PortugalB2B: Syrian Refugee Builds Startup To Help Portuguese Companies Expand

How would you describe Portugal B2B in a few words?

Portugal B2B is a B2B portal connecting Portuguese companies with the Middle Eastern market using the Arabic & English language. Portuguese companies can expand their market without language barrier problems since our experienced team introduced them to the culture and mentality of the Arabic market.

What inspired you to create the B2B marketplace? How did it all start?

I am from Syria and came to Portugal with my family as a refugee. We’ve been in Portugal for a year now and noticed that the country has a lot of factories, products, talent, and quality but that all of these perks are not represented in the Middle Eastern market. We were wondering why that is and found two main reasons during our research. Firstly, the language barrier, and secondly, the mentality that is very different in both markets.

We knew that the Middle Eastern market has a need for high-quality products, coming from a trusted source. We’ve put all our effort, and experience into this project, connecting these two markets to fill the gap. Using just a small amount of money we were able to build the platform which launched in January 2017, and after that hired a Portuguese business developer to join our team to manage the Portuguese division while I manage the Middle Eastern one.

Are you using Portugal B2B internally? How does that affect the viewpoints in the development team?

We are of course using it. Right now, we use it to find an IT company based in Portugal and specialized in mobile app development. This process gives our team an idea of how easy the platform is to use and also adds ideas when it comes to implementing new features.

How do you handle competition in the B2B sector? What makes your platform stand out of the crowd?

Surprisingly, we don’t have to deal with competition – yet. We are the new “alien” in this country because we are the only one selling to a non-Portuguese speaking country. Not one other startup or company that we know of is targeting the same market as we are. Maybe that can also be explained through the unique skills and experience we have in handling the Arabic and Middle Eastern market.

What is the most memorable moment throughout the history of the platform?

Since we’re quite young, it was definitely the day we launched the platform – Jan. 19th, 2017. At that moment we could see our dream come true. After a lot of work, multiple prototypes, numerous logo designs, and a lot of debugging, we’ve finally made it.

The next moment to remember will definitely be the further development of Portugal B2B.

Since last year Portugal is home to one of the biggest tech events in Europe, Web Summit. What impact does this have on the local startup community and how do you think it will develop?

In my opinion, Web Summit gives Portugal’s startup an advantage and I do think the event adds great value to the local startup community. More investors are now interested to see what Portugal’s entrepreneurial scene has to offer. Web Summit changes a lot within the environment and a lot for the better. I think the local companies also get a boost in self-esteem since they are now being noticed all around Europe.

If there is one thing you could wish for in improving the European startup ecosystem – what would it be?

Easy: more connectivity within the European startup ecosystem. There should be one European Startup Summit, getting all startups under one umbrella, simplifying the process of networking significantly. Additionally, one summit would make it easier to connect with investors and decision makers – for example – on a monthly basis to share knowledge & experience, building one European hub.

Lastly, what’s one piece of advice you can give to fellow founders for their startup?

Know what your good at, listen to your customer’s needs, and find out what makes your startup unique – then implement it.

Also, never forget that founding a startup is not a full-time job – it’s a lifestyle in which your company will become your home and the members will become your family.

 

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