Techstars Startup Weekend is returning to Lisbon at the Palacio Sottomayor from May 11-13.

Techstars Startup Weekend is a global challenge that takes place in cities all over the world – where entrepreneurs come together and turn an idea into reality within 54 hours.

Beginning with Friday night pitches and continuing through brainstorming, business plan development, and basic prototype creation, Techstars Startup Weekend culminates on Sunday night with demos and presentations.

Malik Piara

“The purpose of Startup Weekend is to help people with ideas find a team, validate a business model and build the first prototype of an idea,” Startup Weekend organizer and Co-Fuonder at UpFrame Malik Piara told Dinheiro Vivo.

“It’s also a fantastic place for someone who wants to fit into the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Lisbon,” he added.

Techstars is looking for new ideas and projects that have not been previously conceived, and they should set out to solve social, educational, financial, environmental, or other issues.

Over the course of the weekend participants will be challenged to create a prototype of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that fits the needs of a target customer.

Speakers at this year’s Startup Weekend include:

• André Albuquerque, Head of Product at Uniplaces, an online marketplace for booking student accommodation with thousands of verified properties.
• Paulo Fonseca, Founder of laux, a web, mobile and wearables user experience studio
• Stewart Noakes, Co-Founder of Canopy, Canopy Portugal is a co-working and incubation center in down-town Lisbon and in Sintra.

All teams hear talks by industry leaders and receive valuable feedback from local entrepreneurs. The weekend is centered around action, innovation, and education.

Tickets are available here and each ticket includes:

• 7 full (and delicious) meals over the course of the weekend.
• Benefits and discounts from Techstars’ global partners.
• One-on-one time with amazing mentors.
• A new network of developers, designers, and entrepreneurs eager, like you, to change the world.
• All the internet and coffee you can consume.

Hugo Augusto

The best project will receive three months of free incubation at Startup Lisboa, which is a private non-profit association that provides entrepreneurs office space as well as a support structure – mentoring, strategic partners, access to investment/funding, networking activities and a community based on knowledge and sharing.

Read More: Startup Lisboa incubator names 1st Entrepreneur in Residence

Startup Lisboa’s first-ever entrepreneur-in-residence, Hugo Augusto, will be on the judge’s panel, along with ECO editor Mariana Barbosa, and Pedro Moura, Innovative Projects Consultant at Brazil’s Sebrae.

Last January Techstars was scouting Lisbon to recruit startups in the retail industry for its Metro acceleration program in April.

Read More: Techstars Metro accelerator scouting retail startups in Lisbon for April program

The Metro Accelerator for Retail powered by Techstars handpicks a few select startups for an intensive three-month program built on the foundation of marked funding and investment opportunities.

Lisbon-based Sensei, an alumni of Techstars Metro Retail Accelerator Berlin 2017, was recently accepted into one of the world’s best emerging acceleration programs, IMPACT Accelerator, that will take the team to London and San Francisco.

Techstars is a global ecosystem that empowers entrepreneurs to bring new technologies to market wherever they choose to live. With dozens of mentorship-driven accelerator programs and thousands of community programs worldwide, Techstars exists to support the world’s most promising entrepreneurs throughout their lifelong journey, from inspiration to IPO.

Techstars Startup Programs include Startup Weekend, Startup Digest, Startup Next, and Startup Week.