Women in tech in Lisbon: groups, events, leaders and companies
Lisbon is home to about 45% of Portugal’s 5,091 active startups, according to Startup Portugal’s 2025 report. OutSystems and Talkdesk started here, and the city hosts Web Summit every November.
Startup Genome valued Lisbon’s startups at about €25 billion in 2025 and ranks the city among the top 30 emerging startup ecosystems in the world, with growing strength in AI and big data.
Software engineers in Lisbon report a median total pay of $58,272 a year (about €50,000) on Levels.fyi, above the Porto median of €39,192. See tech salaries in Lisbon.
By Heidi Lee, community manager, OutGeek Women in TechUpdated
Where women work in Lisbon tech
Women make up 22.7% of ICT specialists in Portugal, and the share is not the same in every role.
Tech salaries in Lisbon
Lisbon pays software engineers more than Porto, according to self-reported pay.
Median total pay for software engineers
A YEAR · LEVELS.FYI, SELF-REPORTED, 2026Women in Portuguese tech
Women in tech organizations in Lisbon
Groups and events in Lisbon for meeting peers, learning, mentoring and growing a career.
Portuguese Women in Tech
National community with a mentorship program, a podcast, awards and a speakers list. Recent conferences were held in Porto. portuguesewomenintech.com → MEETUPSGeek Girls Portugal
Community for women in tech, running for 16 years, with regular free meetups in Lisbon hosted by tech companies. geekgirlsportugal.pt → UX AND DESIGNLadies that UX Lisbon
Lisbon chapter of the Ladies that UX network, with meetups and talks for women in UX and design. ladiesthatux.com → CONFERENCEWeb Summit Women in Tech
Web Summit’s programme for women in tech, with dedicated tickets and mentorship, at its Lisbon conference every November. websummit.com → EVENTExtraordinary Women in Tech Lisbon
Yearly Lisbon event with keynotes, panels and networking. The 2026 edition was hosted with Jerónimo Martins. extraordinarywomenintech.com →Notable women in tech in Lisbon
Founders, investors and community leaders who come up again and again in Lisbon and Portuguese tech news.
Cristina Fonseca
Co-founded Talkdesk, one of Portugal’s best-known tech unicorns, and now invests in AI, SaaS and deep tech startups. Named one of Europe’s 100 most influential women in startups and venture capital by EU-Startups in 2026.Daniela Braga
Founded Defined.ai, which provides data for training AI models. Speaks often at Web Summit in Lisbon.Elisa Tarzia
Builds Portugal’s startup community and works on policy and founder support. Named to EU-Startups’ 2026 list of Europe’s most influential women in startups.Liliana Castro
Co-founded Portuguese Women in Tech, which runs mentoring, awards and events for women in Portuguese tech.Notable tech companies in Lisbon
From homegrown unicorns to global tech hubs, banks, telecoms and retailers.
Homegrown tech
OutSystems
Low-code platform for building enterprise apps, founded in Portugal.Talkdesk
AI contact center software, co-founded in Lisbon.Feedzai
AI for fraud and financial crime prevention, founded in Portugal.Unbabel
AI translation platform, founded in Lisbon.Defined.ai
Data for training AI models.Critical Software
Software for safety-critical systems, with an office in Lisbon.Global tech and automotive
Critical TechWorks
BMW Group and Critical Software joint venture building car software, in Lisbon and Porto.Mercedes-Benz.io
Mercedes-Benz digital hub with teams in Lisbon.Volkswagen Digital Solutions
Volkswagen Group software hub in Lisbon.Microsoft
Engineering and business teams in Lisbon.Cloudflare
European office in Lisbon.Siemens
Technology and engineering teams in the Lisbon area.Banks, telecom and retail
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OutGeek Women in Tech in Lisbon
We run a recruiting event in Lisbon every year, where hiring teams meet women in tech in person. Our latest Lisbon event was hosted by Critical Software.
Each event features short talks from hiring teams, speed networking with recruiters and engineering leads, and open networking with food and drinks.
Kelsey Silver
EVENT DIRECTOR · WITH OUTGEEK SINCE 2024Upcoming OutGeek events in Lisbon
Women in tech in Lisbon: common questions
What is the women in tech scene like in Lisbon?
Lisbon is home to about 45% of Portugal’s 5,091 active startups, and women make up 22.7% of ICT specialists in Portugal, above the EU average. Lisbon has active groups for meetups, mentoring, UX and design, and conferences.
What percentage of tech workers in Lisbon are women?
Across Portugal, women made up 22.7% of ICT specialists in 2024, up from 20.2% in 2023 and above the EU’s 19.5%, according to the European Commission. The share is higher in UX/UI design and product management, and lower in core infrastructure, DevOps and senior engineering.
Where women work in Lisbon tech →How much do tech workers earn in Lisbon?
Software engineers in Lisbon report a median total pay of $58,272 a year (about €50,000) on Levels.fyi, above the Porto median of €39,192.
Tech salaries in Lisbon →Is there a gender gap in Portuguese tech?
Yes. Women make up 22.7% of ICT specialists in Portugal. The government’s National Programme for Girls in STEM, approved in November 2025, aims to raise that share to 30% by 2030.
Women in Portuguese tech →What women in tech groups are there in Lisbon?
Groups in Lisbon include Portuguese Women in Tech, Geek Girls Portugal and Ladies that UX Lisbon, and Web Summit runs a Women in Tech programme every November.
All Lisbon women in tech groups →Are there women in tech events in Lisbon?
Yes. OutGeek Women in Tech runs a recruiting event in Lisbon every year, where hiring teams meet women in tech in person. Geek Girls Portugal holds regular meetups in Lisbon, and Extraordinary Women in Tech runs a yearly Lisbon event.
Tech recruiting events by city →What is OutGeek Women in Tech Lisbon?
OutGeek Women in Tech runs recruiting events where hiring teams meet women in tech in person. Our Lisbon community has more than 3,000 members, and we run a recruiting event in Lisbon every year. Joining is free at outgeek.org.
About OutGeek Women in Tech in Lisbon →Which tech companies are notable in Lisbon?
Lisbon tech employers include OutSystems, Talkdesk, Feedzai, Unbabel and Critical Software, car software hubs like Critical TechWorks and Mercedes-Benz.io, global offices of Microsoft, Google and Cloudflare, and banks and telecoms such as BNP Paribas, Millennium bcp and NOS.
Company ratings and open roles →Who are notable women in tech in Lisbon?
Women who appear often in Lisbon tech news include Cristina Fonseca (Indico Capital Partners), Daniela Braga (Defined.ai), Elisa Tarzia (351 Portuguese Startup Association) and Liliana Castro (Portuguese Women in Tech).
Notable women in tech in Lisbon →