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TechLaunch Cohorts
TechLaunch cohorts bring together research-driven teams from Portuguese institutions to explore the commercialization potential of deep tech innovations.
Through an intensive, structured journey, selected teams engage in customer discovery, market validation, and entrepreneurial development, supported by UT Austin’s innovation ecosystem.
Each cohort reflects a new generation of research teams translating knowledge into real-world impact.
How Cohorts Work
Each TechLaunch cohort follows a structured program combining online sessions and in-person engagement at The University of Texas at Austin.
Teams work closely with instructors and mentors, advancing their technologies through real-world validation and iterative learning.
Meet the 2025 TechLaunch Teams
The 2025 cohort marks the first edition of TechLaunch under Phase IV of the UT Austin Portugal Program.
Eleven teams from Portuguese universities and research institutions were selected to participate in an intensive training journey, combining online activities with an in-person closing phase at The University of Texas at Austin.
Program Overview
Program Period: September – November 2025
Format: Online sessions + in-person Closing Week at UT Austin
Language: English
Learning Experience
Participants engaged in a structured process including:
* Customer discovery and market validation
* Weekly feedback and reflection sessions
* Peer-to-peer learning across teams
* Mentoring by certified instructors
The program concluded with a Closing Week at UT Austin, enabling direct interaction with the U.S. innovation ecosystem.
Selected Teams
Eleven teams selected for the 2025 edition of TechLaunch.
| Group | Affiliation | Representative Members |
|---|---|---|
| 4SymHive | INESC TEC |
Pedro Senna (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)); Romão Santos (Technical Lead (TL)); Henrique Piqueiro (co-Entrepreneurial Leads (co-ELs)); Ana Silva (co-Technical Leads (co-TLs)) |
| @depth | Atlantic International Research Centre |
Kristen Davis (co-Entrepreneurial Leads (co-ELs)); Tomas Faria (Technical Lead (TL)); Joao Pinelo (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)) |
| BodyBoost | Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto |
Manuel Cerqueira (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)); Ana Sofia Teixeira (Technical Lead (TL)) |
| CarbonLayers for Buildings | Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon |
Sara Parece (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)); Ricardo Resende (Team Mentor (TM)); Tiago Pedro da Costa (Technical Lead (TL)) |
| DroneMist | Nova SBE Haddad Entrepreneurship Institute |
Pedro Torres Fraga (Technical Lead (TL)); Sandra Rodriguez (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)) |
| GuardPeptides | Polytechnic Institute of Bragança |
Nathalia Fernandes (Technical Lead (TL)); Sabrina El Metenani (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)) |
| IS-ABS | INESC TEC |
Pedro Marques (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)); António Carneiro (Technical Lead (TL)) |
| NeuroSoV | Universidade da Beira Interior |
Dina Pereira (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)); Ana Cristóvão (Technical Lead (TL)); João Leitão (co-Entrepreneurial Leads (co-ELs)) |
| SLIM-G | CIIMAR - University of Porto |
Ana Catarina Fonseca (Technical Lead (TL)); Ana Rita Vieira (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)); Carlos Filipe Gomes Henriques (co-Entrepreneurial Leads (co-ELs)); Mariane Bittencourt (co-Entrepreneurial Leads (co-ELs)) |
| STOPneumo | Universidade NOVA de Lisboa |
Catarina Candeias (Technical Lead (TL)); João Lança (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)); Pedro Pedrosa (Team Mentor (TM)) |
| XyGuard | International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), University of Aveiro, University of Minho |
Renato Gil (co-Entrepreneurial Leads (co-ELs)), Samuel Silva (Technical Lead (TL)), Tiago Moura (co-Entrepreneurial Leads (co-ELs)), João Barbosa (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)) |
Meet the 2024 Beneficiaries
| Representative Member | Field / Specialization |
|---|---|
| Diogo Batista | Nanotechnologies |
| Helena Felgueiras | Nanotechnologies |
| Mafalda Correia | Nanotechnologies |
| Maria Francisca Cardoso | Nanotechnologies |
| Maria Inês Costa | Nanotechnologies |
| Miguel Morais | Nanotechnologies |
| Mushahid Hussain | Advanced Computing |
| Nicolas Guidotti | Advanced Computing |
| Paloma Toscan | Space-Earth Interactions |
| Paula Correia | Nanotechnologies |
| Pedro Cerqueira | Nanotechnologies |
Meet the 2023 Beneficiaries
| Representative Member | Field / Specialization |
|---|---|
| Diogo Batista | Nanotechnologies |
| Helena Felgueiras | Nanotechnologies |
| Mafalda Correia | Nanotechnologies |
| Maria Francisca Cardoso | Nanotechnologies |
| Maria Inês Costa | Nanotechnologies |
| Miguel Morais | Nanotechnologies |
| Mushahid Hussain | Advanced Computing |
| Nicolas Guidotti | Advanced Computing |
| Paloma Toscan | Space-Earth Interactions |
| Paula Correia | Nanotechnologies |
| Pedro Cerqueira | Nanotechnologies |
Meet the 2022 Beneficiaries
| Representative Member | Field / Specialization |
|---|---|
| Dalinda Eusébio | Nanotechnologies |
| Estela Carvalho | Nanotechnologies |
| Fábio Ferreira | Nanotechnologies |
| Hugo Silva | Space-Earth Interactions |
| João Duarte | Medical Physics |
| Jorge Silva | Advanced Computing |
| Maria Gonçalves | Medical Physics |
| Mariana Miranda | Advanced Computing |
| Mário Vieira | Space-Earth Interactions |
| Tiago Ribeiro | Nanotechnologies |
Instructors
Executive Director, Southwest I-Corps Hub
The University of Texas at Austin
Aprille leads the Southwest I-Corps Hub and teaches in NSF’s national I-Corps programs and U.S. SBIR bootcamps.
Before joining UT Austin, she served at the U.S. Department of State, supporting global science and tech cooperation.
Her career spans roles as senior counsel in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and as a foreign affairs officer.
Aprille also serves on the boards of SXSW Pitch and TUNIE, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship across Texas.
She holds a JD from Tulane University and a BA in Communication from Saint Mary’s College, with a Peace Studies focus from Notre Dame.
Program Manager, Southwest I-Corps | Director, TEXVMS
The University of Texas at Austin
Weston is a certified NSF I-Corps instructor and experienced startup founder with multiple exits. He has helped guide over 1,800 teams through the I-Corps program and has supported early-stage commercialization across DeepTech, life sciences, and renewables.
He’s also an investor and commercialization reviewer for NSF’s SBIR/STTR program, and has trained teams across multiple I-Corps Hubs. Weston holds both an MBA and BBA from Texas Tech and is fluent in Mandarin.
Teaching Assistant, Southwest I-Corps Hub
The University of Texas at Austin
Jessica Fleenor is a leader in venture acceleration and startup program design. She directs OwlSpark, Rice University’s tech and small business accelerator, where she oversees strategy, operations, and founder support.
She also founded BlueLaunch, Rice Alliance’s first initiative for non-tech entrepreneurs, which she later integrated into OwlSpark as a dedicated track to expand its reach.
Jessica plays a key role in delivering the NSF I-Corps™ program across Texas, training research teams in customer discovery and commercialization. With a strong background in strategic planning, ecosystem development, and operational execution, she helps entrepreneurs build sustainable, high-impact ventures.
Application Period
Applications for the 2025 edition of TechLaunch are now closed.
The selected teams will begin their journey in September 2025, with virtual sessions followed by an in-person Closing Week at UT Austin.
Want to join a future edition? Stay tuned for updates on our next call.
Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn to be notified when applications reopen.
Success Stories
Check out the latest success story of a UT Austin Portugal team admitted into NSF’s I-CorpsTM program: Advancing Cancer Treatment: UT Austin Team Pioneers Real-Time Proton Therapy Monitoring
Curious about other success cases? Click here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
(Click boxes for an overview of each FAQs’ content)
Deep technology (deep tech) describes technologically based enterprises that work to overcome scientific and/or engineering challenges through fostering innovative solutions and approaches. Deep tech centers research and development focused on the successful commercialization of innovative ideas and valuable intellectual property.
Each team should have 2 to 4 members. There are three types of team members: Entrepreneurial Lead (EL), Technical Lead (TL), and Team Mentor (TM), plus any additional co-Entrepreneurial Leads (co-ELs), co-Technical Leads (co-TLs), or co-Team Mentors (co-TMs). At least one EL and one TL are mandatory for a team to be elegible.
Entrepreneurial Leads should be a postdoctoral scholar, graduate, or other student or other personnel with relevant knowledge of the technology and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation. This role is responsible for the transition of technology should the project demonstrate the potential for commercial viability.
The Technical Lead will typically be a faculty member, senior research scientist, or postdoctoral scholar with technical expertise in the team’s technology. This role also serves as the proposal Principal Investigator (PI).
The Team Mentor will typically be an experienced entrepreneur with proximity to the institution and previous experience in transitioning technology out of academic labs and into the commercialization process; they must be a third-party resource. This role is responsible for advising the team through the TechLaunch process and helping the team navigate the business ecosystem.
In most cases, teams perform better if they have a TM. Hence, TMs are highly recommended but not mandatory. Teams do not have to identify a mentor prior to program application. Teams can apply with one EL and one TL and try to find a TM before the bootcamp’s kickoff.
If a faculty member does not have the time to participate in the TechLaunch bootcamp, they can consider involving a co-investigator or collaborator who can take on the role of the Technical Lead (TL) or Principal Investigator (PI). The TL/PI is responsible for representing the academic/research institution/company and overseeing the project. It is crucial to identify someone who has the necessary time availability, expertise, and commitment to fulfill the responsibilities of the TL/PI role.
TechLaunch teams will have 2-4 members who can participate in all interviews, office hours, and online sessions workshops, and customer discovery efforts; proficiency in the research or innovation, with an idea to incorporate it into a product or service; and the rights to practice intellectual property. Teams must have at least one EL and one TL.
The innovation or research should be R&D&I-based intellectual property; demonstrate promise for commercialization; and/or be a “deep tech discovery” from fundamental STEM-based research.
Past Info Session
The UT Austin Portugal Program organized an Online Info Session on October 23, 2024.
Contacts
Have a question about TechLaunch?
Marco Bravo
Co-Principal Investigator and Executive Director at UT Austin
bravo@austin.utexas.edu
Feel free to reach out – Marco and the team are happy to help.