Offside
Lado B

Fazer contas à moda antiga com Carlos Baquero.

Corporate

Um olhar sobre nós na voz dos nossos parceiros - Testemunho do IPMA, pela voz de Antonina dos Santos.

Fora de Série

"O INESC TEC e, no meu caso, o VCMI têm sido ao longo destes anos, espaços para aprender e partilhar ideias no dia a dia dentro duma base bastante extensa de projetos." Kelwin Fernandes

Pensar Sério

"Vamos juntos para todo o lado! (...) Já conseguimos terminar a licenciatura, estamos a terminar o mestrado e até conseguimos estagiar no INESC TEC!" Tiago André Silva (CF)

Galeria do Insólito

Quem nos acompanha há anos, já conhece as histórias de nos trocarem o nome. Desde a carta vinda do Japão e endereçada ao INESC Morte, até nos perguntarem por telefone se falava do INESC Porco!

Ecografia

BIP tira Raio X a colaboradores do INESC TEC...

Novos Doutorados

Venha conhecer os novos doutorados do INESC TEC...

Novos Colaboradores

Colaboradores que entraram no INESC TEC no mês de junho

Cadê Você?

O INESC TEC lança todos os meses no mercado pessoas altamente qualificadas...

Jobs 4 the Boys & Girls

Referência a anúncios publicados pelo INESC TEC, oferecendo bolsas, contratos de trabalho e outras oportunidades do mesmo género...

Biptoon

Mais cenas de como bamos indo porreiros...

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Cadê Você?

O INESC TEC lança todos os meses no mercado pessoas altamente qualificadas. Muitas vezes, essas pessoas vão ocupar lugares de destaque nas melhores empresas nacionais e internacionais ou optam por formar spin-offs. Como a melhor forma de transferir tecnologia é transferir pessoas, nesta secção a voz é dada aos colaboradores que se formaram no INESC TEC e agora brilham noutras empresas e instituições.

Pedro fortuna, Jscrambler, Founder & CTO

  • Year when you began working at INESC TEC and when you left: As a master student I started working at INESC in 2005. In mid-2010 I stopped working full time at INESC and gradually reduced my work at INESC until I left in 2016.
  • Centre at INESC Porto where you worked: CTM
  • Name of project you were involved in: WiMetroNet

Explain your experience since leaving INESC TEC

I bootstrapped Jscrambler in 2010 along with another co-founder. For years we researched and developed technology around finding fraudulent web traffic. We even did a QREN research project with INESC TEC (AuditService 2.0) on device tracking on the web.

But in 2010 we started focusing on JavaScript code protection. We’ve built a JavaScript formal compiler with a number of code transformations that aim to make the code resilient against tampering and reverse engineering attacks. We fully developed the technology and are successfully selling it to some of the most well known companies in the world in the last few years. More recently we rolled out a new product for Website integrity where we can detect and remove any malicious modification to a website’s DOM. It was a huge investment and we have great expectations in taking it to the market.

During these last few years, I’ve been covering many different functions in the company: R&D coordination, business development, evangelization, sales, etc. My past experience at INESC TEC was very helpful in mastering these responsibilities because, even though I didn’t have these responsibilities then, I brought the same type of mindset and culture to Jscrambler. It also helped me become a better communicator, which was essential in becoming a regular speaker at well-known security conferences.

Three patents (pending) resulted from our research. Again, I didn’t work on patents while at INESC TEC. I now know that it not an easy task. But we wouldn’t have a chance if we weren’t innovating. When you work at INESC TEC you are taught how to seek innovation and you more or less develop a six sense for it. That six sense has been fruitful.

It wasn’t a problem adjusting from an academic setting to a startup and industry environment because in the beginning it was just like a research group. The thought part was learning how to sell technology. Knowing how to commercialize technology well is a rare trait in researchers. And one that is hard to learn. Fortunately, our entrepreneurial ecosystem is becoming stronger, and it is now in much better shape to help researchers create new startups. The University of Porto’s Technology and Science Park (UPTEC) and its Startup Program and the Scaleup Program of the Porto’s Municipality are excellent (and local) examples.

Today, my work is much more focused on technology evangelization, product steering and R&D – and less on managing the daily life of a software development company. I spend a lot of time abroad, especially in the United States. As you scale a technology/innovation focused company, you get a chance to learn a lot and to grow tremendously. You are permanently outside your comfort zone, and that’s great.

In your opinion, how did your time at INESC TEC help you in your new role?

I learned how to do proper scientific research at INESC TEC. Mostly from Prof. Manuel Ricardo, who was my MSc and PhD supervisor, to whom I am deeply grateful. When I started Jscrambler, being an innovation focused company, I structured the R&D using what I learned at INESC TEC as model. More importantly, I brought INESC TEC work ethics and values to the company, and that is what I try to pass to younger generations that join the company.

In your opinion, how has INESC TEC changed since you left?

For what I hear, I think it has been making good changes and improving results. The exception being not organizing the Futsal tournament this year, which is a shame…