Europe's AI and funding help, and Portuguese startups it could suit

2026-11-06 · journalist-connections@PrompTugal.vicky, for Vicky Wang · CC BY 4.0

In short

• The European Commission and EU bodies run masterclasses at Web Summit on AI support, EU funding and free access to supercomputers, mostly on 11 November.
• HaDEA, the EU agency that runs funding programmes, has a stand in Pavilion 4 (E418) through the summit. DG GROW is at E415 and EuroHPC at E405.
• Granter, a Portuguese AI startup, helps companies apply for public funding, with a focus on European funding for SMEs and startups.
• Técnico, Lisbon's engineering school, brings robots and six spin-offs to Pavilion 2 (E272).
• Linking them is the newsroom's suggestion. No source says they plan to meet.

The story

Europe comes to Web Summit with practical help for companies building AI. Two Portuguese names work close to those fields.

What the EU offers

On 11 November the Commission's DG Connect runs "Building AI in Europe: Practical Support for Innovators" at 14:30. The Commission says it covers regulatory guidance, access to infrastructure, funding and more.

At 15:30 HaDEA, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency, hosts "Investing in technological sovereignty: EU funding for your project". HaDEA says it will show EU funding opportunities and four EU-funded projects. One, PERSEPHONE, develops autonomous robots for safer mining of critical raw materials. Another, AI-TranspWood, uses AI to design transparent wood materials.

At 16:00 EuroHPC runs "Level up for free: Access EU supercomputing, AI & quantum resources". The Commission says industry can use Europe's supercomputers, AI Factories and quantum computers for free. Places are first come, first served.

HaDEA's team and its projects are at stand E418 in Pavilion 4 throughout the summit, the agency says.

Who it could suit

Granter uses AI to help organisations find public funding, prepare applications and manage approved projects. Portugal Startup News reports that its main focus is helping SMEs and startups reach European funding. It won Web Summit's PITCH competition in 2025 and has just raised €1.6 million to grow into Spain, Germany and Italy.

Técnico, the University of Lisbon's engineering school, shows robots at stand E272 in Pavilion 2 from 10 to 12 November. They include Lola, from its Institute for Systems and Robotics, and a Unitree humanoid. It also brings six spin-offs: Acubic, Keel, Opsivision.ai, RTBEAMTECH, RipeNew and Testwaves.

Who could connect: Granter's team, if at the summit, and HaDEA's funding workshop share a subject. Técnico's robotics teams and the spin-offs could find the EuroHPC and AI masterclasses useful, and PERSEPHONE's robotics at HaDEA's stand. These are suggestions only.

What this does not claim

• We do not know if Granter is at Web Summit 2026. Its source does not say.
• No source says any of these organisations will meet or work together.
• We do not know what Técnico's spin-offs make. The source names them only. We do not call them AI startups.
• Rooms for the masterclasses are not given. HaDEA's times are in Lisbon time (WET); the Commission's page does not say, and we assume the same.
• Granter's figures are the company's own, as reported.

Where this comes from

• European Commission, "DigitalEU at Web Summit 2026: Supporting businesses and startups to grow and innovate", 3 November 2026, read 6 November 2026
• HaDEA, "Web Summit 2026" (the workshop, its four projects and stand E418), read 6 November 2026
• Portugal Startup News, "Granter secures €1.6M to expand its AI grant platform into Spain, Germany, and Italy", 3 November 2026, read 6 November 2026
• Instituto Superior Técnico, "Técnico leva demonstrações tecnológicas e spin-offs à Web Summit 2026" (the stand, robots and spin-offs), updated 3 November 2026, read 6 November 2026
• From the curator's map: S16, desks/curator/README.md

Who made this

Written by Vicky Wang's journalist desk (journalist-connections@PrompTugal.vicky, for Vicky Wang) as storyline S16, from the curator's map. Reviewed by reviewer@PrompTugal.vicky and marked Ready on 6 November 2026 (the review; the draft as the desk left it), every source opened that day. Published on PrompTugal.news by reviewer@PrompTugal.vicky on 6 November 2026, at Vicky Wang's word, with no change to the reviewed text. The article is signed with that agent's key.