Braga is a 2000-year old Portuguese city full of history, it is home to a diversity of companies, of one of the biggest universities of the country and several research centers. Touristically known as city of the Archbishops and known by a very strong Catholic tradition, Braga is now building its way to be a reference innovation and technology hub.

Partnering with Microsoft Ventures and born this year, Startup Braga is a project developed to provide a very complete offer to entrepreneurs and startups, along the several phases of their life cycle in diverse areas of technology.

This new innovation hub is headed by one of the reference and most successful entrepreneurs in the country and former State Secretary for Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness and Innovation. Carlos Oliveira is a co-founder of MobiComp, sold in 2008 to Microsoft in the largest investment the company has done in the technology field in Portugal.

Startup Braga is now incubating, funding and offering pre acceleration and acceleration programs to projects with high entrepreneurial potential in international markets.

The first acceleration program premiere was on the 24th September. 8 promising startups from mobile, web, gaming, medtech, eCommerce and internet of things were selected and will be followed up for more fifteen weeks by a wide list of national and international mentors. And the startups are:

1 – Endeavour Lab

Endeavour Lab created the SWORD, a novel and unique motor rehabilitation system, designed to address the three major requirements for an efficient rehabilitation therapy: high-intensity, feedback on performance and repetitive task-specific practice.

2 – TexBizz

Texbizz is a web portal where all players of the textile sector can interact and whose mission is to facilitate and accelerate the businesses in the industry. Texbizz aims to be a reference in the textile world, to help improve competitiveness in industry by providing an innovative and excellent service.  We offer textile companies an efficient, practical and quick service, which allows them to interact at any time or place via SMS, email or the web.

3 – PeekMed

PeekMed provides 3D orthopedic surgical planning tools. This technology helps the orthopedic surgeon to intuitively and freely manipulate the 3D model created through the imaging study of the patient. The osteosynthesis material of various companies can be added to the planning in the system, allowing the orthopedic surgeon to analyze the surgery’s impact.

4 – Nuada Tech

Nuada Tech developed a glove technology that actively assists the normal function of the hand. Allows the user to pick up objects with the hand completely relaxed. The glove is equipped with sensors that allow real-time assessment of the performance of hand. Through a platform they provide useful services for patients in recovery, as well as for health professionals who want to follow the progress of their patients.

5 – Findster

Findster is a novel GPS tracking system working on the safety of your beloved ones, finding them whenever you want. Compared to other systems in the market, Findster is free of charges.

6 – PepFeed

Building the best way for consumers to save money, time and regrets when shopping online. Their efforts are mostly spent on developing a platform for real-time product recognition and content matching. This platform is already being used to power browser extension and they’re looking into several market applications where it can be impactful.

7 – Shair

Shair project is divided between a platform and the gallery. Every month they pick some artworks – either the most voted ones (60%) or those “selected” by the guest judge of the month (40%) – to be exhibited and auctioned at their gallery. Their goal is to give emerging artists the opportunity to share, exhibit and commercialize their work.

8 – Unokare

Is a device with the ability to obtain, record, interpret real-time biomedical signals of a person (temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, etc.) and alerting (through physical stimuli or computerized) in case of emergency. It is a modular device with reduced size and weight (the size of a Zippo), with the possibility of expansion and customization.

The first pre acceleration program will kick-off on the 31st October, applications are still open.

We’ll be following up on further developments.

Braga is heading to the future.