Jasper(33)

My fintech startup had three employees and a product ready for the European market. Groningen was great for the launch, but for growth we needed a more international ecosystem. Since Web Summit moved to Lisbon, the city has become the startup epicenter of Southern Europe.

We settled in the Startup Lisboa incubator in the Mouraria quarter. Office space, mentoring, network access — all for €300 per desk per month. In Groningen we paid double for a bare office without any ecosystem.

Setting up a Lda cost €1,200 through an online platform (ePortugal). Corporate tax of 17% on the first €25,000 profit and 21% above that is competitive. Additionally, there are subsidies through Portugal 2030 and IAPMEI for innovative startups — we received a €20,000 non-repayable grant.

Hiring staff in Portugal is cheaper. A junior developer earns €1,800-€2,200 gross per month here, versus €3,500+ in the Netherlands. Quality is high — the Universidade de Lisboa and Instituto Superior Tecnico produce excellent tech talent.

I live in Santos, an up-and-coming neighborhood by the river. My one-bedroom apartment costs €950 per month. The nightlife in Cais do Sodre is walking distance, but on weekdays I am in bed by 23:00 — startup life is startup life, even in Lisbon.

In three years we want to raise a Series A. The Lisbon ecosystem — investors, accelerators, the Web Summit network — gives us a better chance than we would ever have had in Groningen. Portugal thinks big about tech, and we notice that every day.