BGI is a technology-based accelerator spin out of the MIT Portugal innovation and entrepreneurship initiative. BGI developed a unique transnational acceleration methodology has accelerated more than 160 tech-based startups (survival rate 64%), over 800 entrepreneurs from 70 countries. 

In 2014 BGI launched a €6.8M “ignition” fund investing in 4 deep-tech ventures/year at a rate of €1M/year. Ten startups constitute BGI portfolio having achieved 4 exists. BGI is ranked within the TOP 20 Accelerators in Europe (Fundacity) and within the TOP 50 Accelerators (Valuer.ai). In the last 10 years, BGI alumni startups have raised cumulatively close to 300M€. Thanks to these results, BGI was invited to be part of the EIT, starting a formal collaboration in 2015 aiming to provide acceleration, benchmarking, dissemination, education and collaborative innovation activities for EIT Digital, following Climate KIC (since 2016), EIT Health and EIT Food (in 2018), EIT Urban Mobility (2021). 

BGI has Open Innovation programs with and for international Corporates (Vodafone), Municipalities, National Government (ANI), MIT, EIT and many other national and international players in the E&I ecosystem. In 2020, BGI began to focus on the sustainability paradigm shift needed in the agri-food sectors.