E138: Why Portugal's Best Companies Haven't Been Built Yet | Ricardo Mesquita, Endeavor

About this episode

Ricardo Mesquita discusses the potential for building global companies in Portugal and the factors influencing the startup ecosystem.

Portugal has the talent. The capital. The founders. The attention. But the best companies haven't been built here yet - and Ricardo Mesquita knows exactly why. As founding MD of Endeavor Portugal, and having lived and built across China, Brazil, Chile, France, Spain and the USA, Ricardo has seen what makes ecosystems truly compound. In this episode: what separates a real ecosystem from the performance of one, why pay-it-forward culture is still missing in Europe, and why Portugal's next decade could produce its first truly global brand. The momentum is real. The question is who shows up to build it. Connect with Ricardo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmesquita2023/ Hosted by Zivile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zivileeinikyte/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Conversation 04:27 Building and Supporting Communities 07:04 The Portuguese Startup Ecosystem 09:28 Endeavor's Role in Entrepreneurship 11:43 Selection Process for Entrepreneurs 14:10 The Future of Entrepreneurship in Europe 16:50 Advice for Aspiring Founders 17:34 Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook

People in this episode

Host: Zivile (Zivi) Einikyte

Guest: Ricardo Mesquita

Topics covered

• entrepreneurship
• startup ecosystem
• global brands
• community building
• European entrepreneurship

Keywords

• Portugal
• Endeavor
• entrepreneurship
• startup ecosystem
• global brand
• community support
• founders

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Endeavor

Places: Portugal, China, Brazil, Chile, France, Spain, USA

More episodes of Perception Paradox with Zivile (Zivi) Ein

• E139: Behind the MC mic - Conversations from South Summit Madrid · June 11, 2026 · 23 min
• [paradox bytes] What makes community stick with Ricardo Mesquita, Endeavor Portugal · June 9, 2026 · 4 min
• [paradox bytes] He Had A Stroke At 29. Here's How He Rebuilt His Life. | Samuel Barreto · June 6, 2026 · 24 min
• E137: I Had It All. Then My Brain Had Other Plans - Samuel Barreto · May 25, 2026 · 1h 11m
• [paradox bytes] From Broken Lab Machines to Space Lasers with Dr Duncan Casey · May 21, 2026 · 10 min
• E136: Space Lasers and Scar Tissue: Only 4 Companies on Earth Can Do This with Dr Duncan Casey · May 19, 2026 · 41 min