Portugal’s Tech Boom: Leading Locations for Innovation

The largest tech festival in the world is returning to Lisbon with its 16th edition. Web Summit is set to light up Lisbon from 10-13th November, having relocated to the Portuguese capital in 2016.

Since then, Portugal has become renowned for its tech scene, with some going so far as to say that Lisbon is Europe’s very own Silicon Valley, fuelled by its growing startup ecosystem, talent pool, and ease of doing business.

Tech in Portugal is Thriving

Portugal’s tech boom and transformation into a leader in innovation is the result of a range of factors, including government incentives attracting top talent through residency programs (such as the Portugal Startup Visa), investment, and the fact that the country offers a strategic entry point to the EU market.

Alongside this, Portugal has a convenient time zone (same as the UK), English is widely spoken (Portugal ranks sixth in the English Proficiency Index), and you’ll find excellent talent graduating from the well-regarded universities.

Web Summit relocating to Lisbon in 2016 was perhaps the catalyst that opened the door for Lisbon as a truly global and tech-forward city. The city is home to 347 startups and had a 12.3 percent ecosystem growth rate between April 2024 and April 2025.

The popularity of Lisbon has spread nationwide, with Porto, Braga, and the Algarve now also being considered attractive locations for tech companies and entrepreneurs to kickstart their businesses.

The Portugal Digital Nomad Visa, launched in October 2022, also positioned Portugal as a welcoming country for remote workers seeking to establish themselves in the country, and over the past few years world-class co-working spaces and co-living spaces can now be found across the country.

Infrastructure developments, fast Wi-Fi, a low cost of living in Portugal, and an incredible quality of life add to the country’s appeal.

The safety aspect is the backdrop to the country’s success. Portugal takes the sixth position in the 2025 Global Peace Index. This, alongside the country’s stable socio-political outlook and steady economic growth, adds to the country’s appeal.

Lisbon, the Heartbeat of Innovation

As we’ve mentioned, since Lisbon started hosting Web Summit in 2016, the city has cemented its position as one of the leading tech hubs in Europe. With over 70,000 attendees, 3,000 exhibiting companies, 1,000 investors, and world-famous CEOs and speakers, the event is an important event in the tech calendar year.

Lisbon boasts a dynamic startup and tech ecosystem, with initiatives such as Startup Portugal and Unicorn Factory Lisboa helping entrepreneurs find their feet and launch businesses in the country. The Oeiras Tech hub and other institutes across the city add to its allure.

The city has many excellent engineering and IT graduates and, coupled with an excellent command of English, can prove to be top starters for a successful company. Lisbon’s modern co-working spaces, digital connectivity, and a host of cultural, entrepreneurship, and networking events throughout the year make the city appeal to tech professionals, entrepreneurs, digital nomads, and companies alike.

Porto, a Rising Tech Giant

Porto’s rapid rise on the tech scene has been extraordinary, with the city repositioning itself in the past few years to attract top companies and talent.

With a rich cultural heritage and lower operational costs, the city offers a vibrant base to do business with an emphasis on software development, health tech, and research-driven innovation.

With several co-working spaces in the city and top talent, Porto is now well set-up for incoming tech companies.

Braga, Tech Hub in the North

With strategic investment, strong infrastructural developments, and initiatives such as Startup Braga bringing this northen city to the world, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and tech companies will find low operational costs, a high quality of life, and a highly-charged start up scene.

Looking to the future, the opportunity for Braga to fill in the shoes of a crucial tech hub is ripe for the taking. For those looking to be part of this wave, consider Braga. The future is bright.

The Algarve, Lifestyle-First

Better known for its tourism and lifestyle appeal, the Algarve is an emerging technology hub.

The Algarve Tech Hub supports a range of startups, where you can engage and connect through many of the events they host.

The high quality of life has lured in many entrepreneurs and digital nomads who can work from anywhere in the world. In particular, Lagos has emerged as a top destination for remote workers.

Other Emerging Cities and Regions 

You’ll find many other cities that are becoming tech leaders in their own right, such as Aveiro, the so-called “Venice of Portugal” and Madeira, which is home to the first digital nomad village in the world.

The rise of remote working has also positioned Portugal as a popular destination for digital nomads. Portugal ranks in seventh position in the Global Intelligence Unit’s Global Digital Nomad Report.

Portugal’s Tech Future is Bright

Lisbon’s rapid rise as a strategic tech hub in Europe provides entrepreneurs, startups, investors, and international companies with a launchpad to the European market. The energy in the capital, Porto, and Braga for innovation, coupled with infrastructure developments and accessible, and range of, residency options has created a robust ecosystem poised for sustainable growth.

We’ll have to wait and see what the future holds for tech in Portugal. Right now, it is looking bright.