access (up to 10 hours/month). Local non-profit associations may also use this service.
5. Meeting Room Rental to Third Parties: The Managing Entity may authorize use of meeting and multipurpose rooms to third parties, subject to prior scheduling and settlement of fees per Annex II.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mafra & Ericeira Business Factory operates a dual-hub municipal startup incubator providing physical and virtual incubation programs (3 months to 3 years), coworking and hot-desk workspace, company affiliation and registered office domiciliation services, plus community events and an international soft-landing program supporting entrepreneurs in Tourism, Blue Economy, Agri-food, and Technology sectors.

Product overview

Business Factory is a dual-hub startup incubator operated by the Municipality of Mafra in partnership with SBI Consulting. It provides a comprehensive ecosystem for entrepreneurial development through physical and virtual incubation programs, coworking spaces, and various support services. The Ericeira hub focuses on Blue Economy, Tourism, and Technology startups, while the Mafra hub specializes in Agri-food, Tourism, and Technology ventures. The portfolio includes complementary programs such as Startegy (ideation bootcamp), Mafra Up (ideas competition), Entrepreneurship Week, Sustainability Month, and Por Mafra (business support initiative), all designed to support startups at different stages from ideation to growth. The ecosystem also includes soft landing support for international entrepreneurs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STARTEGY: Bootcamp program aimed at empowering entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into businesses and guiding new projects to effectively achieve their goals.
• MAFRA UP
• MAFRA Entrepreneurship Week
• MAFRA Sustainability Month
• Por Mafra

Products and services

• Incubation Program Comprehensive startup incubation program for individuals aged 18+ or legal entities under 5 years old, providing personalized monitoring, mentor network access, training, events, investor introductions, community integration, and workspace (physical or virtual) in Mafra or Ericeira hubs. Incubation period ranges from 3 months minimum to 3 years maximum.
• Coworking Service Shared workspace offering up to 3 workstations per contract with mail reception, prepaid printer/copier access, meeting room use (up to 20 hours/month), and parking. Minimum 6-month contract, renewable up to 3 years total.
• Hot-desk Service Flexible temporary workstation in a coworking arrangement for 3-month periods, renewable up to a maximum of 12 months. Payment is required before use.
• Company Affiliation Service Service for established market companies and local non-profit associations seeking registered office domiciliation, mail reception, prepaid printer access, and meeting room use (up to 10 hours/month). Affiliated space cannot exceed 10% of the incubator's maximum capacity.
• Startegy Three-day ideation bootcamp empowering entrepreneurs to transform ideas into businesses, validate business models, and acquire tools for their entrepreneurial journey.
• Mafra Up Ideas Competition Annual ideas competition awarding innovative ideas or businesses in Blue Economy, Tourism, Agri-food, Technology and Sustainability areas. Categories include Young Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur, and Startup. Awards include bootcamp integration, Web Summit tickets, free incubation, and monetary prizes.
• Mafra Sustainability Month Annual sustainability initiative featuring talks, workshops, and debates exploring ESG practices and the applicability of sustainability principles to strategic business development and the agricultural sector.
• Soft Landing Program Program for international entrepreneurs relocating to Portugal, providing assistance with D2 Entrepreneur Visa and Startup/Tech Visa requirements, legal and administrative setup, business registration, and integration into the local startup ecosystem, enabled by the incubator's certified status.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ startups supported since 2015
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• SBI ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBI Consulting is the Promoting/Facilitating Entity responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of Business Factory. Marta Miraldes, Managing Partner at SBI Consulting, coordinates the Business Factory. The relationship involves delegated responsibility for boosting the incubator from the Municipality of Mafra.
• Câmara Municipal de Mafra (Municipality of Mafra)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Municipality of Mafra is the Managing Entity of Business Factory. The Municipal Council owns the incubator, provides strategic direction, and manages the facility. Councilman Pedro Fernandes Tomás oversees the Secretariat of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Mayor Hugo Moreira Luís has emphasized the incubator as a structuring priority in the municipality's innovation strategy.
• Startup PortugalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization, connecting Business Factory to the national startup ecosystem and RNIPortugal Incubators network. Facilitates access to national entrepreneurship programs and initiatives.
• RNIPortugal Incubators NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of business incubators in Portugal. Business Factory is a member, connecting to the broader national incubation ecosystem and best practice sharing.
• Mafra Advisory Board (Conselho Consultivo)supportingOthersAdvisory board composed of: Prof. Doutor Tiago Pitta e Cunha, José Poça Esteves, Paulo Martins, Jorge Antunes, Miguel Munhoz Duarte, Fernando Mendes, João Santiago, Prof. Doutor Jorge Miguel Miranda, Luis Paulo Tenente, Miguel Barata de Almeida, Nick Ulrich, Domingos Santos, Vice-Almirante José Barata Saldanha. Provides strategic guidance and industry expertise to the incubator.
• Mentor NetworkmajorOthersNetwork of 20+ specialized mentors including Ana Santiago, Ana Simaens, Andreia Amado, Chad Turner, Dina Horta, Filipe Lacerda, Frederico Santos, Inês Sequeira, Isabel Neves, Joana Dâmaso, João Freitas, João Mendes Borga, José Maia, José Rafael, Laura Moreira, Marc Behse, Marta Miraldes, Miguel Henriques, Patrícia Palma, Pierre Gein, Ricardo Nunes, and Vítor Duarte. Mentors provide expertise across business areas for incubated projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• IPN Incubadora: Coimbra-based university-affiliated business incubator supporting tech and science startups with workspace, mentorship, and corporate introductions. Comparable as a Portuguese regional incubator serving early-stage founders from academia and beyond.
• Beta-i: Lisbon-headquartered startup accelerator and innovation hub running corporate innovation programs, acceleration cohorts, and ecosystem events. Directly comparable as a Portuguese startup incubator serving early-stage founders with mentorship, community, and corporate partner access.
• Startup Lisboa: Municipal-backed incubator founded by Lisbon City Council and partners, offering incubation, acceleration, and international soft-landing services to early-stage startups. Shares the same municipal-ownership DNA and certified-incorporator status as Business Factory, making it a close structural and operational analogue.
• Startup Braga: Braga-based regional incubator supporting early-stage startups with workspace, mentoring, and ecosystem programming. Operates under similar municipal/regional backing as Business Factory and targets early-stage founders across multiple verticals.
• Building Global Innovators (BGI): Lisbon-based startup accelerator (formerly Made in Lisbon) operating structured accelerator cohorts for early-stage startups with mentor and investor networks. Direct competitor for Portuguese early-stage accelerator applicants, particularly those targeting Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
• UPTEC: University of Porto's Science and Technology Park operating as an incubator and accelerator for tech and science-based startups with shared workspace, mentorship, and corporate partner access. Comparable as a Portuguese university/regional startup hub offering incubation services to early-stage ventures.

Others

• Portugal Ventures: Portugal's national venture capital firm and a listed partner of Business Factory, providing later-stage funding to Portuguese startups. Not a direct peer — it is an upstream investor in the ecosystem and a partner funnel for Business Factory incubatees seeking capital.
• Startup Portugal: National private non-profit association that promotes the Portuguese startup ecosystem and connects to the RNIPortugal Incubators network. Adjacent ecosystem actor rather than a direct operator of incubation services.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Pixel (formerly SISCO Tech): Portuguese startup accelerator and corporate venture builder with broader reach across multiple sectors and a longer-running accelerator cohort model. Larger scope than Business Factory but operates in the same Portuguese early-stage ecosystem with overlapping founder and mentor populations.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator running structured cohorts in multiple countries including Portugal, providing mentor-driven programs to early-stage founders. Comparable as a global incubation/acceleration brand operating in the Portuguese market, though with a longer and broader international footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/businessfactorypt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mafra-ericeira-business-factory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Mafra & Ericeira Business Factory