The new edition of the SPRINT program, promoted by Fintech House, is another one of those silent but very relevant signs that the country is no longer just creating startups, it is forming companies with real ambition for scale.

Located at SITIO – Portugal Fintech Hub, Fintech House has been consolidating itself as a true launch pad for the new generation of financial, technological and regulatory solutions. The announcement of the 11 startups selected for the new edition of SPRINT is not just another acceleration program. It is the reflection of a more mature, more diverse ecosystem and, above all, more aligned with the real challenges of the European market.

What immediately draws attention is the strategic diversity of the startups supported. Fintech, proptech, and regtech emerge side by side, not as silos, but as increasingly interconnected areas. Today, talking about financial innovation is no longer just talking about payments or credit. It is talking about data, intelligent regulation, digitized real estate, sustainability, operational efficiency and trust. The fact that the program welcomes startups that operate in these three verticals shows a very clear reading of what the future of finance will be.

Another point that deserves to be highlighted is the focus of the SPRINT. It is not a matter of romanticising entrepreneurship, but of professionalising it. Product validation, go-to-market strategy, growth metrics, operational structuring, and investment readiness are all topics that make the difference between a good idea and a sustainable company. This type of approach is essential to avoid one of the classic mistakes of emerging ecosystems: creating too many startups, but too few companies that survive the first market cycle.

The results of recent years reinforce this view. Fintech House has already supported the launch of 17 startups and, in the last year alone, seven have raised more than 455 thousand euros in investment. More than absolute value, what matters here is the ability to attract capital in an increasingly demanding context, where investors are looking for solid teams, clear models and the ability to execute. At the same time, building a community of more than 120 national and international fintechs creates something that cannot be bought with funding: talent density and knowledge sharing.

The quality of the mentorship involved is another critical factor. Founders who have access to people with real experience in scaling, internationalising, and making mistakes faster always have an advantage. In a highly competitive European market, this knowledge transfer is often the real differentiator.

The most interesting thing about this movement is that it does not happen in isolation. It connects to everything I have been writing in recent months about Portugal as a strategic platform for innovation, technology and international capital. A country that is beginning to combine macroeconomic stability, technical talent, competitive costs and specialised hubs creates unique conditions for sectors such as fintech to stop being promises and become real engines of growth.

The new edition of SPRINT is, therefore, more than a program. It is a clear sign that the Portuguese financial ecosystem is entering a phase in which it is no longer enough to participate. It is necessary to compete. And, increasingly, Portugal shows that it is prepared to do so.