I Didn’t Just Study the Portugal Startup Visa. I Went Through It Myself.

I started my IT career in 2013, working with multinational companies like Accenture, TCS, and Orange. Along the way, I built nearly a decade of professional experience.

But entrepreneurship was always somewhere in the background.

In 2016, while working full-time, I started running ecommerce businesses on Amazon India and Flipkart. Managing stores alongside a demanding corporate job wasn’t always easy, but it taught me something valuable: I loved building things of my own.

In January 2022, I made a big decision.

I left my high-paying IT job and went all-in on entrepreneurship.

I expanded my ecommerce journey, worked on international freelancing projects across the US, Canada, and Europe, and started exploring what the next chapter of my life could look like.

By the end of 2022, I was exploring Canada through Express Entry. I independently researched and prepared much of the process, but increasingly high CRS scores and long waiting times made me rethink the plan.

Then came the UK.

In 2023, my startup was selected for the UK Startup Visa through Primus Capital. When the UK discontinued that route, I had the option of exploring the Innovator Founder Visa, but the constantly changing immigration landscape made me reconsider.

I explored startup visa opportunities in Estonia and Lithuania, prepared a UK Global Talent application, and kept looking for the right place to build my startup.

Some opportunities moved forward. Others didn’t.

And honestly? That’s entrepreneurship.

Not every application works out. Not every country is the right fit. Sometimes you have to change direction, even after investing months of effort.

When I received an incubation approval from Portugal, something clicked.

I liked Portugal’s stability, lifestyle, affordability, immigration environment, and the opportunity to build a business within Europe.

More importantly, it felt like a place where I could see myself living and building something meaningful.

So I stopped chasing multiple immigration pathways and focused entirely on Portugal.

I prepared my own application, developed my pitch deck, presented my startup idea, and navigated the process independently.

YUTU, my AI-powered creator platform, received recognition from more than nine Portuguese incubators.

In 2025, I successfully obtained Portugal Startup Visa acceptance.

And in February 2025, I landed in Porto.

A beautiful, historic, modern, and incredibly charming city that I now call home.

While building YUTU, I realized something.

There were countless aspiring entrepreneurs and experienced IT professionals around the world who wanted to relocate to Europe, build something meaningful, and create a better future for themselves.

Many had good ideas, solid professional experience, and genuine entrepreneurial ambitions.

But they didn’t necessarily understand how to present their startup, prepare a compelling pitch deck, approach incubators, or navigate the Portugal Startup Visa application process.

And I knew exactly how overwhelming that journey could feel.

Because I had been there myself.

That’s why I started StartupVisaEurope.com.