The SIM Conference will be held in Porto for the next three years and there's already news for 2025

Another 'Above & Beyond Hangout' took place, this time on the SIM Conference (Startups & Investment Matching). The session took place this Wednesday at Edifício Transparente, where the Municipality of Porto and Startup Portugal signed an agreement to host the international event in Porto for the next three years. The first speakers for 2025 have already been confirmed.

In the presence of the Councillor for the Economy, Employment, and Entrepreneurship, Ricardo Valente, the Municipality and Startup Portugal signed a protocol that establishes the SIM Conference - an event that brings together startups, investors, and leaders from the entrepreneurial ecosystem - in Porto for the next three years (2025, 2026, and 2027).

The aim is to continue promoting the community of national and international entrepreneurs and investors with an interest in Portugal, by creating opportunities for networking, investment, publicity, and learning.

By hosting this international event, the Municipality aims to position the city as a national and international hub for entrepreneurship, aligning with the economic development strategy defined by the city council.

International conference returns to Alfândega

The second edition of the SIM Conference will take place on 8 and 9 May at the Alfândega do Porto Congress Centre, and the first speakers have already been confirmed.

The conference will feature Vivienne Ming, a neuroscientist specialising in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems for positive social impact; Ezequiel Abramzon, a senior executive who spent twenty years at The Walt Disney Company; Daniela Seixas, a physician and founder of Tonic App; Max Pog, a renowned conference presenter and podcaster; Diogo Mónica, founder and chairman of Anchorage Digital; André Campos, Transformation Officer at Sogrape, and Xavier Jameson, co-founder of the Portuguese startup Musiversal.

The first edition of the SIM Conference was also held in May this year. The Alfândega Congress Centre welcomed more than 2,000 participants, including more than 150 Portuguese and foreign investors and around 400 startups.

The SIM Conference attracted a diverse array of participants to Porto, as well as startups and investors, including tech companies, students, entrepreneurs, incubators, universities, artists, among others, and it is expected that the same will happen over the next three years.