# Build Up Labs - venture studio & startup incubator

> Build Up Labs is a Lisbon venture studio and startup incubator founded in 2014. It creates and sells digital businesses, including the acquired employee-recognition platform Tap My Back, and supports external founders through paid, equity-free incubation, mentoring, investor introductions and a remote-friendly community.

- **Founded:** 2014
- **Headquarters:** Lisbon, Portugal
- **Founders:** Rui Gouveia (Founder and CEO), Ricardo Pereira (Co-founder; listed as founder by Wellfound and partner by Crunchbase)
- **Products:** Venture Studio, Startup Incubator, Community Program, AskCory.ai, Tap My Back
- **Notable:** Tap My Back acquisition by Texas-based CultureBoost, reported in December 2024, marked the fifth exit according to Build Up Labs and ECO., 300+ startups supported across 24 nationalities, self-reported on the incubator website as checked October 2026., Certified incubator for the IAPMEI Startup Visa program; listed in Portuguese incubator directories.

## Products & services

- **Venture Studio** — Generates and validates ideas, builds MVPs with AI and data, launches products, and scales, spins off or sells businesses.
- **Startup Incubator** — Paid, personalized founder support with mentoring, investor introductions, community and remote participation; no equity taken and no direct investment under current published terms.
- **Community Program** — €75 per month with a three-month minimum; events, webinars, perks and up to 45 minutes of catch-up per quarter.
- **AskCory.ai** — AI marketing strategy, 12-week tactical planning and content assistance; publicly launched on Product Hunt in May 2024.
- **Tap My Back** — Employee recognition and feedback SaaS sold to CultureBoost; transaction started in 2023, transition completed in 2024.
- **Startup Tools** — Public tools for cofounder equity, fundraising dilution, SaaS unit economics, idea validation and marketing.
- **Rachel** — AI assistant supporting internal operations and incubated startups, described in the September 2026 interview.

## Achievements

- Tap My Back acquisition by Texas-based CultureBoost, reported in December 2024, marked the fifth exit according to Build Up Labs and ECO.
- 300+ startups supported across 24 nationalities, self-reported on the incubator website as checked October 2026.
- Certified incubator for the IAPMEI Startup Visa program; listed in Portuguese incubator directories.
- Incubated Intuitivo, winner of Web Summit Lisbon PITCH 2024; the win belongs to Intuitivo.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Startup Portugal interviewed Rui Gouveia on AI-native incubation, Rachel, public Startup Tools and a planned marketplace by year-end; marketplace launch was prospective.
- **2025-10** — Validly and SSP were named Startup Essentials winners; SSP earned three months of incubation.
- **2024-12** — ECO reported CultureBoost’s acquisition of Tap My Back after a transition spanning 2023-2024.

## Links

- Website: https://builduplabs.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/build-up-labs/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/build_up_labs

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08