Launched in 2017, Anchorage Digital came about after cofounder Diogo Mónica helped an investor who had lost access to $15 million in bitcoin. In December 2021, Anchorage Digital became the first Portuguese crypto unicorn after raising a total of $487 million dollars from investors including KKR, Andreessen Horowitz, GIC (Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund), Goldman Sachs, and Visa. “It is a melting pot of foreigners and Portuguese, working hand-in-hand amid a very sunny setting in which work-life balance is always a priority for founders.” This influx of talent is contributing to Portugal becoming increasingly known as “unicorn country”-the nation has launched more unicorns (seven) than Spain, Italy, and Greece combined. “A new ecosystem such as the one growing in Lisbon is fascinating to experience firsthand,” says Amir Bozorgzadeh, CEO of Virtualeap. Lisbon is increasingly becoming the tech hub of choice for many European entrepreneurs: Of the 10 CEOs profiled here, half are expats. “Lisbon has several ingredients making it a unique and efficient tech ecosystem,” says Suharev, CEO of proptech company CASAFARI, listing factors such as quality of life, governmental programs designed to attract foreign entrepreneurs, and its Silicon Valley-like business mindset.
UNICORN BACKGROUNDS SERIAL
Serial entrepreneurs Mila Suharev, Nils Henning, and Mitya Moskalchuk had been involved in the German startup scene for more than 15 years, successfully exiting four companies with valuations above €100 million (around $98.5 million) before deciding to launch their new startup in the Portuguese capital.
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