Why Portugal?

Why Portugal? with Patreon, Iberis Capital, Gama Gloria, Unicorn Factory & The Consulate General of Portugal

Building, Hiring & Scaling in Europe

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | 5:00–7:30 PM
Cooley LLP | 3 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco
SF Tech Week 2026

Building, Hiring & Scaling in Europe

How has Portugal quietly become one of Europe’s gateway to technology & one of the most compelling places to build?

A deep pool of technical talent at significantly lower cost than the Bay Area. An English-fluent workforce. R&D tax incentives and government programs designed to attract investment. And a startup ecosystem that has produced multiple global technology companies and unicorns in less than a decade.

But what does the opportunity actually look like for a U.S. startup?

Join Cooley, Iberis Capital, Gama Glória, Patreon, Unicorn Factory Lisboa, and the Consulate General of Portugal in San Francisco for a candid conversation about what Portugal actually offers U.S. startups — and what it doesn’t.

We’ll bring together perspectives from investors, operators, ecosystem builders, government, and legal advisors to look at the practical realities of using Portugal as a place to build teams, access European talent and capital, and establish a foothold in the European market.

What we’ll cover

Building a team in Portugal
Hiring timelines, compensation benchmarks, employment considerations, and how U.S. companies approach establishing and structuring operations in Portugal.

Government incentives
R&D tax credits including SIFIDE, IFICI, startup and talent programs, subsidies, and which opportunities may actually be worth navigating.

The talent pool
Portugal’s engineering and technical workforce, universities, English fluency, cost advantages, and where the deepest concentrations of talent can be found.

What’s being built
The sectors, technologies, founders, and companies shaping Portugal’s startup ecosystem today — and the trends worth watching next.

Capital
How Portuguese, European, and U.S. investors are increasingly intersecting, what the funding environment looks like, and where opportunities are emerging.

Portugal as a European base
What founders should consider when evaluating Portugal as part of a broader European expansion strategy — including where Portugal has a genuine advantage and where another market may make more sense.

Panel

Opening Remarks: Filipe Ramalheira — Consulate General of Portugal in San Francisco

João Henriques, Partner — Iberis Capital

André Glória, Partner — Gama Glória

Gil Azevedo, CEO & Executive Director — Unicorn Factory Lisboa

Colin Sullivan, General Counsel — Patreon

Moderated by Daniel Parames, Partner, Cooley LLP

Agenda

5:00 PM — Doors, drinks & food
5:30 PM — Why Portugal? Panel
6:30 PM — Audience Q&A
6:45 PM — Drinks & networking
8:00 PM — Close

Who should come

Founders and operators considering an international or European presence; heads of talent and engineering leaders planning 2027 headcount; investors looking at European companies and deal flow; and anyone interested in the growing technology corridor between Silicon Valley and Portugal.

Getting in

Cooley LLP
3 Embarcadero Center
San Francisco, CA

Please bring a photo ID for lobby check-in and register using the name shown on your ID.

Part of SF Tech Week 2026.

For founders thinking globally, Portugal may be closer to the roadmap than you think.