Batarda’s (gluten-free food production), Circular Unity (collection and analysis of sustainability data), Neptune (production, renovation and maintenance of boats), Yon Living (luxury residences shared among digital nomads) and Your Tours (travel agency) received funding from the venture capital company.
The venture capital company Portugal Ventures, which belongs to Banco Português de Fomento, made an investment worth 5.3 million euros in five startups in the tourism sector during the first quarter of this year.
Batardas, Circular Unity, Neptune, Yon Living and Your Tours “gained a ticket” to join Portugal Ventures’ list of subsidiaries, committing not to manage the business as a tourist tour. What do these entrepreneurs do?
Batarda’s is dedicated to gluten-free food production and distributes through its own channels or through large retailers and cafeterias/restaurants. Circular Unity collects and analyzes sustainability data for event, entertainment, sports, audiovisual and hotel companies.
In turn, Neptune produces luxury boats – under the ROM brand – and also remodels sailing and motor boats and dry parking (dry docking) in Aveiro, where a landmark naval shipyard is located. While Yon Living is dedicated to coliving (shared residence) in luxury homes for digital nomads, who have access not only to the house/apartment but also activities (classes and events) nearby.
Last but not leastYour Tours travel agency is a DMC (Destination Management Company) focused on companies (B2B) for personalized and immersive tours in mainland Portugal and the islands of Madeira and the Azores. Soon, it will expand the business throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
Public venture capital financing for these five startups occurred within the scope of the first edition of “Call Turismo+Crescimento”, a partnership with Turismo de Portugal and Nest – Innovation Center for Tourism to invest in projects/companies that seek to contribute to increase the competitiveness of the country’s tourism offer, improve the tourist experience in Portugal and promote the efficiency of companies in this economic activity.
“These new investments, which now reinforce the tourism portfolio, develop innovative solutions within their segment, combining tourism with other sectors that are absolutely fundamental to the development of the current economy, such as food, nautical, technology and sustainability”, says Pedro de Mello Breyner, executive member of Portugal Ventures.
In the opinion of this spokesperson for the management of Portugal Ventures, “this ability to create synergies and extract the best from each area is the path to a stronger, more dynamic future for the sector that responds to the needs of an emerging market”.
It is call (competition) gave privilege to projects linked to the Empresas Turismo 360º Program and which in some way contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For example, through (digital) dematerialization, recycling, reuse and waste reduction, clean energy, water efficiency or smart mobility.
Tags: Portugal Ventures invested million euros tourism startups quarter
