📰 Paperwork, Pastries & Portuguese Startups

Happy Sunday, beautiful people 😎

Some weeks really test your resolve in your adopted country, and Portugal didn’t hold back this past week. The cherry on top? A €250 fine for an expired vehicle inspection certificate. Yes, we missed it. And no, there was zero grace. Apparently, that was the minimum fine… so we’re choosing to call it an expensive reminder instead.

But that’s expat life, isn’t it? One day you’re navigating bureaucracy in a language that still trips you up. The next, you’re standing inside a medieval castle at a chocolate festival, breathing in something you can’t quite explain: a sense of safety and calm that, coming from South Africa, feels priceless.

And somewhere in between the paperwork and the pastries, there’s the bigger question many of us wrestle with: How do you build something meaningful here?

If you’re trying to build something in Portugal and feel like you’re circling the shoreline, today’s newsletter might be exactly what you need. We’re exploring a new platform opening doors for expats in the fast-growing world of Portuguese startups.

Paperwork, pastries, and Portuguese startups.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

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If you're looking for a sweet excuse to explore Portugal's medieval heartland this spring, the Festival Internacional de Chocolate de Óbidos runs from 6–22 March 2026 (Fridays to Sundays, 10am–9pm). This year's theme is Art, with chocolate recreations of famous paintings and monuments — including an entire art museum made of chocolate — plus live cooking shows, workshops, tastings, and a chocolate market, all set within the cobblestone streets and castle walls of one of Portugal's most charming villages. Tickets start at around €10 for adults. Definitely one for the family diary!

Portugal now has more than 5,000 active startups. Nearly 70% of them were founded in the last five years. Portuguese startups raised €2 billion in 2024 alone, a 40% increase on the year before. Lisbon's startup ecosystem grew 26.7 times over the last eight years in total enterprise value of venture-backed startups.

The country has produced unicorns, attracted Web Summit, and is now being described as Southern Europe's most connected innovation hub.

By any measure, something serious is happening here.

And yet most expats have absolutely no idea how to reach it.

That is not a failure of ambition. It is not even a failure of effort. It is something more specific and more frustrating: the realisation that the knowledge, the networks, and the instincts you spent years building in another country do not simply transfer.

You can be accomplished, connected, and resourceful everywhere else in the world and still find yourself standing on the outside of Portugal's entrepreneurial world with no clear way in.

Every ecosystem runs on context. Who the real players are. Which rooms matter and which ones just look good on a programme. How decisions actually get made in Portuguese business culture, which operates very differently from what most expats are used to. What it takes to be taken seriously here as an outsider with capital, an idea, or both.

That context is not written down anywhere. It lives in relationships, in shared history, in the kind of institutional knowledge that takes years to accumulate.

Unless you know someone who already has it.

Build Up Labs has been inside Portugal's startup ecosystem since 2014. They have built companies, launched ventures, and made five successful exits from Lisbon. They are a certified Startup Visa incubator and one of the most connected organisations in the Portuguese innovation world. And they have taken everything they know and built a structured soft landing programme specifically for expats who want to participate in this ecosystem, not just live beside it.

Instead of generic networking advice, they provide tailored ecosystem mapping, warm introductions to relevant players, guidance on the communities and events that actually matter, insight into local business culture, and access to investment-ready startups.

A personalised map of the ecosystem tailored to your interests, whether that is a specific sector, universities, corporate innovation teams, or investment opportunities.

Up to five warm introductions. Not passive LinkedIn connections, but meaningful introductions facilitated by people who understand both sides.

Clear direction on the communities and events worth your time, so you can avoid months of trial and error.

Insight into the unwritten rules of Portuguese business culture, including communication styles and decision making norms that are rarely explained to outsiders.

Access to investment ready startups, with support around due diligence and local market context for those considering investing or advisory roles.

Guidance around NHR 2.0 and IFICI structures, with connections to tax experts who can help investors structure properly.

If you came to Portugal with ambition, with something to build or invest or contribute, this programme was designed with exactly you in mind.

The first step is a free twenty minute conversation with Rui Gouveia and his team. Walk away with a clearer picture of the ecosystem, some honest perspective on where you fit into it, and a sense of what is actually within reach.

➡ Find out more and book a free intro call at Build Up Labs

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Today’s local travel tip is brought to you by Marga from Discover Portugal. Last time, she took us into the colour, chaos, and tradition of Carnaval across Portugal — from Torres Vedras to Madeira — and showed us how the country truly celebrates before Lent begins.

This week, she’s slowing things down and taking us somewhere timeless. March in Óbidos means medieval charm, quieter streets (if you time it right), and one very sweet reason to visit: the International Chocolate Festival. If you think you’ve “done” Óbidos before, this might just convince you to look again.

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Óbidos is no longer a hidden gem, but that doesn’t mean it’s skippable. This small medieval town, just one hour north of Lisbon, is one of those places that keeps surprising you, especially if you know when to visit and where to look beyond the main street.

March is a brilliant time to go, and not just because spring is starting to show. It’s also when Óbidos hosts one of its most popular events: the International Chocolate Festival.

Most people visit Óbidos on a rushed day trip. They walk through the main gate, stroll down Rua Direita, sip a quick ginjinha, and leave again. If that’s all you do, you’ll miss what makes Óbidos special.

Once you slow down, you’ll discover quiet cobbled streets filled with flowers, viewpoints along the castle walls, tiny bookshops hidden inside old churches, and corners that feel almost untouched once the tour buses leave.

Óbidos is small, but it’s packed with history. It was once a royal wedding gift to the Queen of Portugal and has roots going back to Roman and Moorish times. Today, it’s one of the most photogenic medieval towns in the country and surprisingly creative for its size.

If you love chocolate, March is the moment to visit. The International Chocolate Festival turns Óbidos into a chocolate lover’s playground, with chocolatiers, chefs, and artists creating everything from edible sculptures to gourmet desserts. This year, the event is from March 6th until the 22nd.

Each year has a different theme, and you’ll see impressive chocolate displays throughout the town. There are tastings, workshops, and demonstrations, making it fun even if you’re not travelling with kids.

The festival usually runs for several weeks in March, and weekends are the busiest. If you can, aim for a weekday visit or arrive early in the morning to enjoy the town before it fills up.

Beyond the festival, there’s plenty to explore. Walking the castle walls is one of the highlights, offering panoramic views over the rooftops and surrounding countryside. Just note there are no railings in some sections, so it’s not ideal if you’re nervous about heights.

Óbidos is also famous for its bookshops. Some are set inside former churches, and the town has been a UNESCO City of Literature since 2015. Even non-readers usually end up wandering into at least one.

And of course, don’t leave without trying ginjinha de Óbidos, the local cherry liqueur, often served in a small chocolate cup. It’s touristy, yes, but still very much part of the experience.

Óbidos is easy to reach by car or bus from Lisbon, making it perfect for a day trip. That said, staying overnight is magical. Once the crowds leave, the town becomes quiet and atmospheric, especially in the evening.

March weather is usually mild, but bring layers and good walking shoes. The cobblestones can be slippery after rain.

Óbidos may be famous, but visit it at the right time and with a little curiosity, and it still feels special.

If you’re planning a visit and want to combine the Chocolate Festival with quieter corners of town, castle walks, and seasonal tips, I’ve put everything together in this guide:

➡ What to do in Óbidos

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With thanks to our collaborator for today’s travel article. Marga is a Dutch travel writer, photographer, and Portugal expert who founded Discover Portugal after falling in love with the country during a 2019 visit and relocating to Lisbon permanently in 2021. With over 25 years of travel experience and a background in tourism, aviation, and tech—including nearly eight years as an international flight attendant—Marga combines her storytelling skills, local insights, and photography expertise to help travelers discover both Portugal's famous sights and hidden gems. Through her website and personalized services, she offers travel planning assistance, Lisbon photography sessions, and authentic stories from her ongoing exploration of every corner of Portugal, helping curious travelers experience the country like a local rather than a tourist.

In this video, Mia teaches one of the most important phrases you’ll ever need in Portuguese:

👉 “Onde é a casa de banho?” = Where is the bathroom?

In Portugal, casa de banho is the standard and polite way to say “bathroom” or “toilet.” You’ll hear and use it in cafés, restaurants, shops, and public places.

It’s a simple sentence, but knowing it - and pronouncing it naturally - can save you a lot of stress in everyday situations.

🗣 Curious to learn more about the Portuguese language and culture? Mia’s free starter course “Kickstart Your Portuguese - The Basics” is a great place to start.

💡 Mia from Mia Esmeriz Academy is a Portuguese teacher from Porto with more than 15 years of experience teaching foreigners. She helps expats become fluent in Portuguese in a clear and practical way. Alongside her courses, she also shares free content on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

And we thought Portuguese was a challenge…

Thanks for reading! 💌

Hustle on!

Angelique🧞‍♀️

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