Choosing to base SURFnCODE in Porto, Portugal, was not by chance. The amazing talent it attracts (and that every year graduates from top quality nearby institutions), the quality of life we have here and the bustling startup community we’re a part of are key motives for us to love this city.
Top tech and engineering talent
Daily meetups and events, robust job offerings, and internationally positioned companies that choose the city as its headquarters are some factors that attract top talent to the city. But exciting new startups and business come up as well, many of them founded by local talent that graduates from Porto’s world-class academic and professional institutions. Virtually everyone speaks English, and Eurostat states that Portugal has the second highest rate of engineering graduates in Europe. This creative environment makes Porto a city prepared to change the future - as of right now. The startup culture is also incredibly strong here, with support from the municipality and other entities that exist just to make the entrepreneur’s life a little bit easier. Each year the number of tech companies in the city increases, boosted by this network of facilitators.
Walkable, approachable, and welcoming
Many describe Porto as a village with the heart of a big city. With the right infrastructure to welcome top international events and exhibitions while also not forgetting smaller concepts, the city is a cultural melting pot. It’s also insanely easy to discover by foot, immersing oneself in the historic neighbourhoods and river landscapes. Well served by the metro and public transport, and with amazing new locations to discover a mere hour away by train (Braga, Guimarães, Aveiro…), it’s easy to understand why so many are enchanted with the city. And let’s not forget that a flight of one or two hours lands you in most of the european capitals.
Let's not forget surfing
We’re based in Matosinhos, near the beach, so we can surf (if you thought the name of the company was by mere chance, have a look at our Philosophy!). We believe in a balanced way of life, and being near the beach brings us a very welcome breath of fresh air (the positive aspects of having a beach nearby are not new!).