Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) is a private non-profit institution dedicated to fostering innovation by bridging the gap between R&D and the market.

“We do that through a set of six applied R&D labs that work exclusively with companies, and the support to open innovation programmes and entrepreneurship,” says Jorge Pimenta, Project Manager at IPN.

What Problems Does IPN Solve for Start-Ups and Early-Stage Companies?

By having a wide technological scope, Instituto Pedro Nunes provides co-development services and technical support. The institute has established itself during the last 30 years as a builder of entrepreneurial networks in Portugal – with a close relation to the University of Coimbra – but it also focuses on expanding its reach and support to international stakeholders and partners.

“Our ambition is to support more start-ups in scaling internationally,” shares Mr. Pimenta. The team behind IPN believes that by building a stronger and more resilient ecosystem, and by fostering and supporting innovation in their region, they can help transform Portugal into a more competitive country on a European and global scale.

Personal Leadership

Jorge Pimenta is a Project Manager at Insituto Pedro Nunes (IPN). The title “Project Manager” is a very vague description of what he does because his time is dedicated to tech start-ups both in their incubator – IPNincubadora – and in their accelerator – TecBis. Mr. Pimenta’s main focus is on supporting business development, as well as funding through venture capital and international programmes.

“My drive is that every entrepreneur is able to have the best conditions to set up the team and bring his idea to the market. Managing a start-up can be a rollercoaster ride, and I believe that incubators can help teams to prepare for a hard but exciting journey. Start-ups often begin with just a dream, and I feel very fortunate to help them kickstart it, build wings, and watch them grow,” proudly shares Jorge Pimenta.

Biggest Achievements of IPN

The institute prides itself on two major achievements:

1. They have a track record of 25 years supporting hundreds of tech start-ups.
2. A whopping 75% of these start-ups are still on the market.

This start-up survival rate is quite impressive when compared to the average – under 25% - and is a huge testament to IPN’s work, as well as the importance of collaboration and dedicated support by their team.

In 2020, the Business Space Incubation Center of the European Space Agency (ESA BIC) – which IPN runs in Portugal – won the Regiostarts 2020 award. That’s a competition, promoted by the European Commission with the aim of identifying good regional development practices and highlighting innovative projects supported by EU funds.

Why Is InvestHorizon Important for Instituto Pedro Nunes?

Having had his experience as an entrepreneur, Jorge Pimenta can relate to the challenges that founders face in the different stages of their companies’ growth. Thus, he gladly offers his advice and insights.

“The InvestHorizon project builds on this by creating a platform to share knowledge among participants and to add new perspectives from Expert Coaches. Start-ups are expanding their networking and establishing connections, and at the same time, they get invaluable feedback. My experience has been amazing, and I encourage every ambitious entrepreneur to register and join,” concludes Mr. Pimenta.