Empowered Startups Ltd.

03/25/2026

Global conflict, economic uncertainty, climate change, and political tension dominate today’s headlines. For a long time, this uncertainty felt distant, something we could see coming, but not something that demanded immediate action.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲.

As these challenges become more interconnected, they’re harder to ignore, and resilience and preparedness are increasingly shaped by individual decisions.

The ripple effects are already being felt, putting pressure on entrepreneurs, businesses, and global mobility. From visa uncertainty to supply chain disruption and shifting market access, the implications are real and growing.

We’ve shared some of our thoughts in our latest blog 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆: https://empoweredstartups.com/navigating-global-mobility-in-times-of-uncertainty/

Explore global mobility and second citizenship as solutions for uncertain times filled with conflict and economic challenges.

03/20/2026

𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 - 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
This month’s newsletter includes stories from our founders, insights into navigating global uncertainty, and considerations for moving abroad.

We hope these stories spark some ideas, or maybe even your own next big move.

Warm regards,
The Empowered Startups Team

Email from Empowered Startups Ltd Unlock Exclusive Insights from Our Founders and Partners Hi there! This month’s highlights include stories from our founders, navigating global uncertainty, and thing

03/11/2026

📍Spotted in San Francisco

Empowered Startups billboards are now live in San Francisco, highlighting second citizenship opportunities for business leaders and professionals through Portugal's HQA® Program.

🤝 Officially endorsed by the Government of Portugal, the HQA® invites accomplished professionals and entrepreneurs to establish ventures in Portugal while securing EU residency for themselves and their families.

Have you seen our billboard around San Francisco? Send us a message. We prioritize meetings for local professionals.

03/09/2026

Golden visas were once the standard for global mobility, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲.

Around the world, governments are shifting focus from passive investment programs to initiatives that reward contribution, innovation, and real connection.

In his latest Forbes article, Christopher Lennon, President & General Counsel of Empowered Startups, breaks down what this means for professionals navigating global mobility opportunities in 2026 and beyond.

🔗 Read it here: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2026/03/09/what-the-global-shift-in-investment-migration-means-for-business-leaders/

Professionals and business leaders seeking global mobility options need to evaluate the current visa landscape carefully.

03/06/2026

Read our latest article on how golden visas are stalling under EU pressure and 2+ year backlogs, while Portugal's HQA® program delivers 30-day approvals + real alignment with national priorities.

In uncertain times, residency-by-merit programs surpass passive capital for speed, stability, and future-proofing. Golden visas are a risky bet on a fading model.

Read more: https://www.imidaily.com/sponsored-feature/investment-migration-2-0-passive-capital-vs-residency-by-merit-and-impact/

Empowered Startups draws a hard line between investors who can operate businesses and those who can't. Europe, it argues, is drawing the same one.

03/05/2026

In February, Empowered Startups attended the first KIPt CoLAB Annual Meeting at NERA, a non-profit business association in Loulé, Portugal.

💡 The annual meeting focused on “𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺: 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀” and brought together researchers, industry professionals, and stakeholders to discuss the future of tourism.

At the Annual Meeting, we had the chance to hear from industry experts, including Antonia Correia, the President of KIPT CoLAB and a professor at the University of Algarve; Vitor Neto, President at NERA; José Apolinário, the President of the CCDR Algarve, among others.

🤝 We always appreciate the opportunity to learn and network with our peers as we continue fostering innovative ecosystems and attracting talent to Portugal.

https://empoweredstartups.com/the-future-of-tourism-with-kipt-colab/

Explore insights from professionals and stakeholders as they discuss the future of tourism in Portugal at the KIPT meeting.

02/25/2026

Discovering the Portugal HQA® | Zain's Journey from Pakistan to Portugal

Zain, a founder from Pakistan, shares how a simple internet search led him to discover Portugal’s HQA® Program and ultimately launch a new cybersecurity venture in Europe.

In this video, he explains:
• What attracted him to Portugal over other residency and startup programs
• Why the HQA® Program stood out for founders looking to build globally
• How Empowered Startups connected him with UBI University in Covilhã
• The support he received navigating the entire process, from setup to university collaboration

Watch the video here (1.5 mins): https://youtu.be/bh6r-AJrPX8

How I Discovered Portugal’s HQA® Visa | Zain Akbar's Journey from Pakistan to PortugalZain, a founder from Pakistan, shares how a simple internet search led ...

02/23/2026

𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁é𝗰𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗼 𝗱𝗮 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗮 🎉

Last week, we attended a project signing between Politécnico da Guarda and Mustafa Daşgin 🤝

✔️ This project will develop an AI-powered platform that personalizes product recommendations to support users’ hobbies, skills, and personal growth while promoting sustainable consumption. It will integrate recommender systems, progress tracking, and educational content to build a scalable circular-economy ecosystem.

🤝 We’re proud to work with professionals like Mustafa and higher-education institutions like Polytechnic Institute of Guarda to drive meaningful innovation in Portugal.

02/20/2026

𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

This month’s highlights include new program insights, success stories from our founders, and updates from some of our partners.

We hope these stories spark some ideas, or maybe even your own next big move.

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Pathways-Newsletter--Explore-New-Global-Mobility-Opportunities.html?soid=1131403678508&aid=AR9d2UlUojE

𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀,
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺

02/13/2026

𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗨𝗕𝗜 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹! 🎉

This week, we attended a project signing between UBI Medical and Aleen Bayard!

✔️ This project will develop ethical AI protocols and metrics to facilitate safe, structured dialogue and reconciliation between individuals affected by violent conflict.

💡 The outcome? Through literature review, audits of peacebuilding and AI tools, and stakeholder interviews, the project will establish standards for AI-supported peacebuilding practices.

🤝 We’re proud to work with professionals like Aleen and higher-education institutions like UBImedical Incubator to drive meaningful innovation in Portugal.

02/05/2026

We’re taking a moment to highlight our partnership with Startup Portugal 🤝

Startup Portugal builds bridges between government, startups, incubators, investors, and academic institutions to strengthen Portugal’s startup ecosystem, and they’ve made a significant impact across the country.

We’ve been fortunate to work alongside them, from participating in the SIM Conference to supporting Portuguese startups on global stages like Web Summit, and by helping to connect founders with opportunities.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺: 🔗 https://empoweredstartups.com/supporting-innovation-and-entrepreneurship-with-startup-portugal/

Empowered Startups and Startup Portugal have built a strategic, growing partnership that strengthens Portugal’s startup ecosystem.

02/04/2026

From corporate career to startup founder in Portugal 🌍 🚀

Jim Wayner’s journey is a powerful reminder that the right ecosystem can turn an idea into a real business.

After a long career in the U.S., Jim chose Portugal as his new home and Empowered Startups as his trusted partner to get there.

Through our HQA® Program, he navigated the immigration process, connected with a Portuguese university, and explored the local tech ecosystem.

Jim’s experience shows how the HQA® Program supports founders who want to scale globally while putting down roots in Europe.

👉 Watch his testimonial and see how Empowered Startups can help you take that next big step:
https://empoweredstartups.com/my-journey-with-empowered-startups-jim-wayners-experience-with-the-hqa-program/

Discover Jim Wayner's insights on the HQA® Program and how it shaped his entrepreneurial journey in Portugal.