Just days ahead of announcing the full line up of teams entering Lisbon Challenge 2013, you can take a collective look at the first eight startups selected for our accelerator. In the past two weeks, we presented each one on our social media pages, but in this post they come together to show the great diversity of sectors at which they are aiming to establish and grow in. So far, all eight teams have had great success. Most recently they presented at the Iberian Investor Forum organized by IE Business School and Beta-i, for which they were specifically selected after a comprehensive selection process. Their performance evidenced the strong potential of each of the teams, and the products and services they pitched to the panel. The investors were confident that all of the startups have the ability to make a difference in the respective industries and succeed in generating revenue. These factors are closely matching to the selection criteria of Lisbon Challenge and therefore making them eligible for spot on the accelerator. So here are the first eight.
Copilot: People usually spent an average of two minutes to process each email message they receive. And what happens when you are flooded with hundreds of them after being away on a holiday? The founders of this startup experienced similar situation and decided to do something about it. The result of their effort is Copilot - an email client distinguished by the two features of clustering and feedback on customer’s patterns of use.
Gudgo: Once we have this startup on Lisbon Challenge, surely the Beta-i team will quickly get back in shape for the summer. Gudgo rides on the wave of startups providing a very simple service that solves what appears to be an inconvenience for many customers. People who travel a lot don’t want to commit to the costly gym fees we pay every month. Gudgo will allow you to workout in any sports venue, anywhere in the world, with no strings attached. Check them out on Facebook.
Recibos Online: Paper receipts are a mess. We all know that they are not the most convenient way of handling the proof-and-record of purchase when shopping and now many are in the race to provide a smarter solution to the mass market. We believe that Recibos Online has what it takes to do precisely this. The market is big and the opportunity for scaling is great. Watch this animated feature explaining Recibos Online approach to the task of getting rid of the 550 billion paper receipts printed across the world.
Rve.sol: Social enterprises are great and rare. This is why we are proud to have Rve.sol on board for Lisbon Challenge. The startup is taking on an even greater challenge in their mission to eradicate poverty, mitigate climate change and stimulate micro economy through renewable technology. To achieve this, they are working on supplying equipment that will provide rural communities with electricity in the home, biogas for cooking, bio-fertiliser for crops and potable water for drinking. You can follow their updates on Facebook.
Shipizy: Need to send or bring something somewhere in the world? Shipizy has got you covered. They’re looking to simplify the logistic process for travellers looking to ship items. The service will be available around the world and is built on the helpful connections between people. The idea has certainly a great potential for internationalization.
Table & Friends: Having been spotted by the watchful eyes of VOGUE Portugal, you can easily tell that Table & Friends are onto something. The team states that their idea is simple - make you dine more often with your friends. Who doesn’t want that? Well, everybody, of course. And this is an early sign that this is a great idea. To materialize their vision, Table & Friends have developed a page where you can easily book your meals with friends or colleagues in 3 simple steps. Go ahead and try it now!
Vitalidi: Often cited as the next big thing to enter the mass market, biometric recognition is a truly exciting concept to explore - and Vitalidi is tapping into this very promising area. This startup has been a recent sensation on the Portuguese entrepreneurship scene, winning a number of competitions including the InovPortugal award back in June. The panel at Venture Day Lisbon awarded the team with the prize for best pitch in the competition and now Vitalidi are looking forward to enter Lisbon Challenge. Learn more about Vitalidi by watching this promotional video.
Zercatto: At Venture Day Lisbon, this startup was awarded tickets to the Web Summit conference in Dublin this October, where the world’s leading tech companies will gather. Additionally, the idea was ranked among the top in the public vote at Venture Day. All this didn’t happen by coincidence. Zercatto is developing an innovative tool that might be able to help those 95% of people who invest and lose money on the market. The solution is easy: look at the portfolios of the rest 5% who are very successful with their investments.
What do you think of the ideas developed by these eight startups? Let us know in the comments below.