PitchIn is the innovation event created by JuniFEUP in partnership with CEiiA and UPTEC.The 1st edition took place on 25th and 26th November 2023 and was a great success!

This project was created with the aim of developing the creative process of JuniFEUP members, offering them the possibility of presenting and even developing their most promising ideas.

Therefore, PitchIn consisted of a incubation and idea development project for JuniFEUP members, which were distributed among teams of 4 and 5 people. Each team had a member of the Board who played the role of group mentor, intervening with their experience and ensuring the organization and viability of the project. The teams were challenged to ideate an innovative Research & Development project within the scope of Mobility, Transport and Sustainability.

Over the two days, the teams attended two training sessions given by the partners and competed against each other for the title of idea with the greatest potential for growth.

Firstly, the participants attended a Design Thinking training guided by the trainer Dina Oliveira, whose main objective was to help them find and develop their idea. This had a great balance between theoretical and practical components. Initially, the main stages of incubating ideas and the best strategies to follow were presented. Participants then organized themselves into teams and were encouraged to discuss and debate embryonic ideas. This training encouraged teamwork and the critical spirit of the participants.

Next, professor Renata Blanc gave a presentation on How To Pitch, in order to prepare participants for a clear and effective presentation of their proposal.

On the last day, the ideas developed were presented to a judging panel, which selected the winning team.

This presented the ɅSpot project and won the possibility of developing the marketable project at JuniFEUP with the support of CEiiA, becoming the 2nd spinoff of our Junior Company.

ɅSpot is a garage rental application. In the short term, it will be a practical alternative for students who have difficulty parking their vehicles during rush hours. In the long term, it will contribute to reducing traffic congestion in large cities.

Additionally, due to exceeding the event's expectations, it was decided to move forward with another idea presented, EasyMove, even not being chosen as the winner, due to its notable expansion potential.

EasyMove is an application that aims to improve people's independence and quality of life with reduced mobility. This technological solution is being developed by a team of 6 people, with the support of Follow Inspiration, with launch scheduled for January 2025. The project is very relevant and impactful, as it reaches 60% of the Portuguese population and allows overcoming social barriers, through the centralization of resources using three main features: Routing System, Ratings System and Marketplace. On the one hand, the Routing System indicates the most accessible path for the user to travel between two locations. On the other hand, the Rating System informs about the accessibility of spaces, encouraging improvement and social inclusion on the part of establishments open to the public. Finally, the Marketplace facilitates the acquisition of products for people with reduced mobility, promoting the national economy and an inclusive society.

Given this, PitchIn provided a healthy competition among JuniFEUP members, stimulating their creativity, entrepreneurship, and critical thinking.

The success of this event was possible through the innovative culture and the constant investment and promotion of ideas from JuniFEUP members, who, in PitchIn, were able to demonstrate in the form of business ideas, the fruits of this environment, adding value to the members themselves and to the national innovation landscape.