The three winning teams of the 4th edition of Forward!, the pre-acceleration program from the CATÓLICA-LISBON Entrepreneurship Center (CLEC), presented their projects yesterday, May 28th, at a session held at the Rectorate of Universidade Católica Portuguesa. The session, which marked the closing of another edition of this program that challenges the academic community to turn innovative ideas into prototypes with real market potential, was attended by the Rector, Isabel Capeloa Gil.
The winning teams — Dermamatica (Católica Medical School), SKYWEAR (CATÓLICA-LISBON), and Collatio (CATÓLICA-LISBON) — stood out for their innovation, impact, and execution quality:
- Dermamatica: development of an AI-based solution for 3D skin cancer screening, promoting early detection of the disease.
- SKYWEAR: a revolutionary approach to travel luggage, allowing travellers to have their outfits ready at the destination, with no need to carry clothes.
- Collatio: a system based on clustering algorithms that aggregates and analyses technical product data, enhancing comparison and transparency for product managers.
According to Rector Isabel Capeloa Gil, this initiative reflects the mission of a university committed to social transformation: “It is important to take risks, to know how to succeed, and to know how to fail, because failure is part of success, and to stay engaged with society and give back. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious. To be entrepreneurial, to be creative, that is what Portugal needs, what Europe needs. It is moving and inspiring to see this international team of new Católica graduates carrying this message forward".
A Diverse and Collaborative 4th Edition
As João Cotter Salvado, Academic Director of CLEC, explained, "around 50 people were involved at the beginning of the program, with 15 teams making it to the final stage. More than 30% of participants were not students, we had professors, researchers, and instructors involved, which shows the strength of our community". He also highlighted that, for the first time, this edition included participants from five different faculties of Universidade Católica Portuguesa and will be expanded in September to further include students and alumni.
Céline Acebassis-Moedas, jury member of the 4th edition of Forward!, also pointed to this milestone: "I see it as a sign that we’re expanding our ambition in innovation and entrepreneurship. And my ambition is not only that these teams become unicorns in five years, but that, in the next editions, we bring together students from different faculties to collaborate. That is our mission, and I count on you to help make it happen".
The program, which ran from February to May 2025, included five main sessions focused on prototype development, practical pitch training, and specialised mentoring. Throughout the journey, participants received guidance from around 15 mentors, ranging from industry experts to experienced entrepreneurs, who worked closely with the teams in small, personalised groups.
The connection to the entrepreneurial ecosystem was strengthened through strategic partnerships with organisations such as Casa do Impacto, Build Up Labs, BET Students Club, Start Lisbon, Unicorn Factory Lisboa, and Web Summit. As João Cotter Salvado noted, "we involve the ecosystem because it is part of our mission to give teams the support they need to reach their potential. Thanks to that network, to the quality of our school, and to being part of a major university, we were also able to secure competitive PRR funding for this project".
The winning teams received personalised mentoring hours from the CATÓLICA-LISBON Entrepreneurship Center and were awarded direct access to acceleration programs offered by Forward!’s partner organisations.