Session #5 – JoĆ£o GraƧa – Building an AI Startup in Portugal
Join the Vibe Coding Club at Portugalās biggest student AI hackathon, NOVAe FORGe 2025, for an inspiring fireside chat with JoĆ£o GraƧa ā co-founder of Unbabel, one of Portugalās most successful AI startups.
šļø Fireside Chat: āBuilding an AI Startup in Portugalā with JoĆ£o GraƧa (Co-Founder, Unbabel)
Join the Vibe Coding Club at Portugalās biggest student AI hackathon, NOVAe FORGe 2025, for an inspiring fireside chat with JoĆ£o GraƧa: Co-founder of Unbabel, one of Portugalās most successful AI startups.
What weāll cover:
ā¢ What it really takes to start an AIādriven venture in Portugal: key challenges, opportunities and lessons learned.
ā¢ How a Portuguese startup can build cutting-edge AI solutions, raise funding, recruit talent and scale globally.
ā¢ Real-world stories from JoĆ£oās journey at Unbabel, from MVP to market-fit, scaling operations, and maintaining culture while growing fast.
ā¢ Q&A: Your chance to ask JoĆ£o about your ideas, obstacles or big ambitions in the AI / startup space.
Who should attend:
Developers, data scientists, product builders, AI enthusiasts, startup founders and anyone interested in the future of tech in Portugal. (Everybody is welcome, even if you donĀ“t participate in the hackathon, or donĀ“t know how to code at all)
Why it matters:
Portugalās tech scene is booming ā but the path from āideaā to āsuccessful global AI businessā still comes with unique local twists. Hear firsthand how a Portuguese startup cracked the code and what you can take away for your own journey.
Get ready for an inspiring, honest and actionable conversation that could shape your next big move in the AI startup world.
š ļø Organizers and Sponsors
Vibe Coding Club is organized by Membrz.Club & Comudel, in partnership with Oktogon Labs and FORGe Hackathon.
As part of Lisbon AI Week, this session brings real-world insight to the next generation of AI builders. Whether youāre hacking, mentoring, or just curious about the startup scene, this is your chance to learn from one of the leaders shaping Portugalās AI ecosystem.
