To the lives of the Entrepreneurs and Teams, to the life and future of the world that will benefit from their Environmental Sustainability Solutions, to the lives of the Partners who stand with us, thank you, Galp, EDP, Crédito Agrícola e 3XP Global and to our own lives, here at the Casa do Impacto Team.

Triggers is a Program we’ve been running together for many years, yet it continues to inspire and surprise. The manager of this 4th edition of the program, Ana Azeiteiro, is proof of that, and no one is better suited than she is to reflect on how Triggers’ Impact must be measured by much more than just the success metrics that follow each edition:

 

“As the manager of the TRIGGERS program, this experience was, for me, much more than a professional challenge—it was a deeply transformative journey, both personally and as a human being.

Although I have spent more than 20 years at Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, this was my first experience managing an Entrepreneurship Program. I began with anticipation and curiosity; I conclude with a deep sense of fulfillment and a renewed admiration for people and for what can be built when there is Purpose, commitment, and a genuine desire to make things happen.

Over the course of these months, I had the privilege of working alongside truly exceptional Teams. Projects that evolved remarkably—in maturity, consistency, and ambition—but, above all, people who grew together.

If there’s one thing that set this edition of Triggers apart, it was undoubtedly the spirit that developed among everyone. From the very beginning, I never felt we were in a competitive environment. On the contrary, there was a clear culture of mutual support, genuine sharing, and constant encouragement among teams. A very special bond was formed—not only among the Projects but also with the entire Casa do Impacto Team.

This relationship of trust, built in a natural and authentic way, made the Program more human, more relatable, and significantly more impactful. And perhaps what’s most striking is that this spirit has not faded over time. Even during naturally more demanding moments—such as Demo Days, when only a few Projects move on to the next phase—the camaraderie remained.

This shows that what has been built here transcends any notion of competition: it is, above all, a community.

I have deep admiration for the entrepreneurial spirit, and even more so for Impact Entrepreneurs. I am impressed by people who choose not to remain indifferent, who take action, risk, and make sacrifices for something greater than themselves. People who don’t just work to develop a Project, but to create value for Society and contribute to a better future.

Having had the opportunity to meet and work closely with these Teams has been truly inspiring for me. It’s something that motivates me every day and reinforces, very clearly, my conviction that it is possible to build a better world.

More than just results, metrics, or milestones achieved, I take with me the relationships, energy, generosity, and commitment of everyone who was part of this journey. I also take with me the certainty that it is possible to build Innovation with Purpose, collaboration, and humanity.

Being part of this journey was, without a doubt, a privilege that I cherish with immense gratitude.”

 

Regardless of the result reached by the Judging Panel, composed of Nuno Comando, Director of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Social Economy and Casa do Impacto; Cláudia Varandas, Manager of Startups & External Ecosystems at Galp; Filipa Saldanha, Director of Sustainability at Crédito Agrícola; and Rita Branco, Member of the Board of Directors at 3xP Global, these three Projects are ours, an integral part of Casa do Impacto’s vibrant and dynamic community.

Congratulations to you!

1st place – L.ai – Holistic Waste Management (Francisco de Sousa, João Sáàgua, João Coelho, and Nuno Ventura): L.ai is dedicated to transforming the Waste Management Sector through digital solutions geared toward the Circular Economy. Based on two strategic pillars, advanced technology and community, L.ai develops digital infrastructures that connect all stakeholders along the materials value chain, from generation to recovery, promoting more integrated, efficient, and collaborative systems.

2nd place – Hydro AI (João Pimenta, João Fernandes, Eduardo Carvalho and Sérgio Capela): Hydro AI is dedicated to developing a SaaS platform for monitoring and forecasting reservoir water levels using remote sensing. By combining satellite imagery, advanced geospatial data processing algorithms, and machine learning models, the platform automatically tracks reservoir dynamics, including storage volumes, bathymetry, and water quality, without the need for on-site physical infrastructure.

3rd place – Ai.Action (Jaime Santos): Ai.Action develops an advanced technological solution for the early detection of fires and floods, using conventional cameras and high-precision image analysis algorithms. It is a tool designed to optimize time and resources and, above all, help save lives.

This was the 4th edition of Casa do Impacto’s training program focused on environmental sustainability solutions. More to come!

The 4th edition of Triggers is one of the initiatives that are part of the CONNECT Consortium.

The CONNECT – TRANSFORMING KNOWLEDGE INTO IMPACT is a Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative (IIES) that is the result of the application submitted by a cohesive Consortium made up of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa as the Coordinating Entity and the Partner Entities Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Universidade Católica Portuguesa (through the Yunus Social Innovation Center at Católica-Lisbon) to the Call for Applications No. LISBOA2030-2024-16 – Centers for Impact Entrepreneurship of the Lisbon 2030 Regional Program / Portugal Social Innovation Mission Structure (EMPIS). The CONNECT Consortium is funded by the European Union, and its Social Investors are Lisbon City Council, the Galp Foundation, and the Santander Foundation.