The 28-year-old founder of Ecoceno, Afonso Vieira, came a long way before winning From Start-to-Table. With a knack for numbers from a young age, his teachers encouraged him to become a doctor, to which he replied that he wanted to be a business owner instead. After pursuing an education in business administration, he created his first start-up (a platform for social investment) at age 22. During the subsequent four years, what he achieved was truly mesmerizing: a team of 10+ people, over 10.000 registered users, an investment of €400k from national and international VCs, countless partnerships with international companies and awards from conferences such as Web Summit and SXSW.

The project lasted until September 21, and little did he know that the end of this chapter would lead to the opening of the next one. His sabbatical was interrupted by the opportunity he saw coming before anyone else. With a national law that would charge €0.30 for takeaway boxes in restaurants, he realized his family business (a takeaway box factory) was at stake, so he decided to do something about it. That’s when Ecoceno was born. The company offers a sustainable, convenient and more economical alternative to single-use packaging, allowing customers to avoid the fees associated with them.

Being a creative and experienced entrepreneur with a good eye for sustainable practices, it felt like a no-brainer to start Ecoceno. When asked for advice to pass along to young entrepreneurs, there are a few things he considers crucial for success. The first is resilience to keep going, and the other is always staying curious and trying to learn new things. As the world moves rather quickly and customers are more accustomed to excellent services, it’s paramount to offer the same level of quality in whatever service you want to provide. That’s, of course, no easy task, especially if you have no funding. He got the support of Sociedade Ponto Verde, Fundo Amniental and now was picked by From Start-To-Table and that made all the difference on his path to success. Definitely one to keep an eye on, make sure to head to https://ecoceno.pt/ to learn more.