ISQ and Portugal Ventures close partnership to boost entrepreneurship in Portugal

ISQ and Portugal Ventures have signed a Collaboration Protocol that aims to establish a partnership to identify innovative business opportunities and boost the Portuguese entrepreneurial ecosystem, which represents, according to recent data from Startup Portugal, 1.1% of the national Bruno Internal Product (GDP).  This partnership consists of pooling efforts to establish the necessary synergies to support entrepreneurs (start-ups, spin-offs) and their respective projects, contributing to the development of their innovative products and services and enhancing their implementation and stabilization in the market, as well as the expansion of their business, attracting investment. It should be noted that the survival rate of start-ups in 2018 increased from 80.43% to 86.56%.This ecosystem was also responsible for the growth in the number of jobs, which in 2018 grew by 25%, rising to 25,084. "Through cross selling and above all cross knowledge, between ISQ and Portugal Ventures, it will be possible to define and create better business opportunities and enhance innovation in Portugal. This partnership is key to boosting the most innovative start-ups and spin-offs. In addition to presenting new concepts and solutions to the market, these business models challenge existing ones and introduce more technology and innovation in products and services", highlights Pedro Matias, President of the ISQ Group. As part of this partnership, ISQ will also integrate expert panels for the evaluation of investment projects. ISQ is associated as Corporate Partner of Portugal Ventures, anchor investor in Portugal, an entity that bets on the dynamic of venture capital activity with private, national and international participation, as a determining factor for the capitalization of the national business fabric and, above all, for the strengthening of the Portuguese entrepreneurship ecosystem. "In this regard, one of isq's growth drivers over the last few decades has been precisely the search for new markets and the development of new skills, through the creation of various start-ups in areas such as software, health, agro-industry, thus assuming itself as a center of knowledge and support for industry intervening through different platforms", underlines Pedro Matias. In addition, ISQ has been entering new sectors of activity, such as the pharmacist and consolidating itself in the aerospace sector, through its direct involvement or in conjunction with group companies and partner entities. According to Rui Ferreira, Vice President of Portugal Ventures, "this partnership, within the framework of the Corporate Partners Network of Portugal Ventures, fits one of the strategic and growth pillars of the company and strengthens the business opportunities for companies in our portfolio, expanding the possibilities of product validation, accelerating commercial opportunities and co-development partnerships with the ISQ universe, as well as potentialnew co-investment opportunities in more than 500 international projects supported by ISQ. With the Corporate Partners Network, Portugal Ventures intends to establish synergies with multinational companies that support the development of products and services of companies invested by Portugal Ventures, leveraging the business and contributing to its growth, valorization and international expansion".