About us
Higher, together.
Sursum is a Lisbon-based product agency helping entrepreneurs and business leaders worldwide disrupt their industries, from insight to impact.
built
launch
VC-funded
Meet the team
An ultra-senior, AI-native team. Eager to get personally involved in your product.
DanielProduct
IgorProduct
OlgaProduct
MariaProduct
JoãoTech
LourençoTech
ThéoTech
RuiMarketing & growth
AnaAdministration & operations
CEO & Head of Product
Daniel de Castro Ruivo
A rare combination of deep expertise in business strategy, user experience and software engineering: a unique lens to design smart, lean and highly aligned product strategies.
Experience
CEO & Head of Product · Sursum, 2026–present
CEO & Co-Founder · Altar.io, 2015–2026
Co-Founder · Hutsi, 2014–2016
Full experience
- CEO & Head of ProductSursum, 2026–present
- CEO & Co-FounderAltar.io, 2015–2026
- Co-FounderHutsi, 2014–2016
- Co-FounderLumyi, 2012–2015
- FounderMAU, 2008–2015
- FounderOrçamentador, 2014–2015
- FounderLEVE design, 2010–2012
- Co-FounderAmor Fúria Record Label, 2007–2008
- ProducerFlor Caveira, 2007–2008
VP of Product
Igor Malchenko
Founder and executive experience in one person: he knows how to balance user needs with business growth, in scrappy startups and structured scale-ups alike.
Experience
VP of Product · Sursum, 2026–present
VP of Product · Altar.io, 2025–2026
Founder · Coolstory, 2024–present
Full experience
- VP of ProductSursum, 2026–present
- VP of ProductAltar.io, 2025–2026
- FounderCoolstory, 2024–present
- FounderProduct Breakfast Warsaw, 2022–present
- Vice President of Product ManagementReply, 2023–2024
- Group Product ManagerPandaDoc, 2022–2023
- Product ManagerUniSender, 2020–2022
- Product ManagerGovitall.com, 2019
- COOGameTree, 2016–2019
- CMOWater Tower, 2014–2016
- Marketing LeadDneprotechservice, 2013–2014
Senior Product Manager
Olga Vynogradova
A T-shaped product and engineering leader who turns technical excellence into measurable business outcomes, across AI, cloud and data products.
Experience
Senior Product Manager · Sursum, 2026–present
Senior Product Manager · Altar.io, 2026
Product & Engineering Leader · Self-employed, 2024–present
Full experience
- Senior Product ManagerSursum, 2026–present
- Senior Product ManagerAltar.io, 2026
- Product & Engineering LeaderSelf-employed, 2024–present
- Product Owner & Engineering ManagerAtea Global Services, 2019–2023
- Product Owner, Engineering Manager & Group LeadIT consulting company, 2017–2019
- Architect, Product Owner & Group LeadIT consulting company, 2016–2017
- Project Manager, Program Manager & Technical Product ManagerIT consulting company, 2010–2016
Senior Product Designer
Maria Soromenho
Product design for SaaS, AI and data-heavy products: complex workflows and backoffice tools made intuitive, actionable and scalable, designed by someone who also builds them.
Experience
Senior Product Designer · Sursum, 2026–present
Senior Product Designer · Altar.io, 2026
Lead Product Designer & Founder · thisislove studio, 2016–present
Full experience
- Senior Product DesignerSursum, 2026–present
- Senior Product DesignerAltar.io, 2026
- Lead Product Designer & Founderthisislove studio, 2016–present
- Teacher & Course Coordinator, Web design and developmentETIC, 2018–2021
- Full Stack EngineerMailIt (independent product), 2014–2016
- Cognitive Health Platform, Product Design & Behavior Change UXWiseup Academy, 2012–2013
- Product Designer and Frontend DeveloperEconómico, 2010–2012
Tech Founder
João Ribeiro
Software architecture, systems design and finding the optimal technology stack for each product: efficient, scalable, built to last.
Experience
Tech Founder · Sursum, 2026–present
Co-Founder, Fractional CTO · Altar.io, 2019–2026
Co-Founder, CTO, Developer · Altar.io, 2016–2019
Full experience
- Tech FounderSursum, 2026–present
- Co-Founder, Fractional CTOAltar.io, 2019–2026
- Co-Founder, CTO, DeveloperAltar.io, 2016–2019
- Co-Founder, Director, CTOData Gatherers, 2019–present
- Co-Founder, Director, CTOReality Connect, 2014–present
- Chief Technology OfficerEnthusiast Sports & Entertainment, 2024–2025
- Head of ArchitectureNapster (formerly Infinite Reality), 2022–2023
- Chief Technology OfficerReKTGlobal (acquired by Infinite Reality), 2019–2022
- Chief Technology OfficerFullcube, 2018–2019
- CTO and Co-FounderMerkatsu, 2015
- Co-Founder, Front End Developerumcoche, 2013
- Founderimoglobe, 2012–2014
- Co-Founder and DirectorSomatic Records, 2009–2011
- Junior AdvisorMinimal, Business Objects, 2011
Tech Lead
Lourenço Maltez
Builds MVPs for VC-backed founders and maintains Seed, the skeleton every client project starts from, with authentication, access control, CI/CD and cloud infrastructure already wired in.
Experience
Tech Lead · Sursum, 2026–present
Project Lead Developer · Altar.io, 2026
Lead Engineer, Payments & Video · Shortimize, 2025–2026
Full experience
- Tech LeadSursum, 2026–present
- Project Lead DeveloperAltar.io, 2026
- Lead Engineer, Payments & VideoShortimize, 2025–2026
- Co-Founder & Lead DeveloperLurky.app, 2024–2026
- Lead Engineer, AI Video AnalysisProplaintiff.ai, 2024–2025
- Co-Founder & Lead DeveloperStashh Labs, 2021–2026
- Full Stack EngineerEdge Portugal, 2019–2021
- Frontend DeveloperOLX Group, 2017–2019
- Web Developermobinteg, 2016–2017
Lead Product Engineer
Théo Carrara
Engineering leadership for startups: founding engineer, interim head of engineering and tech lead, from a first onboarding system to turning around a stalled platform.
Experience
Lead Product Engineer · Sursum, 2026–present
Lead Product Engineer · Altar.io, 2026
Product Engineer · ELYS HEALTH, 2026
Full experience
- Lead Product EngineerSursum, 2026–present
- Lead Product EngineerAltar.io, 2026
- Product EngineerELYS HEALTH, 2026
- Founding EngineerPeec AI, 2025
- Interim Head of EngineeringDutchess Management, 2024–2025
- Principal EngineerKittl, 2023–2024
- Technical LeadMySecondEar Audiology Group, 2021–2023
- Frontend DeveloperMySecondEar Audiology Group, 2020–2023
Partner & CMO
Rui Lourenço
Fifteen years of marketing built on one habit: talk to the people with the problem, then build the bridge between their problems and the solutions they need.
Experience
Partner & CMO · Sursum, 2026–present
Partner & CMO · Altar.io, 2019–2026
Startup Mentor · Startup Lisboa, 2024–present
Full experience
- Partner & CMOSursum, 2026–present
- Partner & CMOAltar.io, 2019–2026
- Startup MentorStartup Lisboa, 2024–present
- B2B Digital Project ManagerHamlet B2B, 2012–2019
Head of Administration
Ana Páris
Fifteen years across finance, HR and operations, from NATO to Altar.io, turning administrative complexity into clarity so teams can focus on building.
Experience
Head of Administration · Sursum, 2026–present
Head of Administration · Altar.io, 2019–2026
Financial Assistant · Hard Rock Cafe, 2010–2018
Full experience
- Head of AdministrationSursum, 2026–present
- Head of AdministrationAltar.io, 2019–2026
- Financial AssistantHard Rock Cafe, 2010–2018
- Staff Assistant FinanceNATO CIS Services Agency, 2009–2010