Women Business Angels have had an impact on Portugal’s thriving Start-Up scene in 2022. Angel investors provide financial backing for small start-ups and are usually their primary source of funding. The support of Business Angels is fundamental for the creation of Start-Ups and SMEs and leads to the development of innovative products and services that have an impact on economic growth.
The term Business Angels was coined when describing wealthy patrons who invested in Broadway theaters. The term was first used in a study by William Wetzel, the founder of the Centre for Venture Research, on how entrepreneurs obtained capital.
Angel investing has grown in Portugal and the field has attracted female talent that was recognized by several organizations such as EU-Startups.
Here are some of Portugal’s Top Women Business Angels in 2022:
1) Ana Paula Reis
Ana Paula Reis is based in Lisbon. She is a member of the Portuguese Business Angels association and is the co-founder of BridgeWhat, a Growth-as-a-service digital platform. She obtained the Investor of the Year 2020 Award issued by the South Europe Startup Awards. She is also the co-founder of SelPlus-SelData that achieved more than €900 million of client sales according to EU-Startups.
2) Yonca Braeckman
Yonca Braekman is the founder and CEO of Impact Shakers, that helps build and scale ventures, with headquarters in Lisbon. She has launched the Impact Shakers Award to help create a fertile environment in which impact driven Start-Ups can grow into strong and scalable businesses. Yonca was ranked in the “Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise” in 2022.
3) Maria Semedo
Maria Semedo is a IAPMEI Certified Business Angel based in Porto. She is the Executive Director of Vega Ventures that operates through a number of investment vehicles including Creative Wings, Green Capital and iSmart Ventures. She is also a Horizontal-Entrepreneurship Expert at EIT InnoEnergy as well as an Independent Expert for SME Instrument and Fast-Track to Innovation at the European Commission. Maria’s work was recognized at the ISCTE-IUL MIT-Portugal Venture Competition Semifinals in 2011.
Business Angels in Portugal are promoted by the Investors Portugal association. The association represents the whole early-stage investor ecosystem and thus also includes VCs for the follow-up on investment. Portugal’s Start-Up scene is thriving with Lisbon Tech Start-Ups that are worth EUR 21.4 B in 2022 compared to 816 M in 2016 according to a new report by Dealroom.
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