Between November 11 and 14, at the invitation of InvestHK—the government agency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with which OVIA has signed a memorandum of understanding—the Association participated as a “Partner” in the Web Summit 2024 held in Lisbon.
During the event, OVIA was represented by its Secretary-General, Tiago Sousa Dias. Several meetings were conducted with various entities and startups to identify strategic partners and investment opportunities for OVIA Members, as well as to establish a network for business development. The sectors of focus included fintech, technology, finance, renewable energy, real estate, and artificial intelligence.
Therefore, and through ASA Lawyers, an OVIA Member, a meeting was held between the Investment Agency and the City of Albufeira´s Office of the Mayor, whereas the topic of “digital nomads” was discussed. Albufeira City Council’s “Digital Nomads” program aims to position the municipality as a welcoming destination for telecommuters. Albufeira promotes events such as the “Nomad World Fest”, which includes workshops, lectures on remote working, artificial intelligence, and the future of work. In addition, Albufeira offers spaces such as the “Blue Room” for coworking and networking, thus attracting global professionals. This program emphasizes local quality of life, encourages the integration of digital nomads into the community, and showcases the region’s natural beauty, gastronomy, and culture to attract this target audience.
To the end above, the OVIA Secretary-General met with the following entities and start-ups:
- WPT Energy – a company in the green energy sector, focusing on innovative solutions for wireless energy transfer and sustainable energy systems, which develops wireless charging technologies, especially for electric vehicles. WPT Energy explores concepts such as electric roads that allow charging. At the same time, vehicles are in motion and aim to promote modern electromobility, reducing dependence on traditional batteries and cables, and contributing to a more sustainable future. (wptenergy.com)
- InvestEU – a European Union program that promotes strategic investments in areas such as sustainability, innovation, digitalization, infrastructure, and support for SMEs, combining EU resources with financial guarantees to mobilize private and public investments and thus contributing to economic growth, job creation and the green and digital transition in Europe. (https://investeu.europa.eu/index_en)
- Invest Qatar – an investment promotion agency of the Qatari government, whose mission is to attract international investors to develop business opportunities, supporting economic development and diversification in various sectors, such as technology, energy, health, tourism, and finance. The agency offers support at every stage of the investor’s journey, from initial analysis to expansion, providing benefits such as tax incentives, foreign ownership of up to 100%, and a favorable business environment. (https://www.invest.qa/en)
- Tattica Group – an international consulting firm specializing in customized strategies for attracting investment, trade missions, and international business, it assists clients from various sectors in expanding their operations in more than 20 countries, spanning five continents, with offices in strategic locations such as São Paulo, Ottawa, Toronto, and Madrid, focusing on tailored solutions to generate growth and connection in global markets. (https://www.tatticagroup.com/)
- European Health and Digital Executive Agency – an agency of the European Commission responsible for implementing programs and initiatives in the areas of health, digitalization, and industrial competitiveness that manages various projects, such as EU4Health, the Digital Europe Programme, and Horizon Europe, which finance and promote innovation in health and technology in the European Union. The agency also aims to strengthen post-pandemic recovery, support environmental sustainability, and promote equity in access to health and digital services. (https://hadea.ec.europa.eu/index_en)
- Hiperbanco – a company that offers Banking as a Service (BaaS) solutions, allowing companies from different sectors to create and manage their personalized digital bank. The platform provides a complete banking infrastructure, including features such as digital accounts, PIX (instant payment system established by the Central Bank of Brazil), bill payments, receivables anticipation, and cards, all without having to invest in technical infrastructure. Hiperbanco stands out for allowing companies to offer these financial services to their customers in an agile and secure way, with full regulatory compliance, without the need to create a banking structure from scratch. (https://hiperbanco.com.br/)
- Work in Finland – an initiative of the Finnish government’s Talent Boost program, which is coordinated by public organizations like Business Finland, and aims to attract international talent and support Finnish companies in hiring professionals from abroad. Work in Finland serves as a public platform that offers information about the job market, available job vacancies, and guidance on immigration and relocation. Additionally, it assists employers in recruiting and managing international talent, helping to facilitate the integration process between foreign workers and local companies.(https://www.workinfinland.com/en/)
- Builder AI – a platform that uses artificial intelligence to simplify software development, offering an accessible and efficient way to create customized applications and digital solutions using reusable components, such as Lego blocks, to reduce the complexity of the process. The platform is aimed at non-technical users, allowing ideas to be transformed into digital products quickly and economically, with a focus on e-commerce, applications and cloud services. (https://www.builder.ai/)
- Infobip – a global communications platform offering CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) and SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions. The company enables other companies to communicate with their customers via various channels, such as SMS, email, and messaging apps (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.). Infobip also provides solutions for creating chatbots, integrating cloud call centers, and optimizing marketing and customer service using artificial intelligence and data, serving companies in various sectors, including telecommunications, fintech, e-commerce, health, and others. (https://www.infobip.com/)
- Iceland Tax-Free – a platform that facilitates the tax refund process for tourists buying products in Iceland, allows foreign visitors to request a refund of the value-added tax (VAT) paid on purchases made in participating stores. The process involves applying for a refund after shopping, which can be done online or at specific points when leaving the country. (https://icelandtaxfree.is/Identity/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2F)
- Illumo Robotics – a company that develops intelligent robotics solutions aimed at optimizing logistics processes, especially for e-commerce and retail companies. Founded in 2021, the company offers technologies such as robotic sorting systems that can triple manual efficiency and reduce operating costs. Its robots are designed to autonomously identify and handle a wide variety of objects, adapting to different warehouse environments. Illumo Robotics stands out for providing customizable and efficient solutions to improve the capacity and productivity of logistics operations.(https://www.illumo.ai/)
- Huawei – a Chinese multinational focused on information and communication technology (ICT) solutions that operate in areas such as digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, consumer devices (smartphones, laptops and wearables), cloud computing, and telecommunications networks. The company also promotes sustainability through clean energy and green digital infrastructure. In addition, it offers support for digital transformation in sectors such as smart cities, health and transportation. (https://www.huawei.com/en/)
- Cee Attorneys – an international network of law firms operating mainly in Central and Eastern Europe, offering specialized legal services in areas such as corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, technology, real estate law, e-commerce and data protection. The firm’s focus is on customizable service to local and international companies, providing practical and strategic solutions to legal and regulatory issues, covering large transactions and day-to-day legal support. (https://ceeatt.com/firm/)
- LegalMente – an artificial intelligence platform for contract review that uses natural language processing (NLP) technology and deep learning models (LLM) to identify critical points in legal documents, highlighting important or complex clauses. This platform helps lawyers and people with no legal training by providing comments on contracts in minutes. It also offers complementary services such as the formation of legal entities (LLCs and corporations) and access to standardized legal documents. In short, the platform aims to democratize access to legal services, reducing costs through automation with AI. (https://legalmente.ai/)
- Legalfly – an artificial intelligence platform that automates legal services, such as contract review and document creation, with a focus on efficiency and cost reduction. It stands out for its data security, guaranteeing anonymity and compliance before processing, and provides services to companies in sectors such as finance and insurance. (https://www.legalfly.com/)
- Codebridge – a company specializing in custom software development and advanced digital solutions, offering services that cover the creation of mobile and web applications, enterprise systems, and digital platforms using modern approaches such as UI/UX design and agile methodologies. The company provides services to various sectors, including finance, health, and commerce, as well as helping organizations turn their ideas into efficient and scalable digital products. (https://www.codebridge.tech/)
- Hedera – a public blockchain platform that provides a decentralized infrastructure for creating secure, fast, and scalable applications, supporting use cases such as cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, and file storage, using Hashgraph technology for greater energy efficiency and performance. (https://hedera.com/)
- Coinbase – a cryptocurrency platform that facilitates the buying, selling, and storing of digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, easy to use for beginners which, in addition to being an advanced platform for experienced traders, also provides solutions for financial institutions. Its services include the Coinbase Wallet, Visa cards for spending cryptos, and promoting the global adoption of digital currencies. It operates in several countries, including Portugal, and aims to facilitate the use and integration of cryptocurrencies into everyday financial life. (https://www.coinbase.com/pt-pt/)
- Paysafe – a global company specializing in secure and efficient payment solutions and connecting consumers and merchants in more than 120 markets with a wide range of alternative payment methods. Its services include digital wallets, online payment solutions, and the integration of innovative payment methods such as PaysafeCard. The company also provides specific solutions for sectors such as gaming, e-commerce, and financial services, with a focus on user experience and transaction security. (https://www.paysafe.com/us-en/)
- QPQ – a Swiss company that has developed a decentralized economic model based on a blockchain system known as the “Internet of Economics” (IoC). The goal of the company is to create a distributed economic system that is accessible to everyone and not controlled or owned by any specific entity. QPQ is working on the Gajumaru blockchain, a cryptocurrency called “Gajus,” and smart contract tools. Additionally, it offers platforms and services, such as QPQ IAAS (Infrastructure and Software as a Service) and QPQ Capital, which facilitate the integration of centralized and decentralized economies. (https://qpq.swiss/=)
- NuChain – a high-speed blockchain platform designed to be scalable, secure, and efficient, with a processing capacity of up to 200,000 transactions per second (TPS), making it suitable for demanding applications. The platform uses a consensus mechanism called Proof-of-Reputation (PoR), which is more energy efficient than other models, such as Proof-of-Work (PoW). In addition, NuChain adopts a tokenless architecture, simplifying adoption by governments and companies, and offers adaptable solutions for integration with existing systems. It aims to promote fast and affordable transactions for companies and governments, with a focus on security, transparency, and scalability. (https://nuchain.co/)
- Decentraland – a decentralized virtual platform that enables users to create, explore, and interact within a digital 3D world. Built on the Ethereum blockchain, the platform utilizes smart contracts to manage the ownership and trading of virtual land known as “LAND.” In addition, Decentraland features a virtual economy where users can create experiences, games, and applications, as well as buy and sell digital items. Transactions can be conducted using the MANA cryptocurrency. Users can also engage in social interactions, collect digital assets, and promote brands. The platform aims to create an immersive and decentralized environment for various commercial and social activities.(https://decentraland.org/)
