Money Buzz! Europa

Tag: lisbon

  • The Portuguese economy experienced the most severe decline since 1936

    The Portuguese economy experienced the most severe decline since 1936

    Portugal’s GDP contracted by 7.6% in 2020, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), almost double the 4.1% decline in 2012.

    Nine years ago austerity measures were imposed, after the Lisbon authorities have requested international financial assistance.

    In the fourth quarter of 2020, Portugal’s GDP grew by only 0.2%, after an advance of 13.3% in the previous three months.

    Portugal’s booming tourism sector saw in 2020 its worst annual results since the mid-1980s and to date, due to various global bans and restrictions in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID -19).

    Thus, just under four million tourists traveled to Portugal in 2020, a decrease of almost 76% compared to the record 16.4 million tourists recorded in 2019.

    Even more, the number of overnight stays of non-residents fell by 75% to 12.3 million – the lowest level since 1984 and to date.

  • Brico Depot launched a ”scan and go” app in Spain and Portugal

    Brico Depot launched a ”scan and go” app in Spain and Portugal

    Called ”Brico and Go”, the app can be used in all 31 Brico Depot stores in the two countries.

    Customers will be able to place orders by scanning the barcodes of the items they want to buy and pay through the app.

    They can either place the products in a basket or trolley as they scan them and pay on the way out of the store via the app, or use the app to compile and pay for an order, which is then picked by a Brico Depot store employee and brought to the customer within 30 minutes.

    Customers will be able to check product prices, offers and stock levels, access previous purchase history and, for professional customers, store invoices for accounting purposes.

    The new app complements existing services available to Brico Depot customers in Spain and Portugal, such as Click & Collect and Click & Delivery.

  • Portuguese company MOV.AI closed a $4 million financing round

    Portuguese company MOV.AI closed a $4 million financing round

    MOV.AI, a provider of an enterprise-grade ROS development & run time environment for cobots (collaborative robots), announces that it has closed a $4 million financing round, bringing the total capital raised to $8 million.

    The fundraising was led by SOMV and existing investors NFX, and Viola Ventures.

    The company’s solution enables hardware-software separation to simplify the development and implementation processes of robotic systems.

    MOV.AI’s system includes unique features such as a graphical interface for describing robotic behavior, autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, and compliance with safety requirements.

    The company currently focuses on selling its products in Western Europe, particularly in England, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland, and initial sales in Singapore and the USA.

    Robots operated by the MOV.AI system are used in the logistics and manufacturing industries of fashion, food, hospitality, automation for postal services, automotive manufacturing and more.