UPTEC Startups Win Awards in Macau
UPTEC companies shine at the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition for Brazilian and Portuguese Technology Companies 2024.
Connected and NIUM stood out at the 2024 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition for Brazilian and Portuguese Technology Companies, winning two of the seven awards. The initiative, promoted by the Macau Government, received 64 applications from startups in Portugal and Brazil, with 17 finalists being selected in areas such as Biomedicine, Medical Devices, New Energy, and Agricultural Technology.
Connected won the innovation and entrepreneurship competition, while NIUM took home the award for greatest potential for transfer of technological value. Both companies are incubated at UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto.
Founded in 2023, Connected is a space industry startup dedicated to developing IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity solutions in remote areas or regions with weak terrestrial cellular coverage. Although primarily focused on the European market, the company has been working to establish partnerships in other regions, and this award could play a decisive role in achieving that goal. Tiago Rebelo, CEO of Connected, stated that this award not only introduces the company to the local ecosystem, but also builds bridges and explores synergies in Asia.
NIUM, which is developing a system that replicates the entire human gastrointestinal system on a chip, has the goal of creating predictive models, facilitating the development of innovative food products and personalized nutritional recommendations, including prebiotics and probiotics.
