Panajot Baka, Luís Lopes, and Philip Kriekhaus created Impacte during the Master’s in Innovation and Technological Entrepreneurship at the University of Porto.
What if it were possible to round up each payment and invest in companies and projects that create a positive impact on the world? This is the idea behind the startup Impacte, a project conceived in the Master’s in Innovation and Technological Entrepreneurship at the University of Porto’s School of Engineering (FEUP) and School of Economics (FEP), and incubated at the U.Porto Science and Technology Park (UPTEC).
The startup is developing a payment platform that allows users to create a positive impact with every purchase by rounding up transactions, enabling users to automatically micro-invest in entities that align with their social and environmental values.
Unlike traditional investments, which focus solely on financial performance, sustainable investment enables the financing of companies, organisations, and funds aimed at addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change, social inequality, and sustainable development, while also generating financial returns.
Impacte’s platform offers easy setup, transparent tracking, and customisable options that ensure an investment experience tailored to each user’s values and goals.
One of the Ten Emerging Fintechs in Portugal
The startup’s potential was recently recognised in the 2024 edition of the Portugal Fintech Report, which highlighted Impacte as one of the ten emerging fintech companies in the Portuguese ecosystem.
For Luís Lopes, one of the founders of the startup, the mention in the Portugal Fintech Report marks the beginning of Impacte’s journey: “This recognition is a significant milestone for us, as it highlights our commitment to sustainable investment solutions and the potential we see in the fintech sector. For us at Impacte, it reflects the hard work and our ambition to make socially responsible investment accessible to everyone.”
Looking to the future, “our goal is to develop and expand our offerings and our impact across the European Union, continuing to empower individuals to invest according to their social values. We are excited about this journey and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the fintech landscape,” said Nuno Lopes.
The report, compiled by Portugal Fintech with the support of KPMG Portugal, annually assesses the state of the Portuguese fintech ecosystem, sharing industry statistics, interviews with experts, and real-world examples of collaboration.
In total, The Portugal Fintech Report 2024 highlights eight companies connected to UPTEC – the U.Porto Science and Technology Park. In addition to Impacte, it mentions Jscrambler, Ethiack, Probely, Tagpeak, and Invisible Collector, all currently incubated at UPTEC. Also featured are Coverflex and Ubirider, graduates of UPTEC.
