ScalingUp Program
Launched in Jan 2023, the ScalingUp Program is the first Portuguese acceleration program designed for growth-stage startups, shaped by international best practices and supported by strategic partnerships.

Some achievements so far
40 scaleups
309ME funding
+1305 employees
(854 in Portugal)
5 EDITIONS
73% of the scaleups have HQ in Portugal
23% are female founders
+140 C-level mentors from unicorns, scaleups, large companies, and venture capital investors
+170 investment and corporate partners
Our scaleups testimonials
“Being part of the first cohort of the Scaling Up program has been immensely beneficial for Sensei, as it has provided us with invaluable resources and guidance necessary for accelerating growth and achieving success in a highly competitive international market."
Scaleup, Cohort 1

Joana Rafael
Co-Founder & COO of Sensei
“This program has greatly exceeded our expectations. It has been tailored to the world of scale-ups, which is no simple task, and many programs fail in this regard. The biggest takeaways for us, besides, of course, the great community, were the coaching sessions on scaling our team and fundraising."
Scaleup, Cohort 2

Marco Carvalho
Founder & CEO of proGrow
“Since launching Rauva in April 2023 and partnering with Unicorn Factory, we've seen explosive growth. …. The expertise and support from Unicorn Factory have been instrumental to our accelerated success, setting Rauva firmly on the trajectory to achieving unicorn status."
Scaleup, Cohort 3

Jon Fath
Co-Founder & CEO of Rauva
Scaleup Criteria
- Post-seed to series A startups
- Strong team in place
- Product market fit
- Generating revenue
- Clear growth trajectory
- Expanding internationally
Program Structure
The ScalingUp is an 8-month acceleration program that aims to support scaleups in their journey towards growth.
Program Pillars
O que esperar
- Structured into 8 modules strategically designed to address the top challenges startup founders and their senior teams face when scaling the company.
Metodologia
- Group sessions and one-to-one meetings guided by world-class growth experts from unicorns, scaleups, big corporates and venture capitals.
Módulos
➔ Leadership, Culture & Hiring for High Growth: Features group and one-to-one sessions with Steve Cadigan, the first Chief HR Officer of LinkedIn.
➔ Fundraising Bootcamp: hands-on capacity-building program centred around Series A and post-Series A, facilitated by an investor and former entrepreneur.
➔ Hyper Growth Sales Showcases insights from senior founders and executives of late-stage scaleups and unicorns.
Other modules
→ International Expansion & Strategy
→ Product Development & Generative AI
→ Financial Runway & Due Diligence
→ Burnout Avoidance
O que esperar
- Mentoria para scaleups levada a cabo por 3 especialistas dedicados, cuidadosamente selecionados através de um processo de identificação de perfis compatíveis, baseado nas tuas necessidades e focado na fase de crescimento;
- Apoio estruturado contínuo com reuniões regulares a cada 2 meses, um espaço seguro para aconselhamento personalizado, imparcial e confidencial, gerando cadência para acelerar a evolução da estratégia e promover o crescimento;
- Access to our mentor network which includes a portfolio of 140+ mentors for support on specific and timely issues.
A nossa mentores incluem
- Empreendedores que expandiram os seus negócios e/ou concretizaram saídas bem-sucedidas;
- Executivos C-level com uma série de funções que incluem CEOs, CDOs, COOs, Diretores de Digital, Diretores de Inovação, entre outras;
- Especialistas de diferentes indústrias e verticais, geografias e backgrounds.
O que esperar
- A possibilidade de apresentar a proposta de valor a grandes empresas corporate a operar em Portugal;
- Acesso a potenciais parceiros, clientes, investidores e líderes de sucesso;
- Apoio estruturado e construtivo com feedback imparcial para aperfeiçoamento do modelo de negócios.
A nossa parceiros corporate incluem
- Big techs;
- Líderes de mercado em Portugal que também operam internacionalmente;
- Grandes empresas de uma ampla gama de indústrias com um forte foco na inovação.
O que esperar
- Upskilling Session focused on International Expansion & Strategy with scaleup founders and experts
- Local programs to land in a certain geography
- Access to international summits
- Access to international events
- Introduce to local ecosystem players such as startups, VCs, incubators, hubs and corporates

O que esperar
- Estabelece contacto com outros empreendedores do programa ao integrar a entusiástica comunidade da Unicorn Factory Lisboa, composta por ex-membros e líderes de outras scaleups e unicórnios que já passaram por todas estas experiências;
- Participa nos diversos eventos promovidos pela Unicorn Factory Lisboa, uma excelente oportunidade de networking para fazer crescer a tua rede de contactos;
- Junta-te a nós, aprende e obtém conselhos valiosos de outros empreendedores e da comunidade como um todo.
A nossa eventos incluem
- Apresentações, conversas interativas, reuniões sobre temas relevantes;
- Oradores, mentores, especialistas, empreendedores e líderes de pensamento;
- Eventos sociais e de networking.
Informações
Duração
8 meses
Cohort
Target
Post-seed scaleups, Strong team in place, Product/Service market fit, Clear growth trajectory, Expanding internationally
Formato
Presencial e Remoto
Inglês
Candidaturas
On-going applications
3 Cohorts per year
Applications are ongoing and reviewed every 4 months to select a new cohort of 8 scaleups.
Application Screening
Expect to receive our feedback 2 weeks after the applications deadline
Interviews with jury
Expect to receive our feedback 3 weeks after the applications deadline
Contract & Fee Payment
The select scaleups must pay a €4500 fee for the 8-month program.
Applications are open all year round
Our scaleups
Cohort 1





Cohort 2








Cohort 3






Cohort 4






Our Strategic Partners






