The Closure. platform, created to support grieving families in managing administrative and digital processes after the death of a family member, was selected as one of the ten finalists in the Techstars Global Pitch Competition, scheduled for May 13, 2026.
The project was born in just 54 hours during the , held between March 6th and 8th, at Montalvo International School. Among winning teams from 38 cities around the world, Closure. stood out and secured a place in the final stage of the global competition.
Project born from personal experience
The idea came from direct experience of the founding team. “After going through the difficulty of taking care of everything that involves the death of a relative in recent years, I saw the pressure it put on my father,” explained the founder.
The platform aims to act as a single point of support, helping families deal with legal, financial and digital processes at a particularly sensitive time. “A lot of people go through the same thing and it’s something we’ll all experience, but we don’t know where to start,” he added.
Solution for a complex process
Closure. seeks to bridge a gap between advance planning services and emotional support by offering practical and structured support after loss.
According to the team, many families face prolonged difficulties in resolving cases, which can take more than two years to complete all the formalities associated with the death of a family member.
Idea developed in a hackathon environment
The project was developed in an intensive innovation context, with an international team made up of elements from Portugal, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Slovenia.
“In the usual professional context, decisions can take months, but in a hackathon we are encouraged to experiment,” say the team members.
One of the decisive moments was defining the focus of the project, choosing to support families after loss, instead of advance planning services.
Growth and preparation for competition
Since the victory in Loulé, the team has developed the project based on research with users and partners, such as lawyers and accountants.
“Mentoring has been fundamental to iterating quickly in recent weeks”, they emphasize, also highlighting the support received in terms of incubation and work spaces.
Before the global final, the team will participate in a preparation session, the Pitch Masterclass “Master Your Pitch”, on April 30th.
Algarve highlighted in the entrepreneurial ecosystem
The team highlights the collaborative environment of the region as a decisive factor in the development of the project. “The global collaboration environment that Loulé and the Algarve cultivate allows people from all over the world to build their ideas”, they say.
The final of the Techstars Global Pitch Competition will take place on May 13th, in a virtual format.
Also read:
