FAQs

It is an open innovation program that aims to accelerate the adoption of innovative technological solutions in the hospitality sector, fostering collaboration between accommodation groups and startups.
Over six months, the program will enable solutions to be tested in a real-world context through the implementation of pilot projects, helping to improve the guest experience, increase operational efficiency, drive digital transformation and promote more sustainable practices in the sector. The program enables new technologies to be tested, accelerates the sector's digital transformation, and supports innovative startups in scaling their operations and accessing global markets.
- Promote innovation in the hospitality sector, bringing together leading industry organizations and startups with innovative technological solutions to address the industry's current and future challenges.
- Accelerate the digital transformation of companies in the sector, encouraging the adoption of emerging technologies that strengthen competitiveness and the ability to adapt to new market demands.
- Validate solutions in a real-world context, allowing startups to test their technologies under real market conditions.
- Reduce the risks associated with innovation, through a structured methodology for designing, implementing and monitoring pilot projects, mitigating the risks associated with adopting new technologies or solutions.
- Foster collaboration between the innovation ecosystem and the hospitality industry, creating opportunities for co-creation, mutual learning and the development of solutions aligned with the sector's needs.
The program is run by Unicorn Factory Lisboa, with the institutional support of Turismo de Portugal and in partnership with Grupo Pestana and Feel Group.
The program runs for 6 months, from July 2026 to March 2027.
The goal is to implement 10 pilot projects with measurable impact, resulting from joint work between partners and selected startups.
Startups with tested, scalable technological solutions that are ready to be applied in real-world environments. The main criteria include: having a functional MVP or a product already on the market, already having customers or completed pilots, the ability to integrate with existing systems, and the ability to respond quickly to identified needs.
The solutions should be: deployable (easy integration, low operational friction), scalable (a model that can be replicated across multiple hotel units), results-driven (measurable impact on costs, revenue or customer satisfaction) and collaborative (open to co-creation with hotel partners).
The startup should already have a functional MVP or a product available on the market, and ideally already have initial customers or completed pilot projects. This is not a program for ideas still at the conceptual stage. The solution must have proven capacity to integrate into real operational environments and be able to respond quickly to the needs identified by partners.
Yes. The program is open to solutions from both national and international startups, as long as they are aligned with the program's purpose and meet the defined criteria (functional MVP or product already on the market, ability to integrate into real operational environments, scalability and measurable impact potential).
The program is organized around major challenges: (1) Customer Relationship and Experience, (2) Marketing Intelligence, Digital Content and Data, (3) Automation and Productivity in Daily Operations, (4) Automation and Productivity – Backoffice, and (5) Physical Space Smart Sensoring.
Access to a structured framework for running pilots, support in clearly defining what is expected from both parties, and hands-on learning about how to work with large companies and navigate corporate decision-making processes.
Open call - 27 July - 13 September
Selection - 14 September - 9 October
Hospitality Innovation Day - 14 October
Pilot Development - Mid-October to Mid-November
Discovery Days - Mid-October to Mid-November
Pilot Implementation - Mid-November to early March
Showcase event - Mid March
It is an event that will bring together partners and selected startups to share trends and the strategic context of the hospitality sector, present each partner's priorities, and foster closer connections between the startups and partners in the program.
These are on-site visits to the pilot location, allowing startups to get first-hand knowledge of the operation and meet with the relevant operational team (front desk, housekeeping, among others).
The pilot phase lasts a total of 4 months, split into: pilot definition and design (1 month, mid-October to mid-November) and implementation and follow-up (3 months, mid-November to early March). The program pauses for the last 2 weeks of the year to account for the holiday season.
The program is completely free for startups.
The program requires active participation from startups, especially during the phases where they work directly with partners to develop and execute pilot projects
There are key moments of the program that require physical presence in Portugal, especially during the phases where startups work directly with partners to develop and execute pilot projects, and crucial events, such as the Hospitality Innovation Day and Showcase event.
- The experience of the team
- The maturity of the product / solution
- The fit of the solution with partners' challenges
Click "Apply" on the program's website, log in or create an account on F6S.com, and answer the questions on the form.