What does it take to keep starting over?
At 12 years old, Francisco Baptista and his family fled civil war in Angola and started again in Brazil. Years later, he moved to Portugal to study, taught himself to code and began his career as a software engineer. Then he started over once again in the UK, arriving without speaking a word of English.
Today, Francisco is the Founder & CEO of TeamSportz, a sports technology platform helping clubs, leagues, universities and governing bodies run more effectively and create better sporting experiences.
But this episode isn’t really about sports technology.
It’s about resilience.
It’s about identity.
It’s about entrepreneurship when the odds aren’t in your favour.
We talk about the realities of building a startup, the loneliness of being a founder, rebuilding your life from scratch and the challenges of raising investment as a Black founder in an industry that still struggles with diversity and inclusion.
Francisco shares how TeamSportz evolved through multiple pivots, what investors often get wrong about entrepreneurship and why he ultimately chose to focus on building a sustainable, customer-led business rather than spending years feeding the fundraising machine.
If you’ve ever:
Had to start over and rebuild from scratch
Felt like an outsider in a new environment
Faced rejection but kept going anyway
Wondered what startup life is really like behind the headlines
Questioned whether you have what it takes to keep going
This episode is for you.
It’s honest. It’s practical. And it’s a powerful reminder that resilience may be the greatest competitive advantage of all.
What we cover:
🏀 Why sport became Francisco’s universal language and taught him resilience
🌍 Growing up in Angola and rebuilding his life across three countries
🚀 Building TeamSportz and navigating multiple pivots as a founder
💰 The realities of fundraising and the challenges faced by Black founders
📈 Why Francisco chose customers and sustainable growth over endless funding rounds
🤝 The importance of access, community and creating opportunities for others
❤️ Why some people keep going when others would have quit
About Francisco Baptista
Francisco Baptista is the Founder & CEO of TeamSportz, a sports technology platform helping sports organisations simplify operations and improve participation and sporting experiences.
A software engineer turned entrepreneur, Francisco is passionate about using technology and sport to create opportunities, build communities and empower the next generation.