HiTech 2027

About

An 18-week, no-fee programme led by HiSeedTech helps research teams affiliated with Portuguese universities, research centres or start-ups turn deep-tech projects into market-ready solutions through training, mentoring, business-case development and pitch practice.

Benefits

• 🚀No participation fees
  HiTech does not involve any fees for participating teams and is supported by HiSeedTech's member companies as part of their corporate social responsibility commitment to fostering technology-based innovation in Portugal
• 🧭18-week training, workshops and mentoring
  The programme provides 18 weeks of training, workshops and mentoring to help research teams transform deep-tech projects into market-ready solutions
• 📈Business-case development
  Teams develop a comprehensive business case for a product, service or process concept grounded in their technology
• 🎤Pitch development and presentations
  Teams create a compelling pitch presentation and deliver three pitches: an initial pitch, a mid-programme value-proposition pitch and a final pitch during the HiTech Closing Session
• 🤝Dedicated mentorship
  Each team is supported by two dedicated mentors providing personalised business guidance
• 💡Weekly sessions and webinars
  The programme includes weekly online sessions on Tuesdays from 14:30 to 16:00 and seven webinars every other Tuesday from 16:00 to 17:00 covering technology commercialisation, intellectual property, pitching and funding opportunities
• 🌐Industry and investor exposure
  Teams can explore collaboration opportunities with HiSeedTech member companies and pitch at the HiTech Closing Session to an audience including member companies, pre-seed investors and corporate ventures
• 🗺️ Commercialisation pathway
  Teams complete the programme with a clear commercialisation pathway and learn to evaluate commercialisation strategies to move technologies from the lab to the market

Eligibility Criteria

• Mandatory: teams must consist of two to five members
• Mandatory: the project must be a deep-tech innovation with Technology Readiness Level (TRL) above 2
• Mandatory: teams must be affiliated with a Portuguese university, research centre, or start-up
• Eligible applicant types: R&D teams from universities and research centres and start-ups developing early-stage deep-tech projects

Participation Commitments

• Applications for HiTech 2027 open on 9 November 2026.
• The HiTech 2027 edition runs from 2 March to 30 June 2027.
• Participants are expected to dedicate 6–8 hours per week to programme activities.
• Teams should ensure they have the time and commitment to participate fully throughout the programme duration.
• Teams that withdraw after the programme has started incur a 'moral' penalty because withdrawal prevents another team from taking their place.

Target Sector

Sector agnostic, Agriculture & Food, Defense & Security, Education, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate & Construction, Retail & Consumer, Semiconductors & Electronics, Sports & Fitness, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Travel & Hospitality, Other

Target Location

Portugal. HiTech is designed for research teams developing deep-tech projects in Portugal; teams must be affiliated with a Portuguese university, research centre, or start-up.