meeT

OUr team

Roberto Branco

Co-Founder & CEO

Carlos Rocha

Co-Founder & Board Member

Jorge Freitas Nunes

Board Member

Francisco Pereira Branco

Board Member

Bernardo Pequito

Investment Director

Sofia Monteiro

Operations & Finance Director

Rui Finteiro

Investment Analyst 

Alexandra Meneses

Operations Associate

Hugo Ramos

Senior Board Advisor

Do you feel like you are a fit?

Join the wonder team!

Roberto Branco

Co-Founder & CEO

 

Roberto is a passionate entrepreneur and Beta Capital’s founding partner and CEO since day one.

After being Head of Department at Renault Portuguesa, he joined Soja de Portugal as Chairman and CEO and, at the same time, he was a member of the General Council of the Portuguese bank BPI.

He co-founded Profat (developing cutting edge technology in animal food) and he was also a co-founder of Panoramah! (world’s leading brand of minimalist aluminium windows). 

He founded Beta Capital in 2003 as one of the first true VC companies in the country.

Roberto holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico and an MBA from Nova School of Business and Economics.

Having visited almost every European country by motorbike, Roberto also cycles and he’s an avid skier! And yes, he still answers his phone on the ski slopes…!

Carlos Rocha

Co-Founder & Board Member


Carlos founded Siroco back in the 80s when entrepreneurship was an unknown work for everyone.

For more than 25 years he was Siroco’s CEO, leading the Portuguese company from scratch to the top by developing cutting-edge robots and building special machines to all the precision industries.

He was one of the founding partners of Beta Capital, aiming to leverage on his own experience to help each entrepreneur of our portfolio companies.

Carlos holds a BSc in Electromechanical Engineering from Instituto Industrial de Lisboa.

Carlos is an avid reader and, as an hobby, invests in the stock market.
Jorge Freitas Nunes

Jorge Freitas Nunes

Board Member


Jorge is our Corporate guru after a lifetime of experience in Advisory. 

After Ernst & Young and Capgemini’s, Jorge returned to EY (Former Ernst & Young) as a Partner where created the advisory team and he was Country Advisory Leader. 

During over 30 years, he led several management and technology multinational consulting projects all over the world, where he developed a huge professional network. 

Jorge is a business consultant and also an active investor in Real Estate and, at any given time, he’s always involved in several projects. 

Jorge holds a BSc in Management from Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa and leadership executive programmes from INSEAD, IMD and from Harvard Business School. 

He likes to travel around the world searching for the best and most exotic restaurants and hotels, and he’s a wine enthusiast.

Francisco Pereira Branco

Board Member

 

Francisco is a rugby fan and a serial entrepreneur since his early days.

He played Rugby in his lifetime club – CDUP – and he was a coach for Portugal National Youth teams for more than 10 years.

He founded and currently he is the CEO of BOAVISTA Windows, Europe’s #1 fibreglass window company that is changing the sustainability standard in the construction industry.

He’s also Partner of Rotunda Investimentos S.A.

Bernardo Pequito

Investment Director

Bernardo is a a business enthusiast and a passionate entrepreneur. 

After starting his career as an auditor at Deloitte, Bernardo founded his first company in the marketing and communications field, turnU. 

He joined Beta Capital in 2015, being responsible for generating and managing our deal flow. He also advises our Portfolio companies, using his experience as an entrepreneur, as well as his expertise in finance, marketing and strategy.

Bernardo was also the co-founder of a tech start-up, a digital marketing and data analytics B2B SaaS tool for brick-and-mortar businesses.  

Over the years, Bernardo has been a strong supporter of volunteer causes, especially in the education of entrepreneurship, keeping a strong tie with Junior Achievement.

Bernardo holds a BSc in Economics from University of Porto and an International MBA from Porto Business School.

You may find Bernardo in the kitchen preparing meals for his friends, or challenge him for a football match. He is curious about space exploration, where he finds the inspiration to pursue innovation!

Sofia Monteiro

Operations & Compliance Director


Sofia has been working in VC for more than 13 years, being one of the most experienced people in the business that you can find in Portugal. 

Sofia is Beta Capital’s Operations & Finance Director, and works directly with all the Portfolio companies, as well as with the key stakeholders of the company. 

She has participated in the origination and financial modelling of several investment opportunities and has extensive experience in assessing and advising start-ups, as well as managing VC Funds.

Sofia holds a BSc in Economics and a MSc in Finance from University of Porto.

Whenever she has the chance, Sofia likes running… And she likes to keep a good pace, as she is always ready to support our Portfolio companies!  

Rui Finteiro

Investment Analyst
 

Rui is a disruption seeker and loves a technological challenge.

Rui, is Beta Capital´s Investment Analyst as his role involves offering investment recommendations subsequent to deep project analysis, while providing support in the organization and management of Beta’s Deal Flow.

From his academic days, Rui harbored an enduring passion for innovation actively tracking and supporting numerous projects in their nascent stages within a pre-accelerator startup organization.

Rui possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Porto and is presently engaged in crafting his master’s thesis in Finance at Catolica Porto Business School.

His passion for sports extends across a diverse spectrum, from the finesse of an amorti in tennis to the precision of a chip in football, going through the rugged intensity of a dunk or a tackle in basketball and American Football. Rui looks for memorable moments, and the most demanding games in sports, its entertainment that is irreplaceable.

Alexandra Meneses

Operations Associate

Alexandra Meneses is Beta Capital’s Operations Associate. Her role is essentially making
things to happen. When needed she is the bridge to external resources.

She began her academic and professional career in the health sector and she has a
degree in Economics from the University of Porto.

Alexandra is an organized person and loves challenges; she has a fondness for
associations and is a member of a cultural group.

Hugo Ramos

Senior Board Advisor
Hugo is an engineer by design and an entrepreneur by desire.

He holds an MEng in Chemical Engineering from FEUP and started his career in the Chemical Industry in 2000, before deciding to change to entrepreneurship and venture capital in 2010, after receiving his International MBA from Porto Business School.

Hugo co-founded five companies, among them are Venture Catalysts (supports researchers, entrepreneurs and startups through the technology commercialization and company building processes), Abyssal (software for Oil&Gas) and Immunethep (biotech pharma).
 
He worked for five years at Change Partners, an independent Venture Capital player in Portugal. He was part of the team that started the Instituição Financeira de Desenvolvimento (currently Banco Português do Fomento), leading the Equity and Quasi-Equity Department. At IFD he was responsible for developing and launching co-financing lines for Business Angels and Venture Capital of more than €160 million.
 
From time to time Hugo has been lecturing entrepreneurship and pitching at Porto Business School, Católica University and working on consultancy projects.
 
 
Hugo loves swimming and outdoor sports and never loses an opportunity to cook and eat with friends, music and wine.