About
João Günther Amaral is CEO of Bright Pixel Capital, Sonae's venture capital and venture building platform, where he oversees investments, startup incubation and portfolio development across areas including AI, cybersecurity, enterprise software and retail technologies. He has held executive positions at Sonae MC and Sonae, and serves as a Non-Executive Director at Ometria as well as on governance bodies of institutions such as FEUP, Universidade Aberta and Endeavor Portugal. He holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from FEUP and an Executive MBA from Porto Business School, with additional executive education at Stanford, Harvard, IMD, London Business School, Babson College and Singularity University.
Experience
- OmetriaNon Executive Directorcurrent2025 — present
- InfraspeakNon Executive Directorcurrent2026 — present
- SafeBreachNon Executive Directorcurrent2025 — present
- Universidade AbertaMembro Conselho Geralcurrent2025 — present
- Bright Pixel CapitalCEOcurrent2025 — presentPorto, Portugal
- Bright Pixel CapitalNon Executive Board Member2019 — 2025
- NOS SGPSPresidente Comissão de Vencimentoscurrent2023 — presentPortugal
- SparkfoodNon Executive Board Membercurrent2021 — present
- PúblicoMember Board of Directorscurrent2019 — present
- Musti GroupNon Executive Board Member2024 — 2025Finland
- SONAEMember Board of Directors2023 — 2025
- SONAEChief Development Officer2019 — 2025Maia, Porto, Portugal
- MCNon Executive Board Member2021 — 2025
- Worten PortugalNon Executive Board Member2019 — 2025
- MCExecutive Board Member2014 — 2019Porto
- SONAEDirector for Business Development and Innovation2001 — 2014Porto
- Leica Camera AGHead of IT1997 — 2001
- Agência de InovaçãoInnovation and Systems Analyst1994 — 1997Porto & Lisbon
Skills & more
CoachingExecutive CoachingBusiness CoachingCoaching & MentoringE-CommerceRetail69IT Management19Change Management30Program Management9Strategic Planning20Team Leadership55Business Analysis31
+12 more
ERPTeam ManagementManagementProject ManagementNegotiationBusiness ProcessStrategyBusiness PlanningIntegrated Supply Chain ManagementLeadership DevelopmentBusiness Process ImprovementSupply Chain OptimizationLanguages English · French · German · Portuguese · Spanish
From João's professional profile.
Colleagues at Bright Pixel Capital
Benjamin Junior
Director, Infrastructure Software (Bright Ventures) at Bright Pixel Capital
Carlos Neto
Investor at Bright Pixel Capital
Carmo Silva
Manager, Retail at Bright Pixel Capital
Cristina Novais
CFO at Bright Pixel Capital
Daniela Coutinho
Principal, Cyber at Bright Pixel Capital
Eduardo Piedade
Managing Partner and CEO at Bright Pixel Capital
Fernando Martins
Director, Cyber at Bright Pixel Capital
Filipa Costa
Director, Finance at Bright Pixel Capital
Frequently asked questions
- Who is João Günther Amaral?
- João Günther Amaral is CEO of Bright Pixel Capital, Sonae's venture capital and venture building platform, where he oversees investments, startup incubation and portfolio development across areas including AI, cybersecurity, enterprise software and retail technologies. He has held executive positions at Sonae MC and Sonae, and serves as a Non-Executive Director at Ometria as well as on governance bodies of institutions such as FEUP, Universidade Aberta and Endeavor Portugal. He holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from FEUP and an Executive MBA from Porto Business School, with additional executive education at Stanford, Harvard, IMD, London Business School, Babson College and Singularity University.
- Where does João Günther Amaral work?
- João Günther Amaral is Managing Partner & CEO at Bright Pixel Capital.
- Where did João Günther Amaral go to school?
- João Günther Amaral studied at INSEAD (Coaching certification, Coaching); INSEAD (Insead Coaching Certificate); IMD (Breakthrough Program for Senior Executives).
Same school
Also attended INSEAD804
Alexandre ProtCo-founder & CEO of QontoSteve AnaviCo-founder & President of QontoPatrick ClaessenPartner at Cottonwood Technology FundChris BischoffInvestment Team at General CatalystJan HammerInvestor at Index VenturesSandra SchwarzerInvestor at Index Ventures
.jpg)
+ 798 more
Also attended IMD172
Karthik ChakkarapaniInvestor at Foundation CapitalKulpreet SinghOperating Advisor at OpenOceanMusaad AlkadiSr. Principal at Graphene VenturesGrant AllenFounding GP, Schneider Electric Ventures at Giant Ventures Global LlpFredric PetitPartner, Head of Materials & Packaging at Emerald Technology Ventures AgXavier MesnierPartner, Head of Frontiers in Health & Bio Investments at Verve Ventures
+ 166 more
Also attended Stanford University2,000
Peter ThielCo-founder & Partner at Founders FundReid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockDavid SacksCo-founder & General Partner at Craft Ventures; former White House AI & Crypto CzarKeith RaboisManaging Director at Khosla VenturesGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorAlfred LinPartner at Sequoia Capital
+ 1,994 more
Also attended Porto Business School13
Daniela CoutinhoPrincipal, Cyber at Bright Pixel CapitalPedro CunhaDirector, Legal at Bright Pixel CapitalMaria Villas-BoasOperating Partner at Shilling VCBernardo PequitoInvestment Director at Beta CapitalCarlos Alberto SilvaManaging Partner at 33NLuiza BerinsonHead of Legal at ABSeed Ventures
+ 7 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Ometria5
Also worked at Bright Pixel Capital16
Carmo SilvaManager, Retail at Bright Pixel CapitalCristina NovaisCFO at Bright Pixel CapitalDaniela CoutinhoPrincipal, Cyber at Bright Pixel CapitalJoão BandeiraPrincipal, Infrastructure Software at Bright Pixel CapitalManuel QueirozDirector, Retail at Bright Pixel CapitalMarcos OsórioDirector, Cyber at Bright Pixel Capital
+ 10 more
Also worked at SONAE9
Miguel BagulhoDirector, Retail at Bright Pixel CapitalDiogo da SilveiraFounder & IC Member at Shilling VCMaria Villas-BoasOperating Partner at Shilling VCRodrigo GarcíaChairman of the Asociación Española de FinTech e InsurTech at Civeta InvestmentLuís RoqueVenture Partner at TLF VenturesJorge LetraBusiness Angel at REDangels
+ 3 more
