The Técnico Innovation Center (TIC) hosted E.Stories@Tecnico, organized by Fidelidade, on the past 30th. Nuno Fonseca, an alumnus of electrical and computer engineering and founder of SoundParticles, and Diogo Rato, an alumnus of computer engineering and co-founder of Testwaves, spoke about their journeys in the field of entrepreneurship. Throughout the session, topics such as the challenges faced, the speakers' academic paths, the social value of their companies, and the viability of projects were discussed.

The event began with a presentation by Pedro Amaral, Vice President for Business Interface, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, who emphasized that entrepreneurship is not a linear process in Portugal, as students often lack a business perspective regarding their research and potential products. Pedro Amaral also introduced the speakers, Nuno Fonseca and Diogo Rato, and the moderator, Madalena Ferreira, from Fidelidade.

Nuno Fonseca, founder of SoundParticles, began by explaining that his software involves graphic computing that creates audio, in a process similar to rendering an image from small parts. In this way, the audio produced for use in a battle scene of a film can be constructed from the combination of thousands of small sounds. This software is currently used in film, television series, video games, and the music industry — something Nuno describes as work that connects different passions.

I feel privileged to be able to work in this field.

Nuno Fonseca, founder of SoudParticles

Stanford, which covered some content in the field, provided the opportunity to follow the material taught online. For this reason, the alumnus believes that Portuguese education should also include some concepts in its curriculum to familiarize students with how business models work and to connect them with companies, regardless of their major.

When asked about the advantages of being an alumnus of Técnico, the founder of SoundParticles highlighted the fact that he studied at a demanding school, where students are challenged to find solutions to various types of problems presented throughout the course. These challenges ultimately impact the students' lives, including their personal and professional journeys. In his view, there are no problems without solutions; it just takes time to find them.

We learned that every problem has a solution

Nuno Fonseca, founder of SoudParticles

Nuno Fonseca also spoke about the challenges faced over the years, considering that the biggest one was making the decision to create a company after having a project. He stated that the business field is a constant "roller coaster," where one tries to balance expenses, revenues, salary payments, the search for investors, and the fact that Portugal does not have the same investment capacity as other countries, such as the United States. However, even though he is aware of the instability that inherently accompanies the process of creating, growing, and maintaining a startup, Nuno chose not to sell his company in the past, keeping his goals of business expansion and software development.

He also emphasized the importance of professionals and researchers actively working on projects when an idea exists, as it is necessary to bring it to fruition in order to implement a new vision in the market.

Do you want the main role, the supporting role, or the extra?

Nuno Fonseca, founder of SoudParticles

Although he can be considered a successful entrepreneur, as his software is used by Hollywood companies like Disney and Universal, Nuno values his quality of life in Leiria, maintaining a business perspective in the international market. His company is based in the same city, with 20 employees, and he stays in contact with a professional from SoundParticles in Los Angeles. He also emphasizes that he intends to continue working at the company as long as he enjoys his work, highlighting that he has already achieved some of his goals and that, in the world of entrepreneurship, there is always a need to create new dreams as the old ones become a reality.

I want to continue as long as it brings me joy.

Nuno Fonseca, founder of SoudParticles

Also part of his experience, in an open mic moment. The session ended with a coffee break, which brought together professionals and the academic community, continuing the discussion about entrepreneurship in Portugal and the role of universities in fostering a critical perspective among faculty and students regarding this field.

Photography: Daniela Leonardo

Photo editing: Marisa Pereira