Infraspeak is a Leading Maintenance and Facilities Management Software That Turns Fragmented, Complex Operations into One Connected, Transparent System

Infraspeak is a collaborative platform that enables complex facilities management operations to work as one, connecting all internal and external stakeholders without silos, blind spots or overload. What began as a university project in Portugal has grown into a company serving clients across multiple continents. The company’s purpose is to transform the way technical teams communicate, schedule, and deliver services while making daily work lighter and more transparent.

Felipe Ávila da Costa, co-founder and CEO, has led Infraspeak from its earliest experiments into a global business. His leadership style blends curiosity, resilience, and a keen awareness that people, not just software, make companies succeed. Speaking with him reveals how personal lessons, cultural choices, and a long-term vision created a business that is both practical and human.

From Failure to Fresh Vision

Felipe’s entrepreneurial path did not begin with success. In his early twenties he launched a company that, in his words, failed spectacularly. Looking back, he recognises it as one of the most useful chapters of his career. The experience made him realise that ambition without structure or a clear market is unsustainable. Instead of discouraging him, it gave him sharper instincts.

Following that venture he joined the University of Porto’s innovation centre, UPTEC. There he advised hundreds of founders at different stages of their journeys. He describes those years as a masterclass in entrepreneurship without the tuition fee. By observing mistakes and small wins across dozens of industries, he developed an intuitive sense of what made startups flourish or falter. “I learned the fastest lessons not by my own mistakes but through helping hundreds of founders navigate theirs,” he says.

It was in that environment that he met Luís Martins, a fellow engineer who had developed a simple piece of software as a side project. Luís was searching for a partner who could transform it into a company. Felipe saw potential. What struck him most was the gap in the market for a tool that could make facility management not only digital but genuinely easy to use. He stepped in, and Infraspeak was born.

Building Simplicity into Complexity

From day one, Felipe wanted the platform to embrace simplicity. Facility management by its nature is complex. Multiple teams, tasks, and assets intersect every hour of every day. Legacy systems added to the confusion rather than reducing it. Many professionals relied on paperwork, phone calls, and spreadsheets that were often out of date. Felipe and his team believed software could untangle that mess but only if it was intuitive.

He describes how early design choices revolved around asking technicians and managers how they wanted to work rather than imposing an abstract system. They focused on making the platform modular so clients could use only what they needed, instead of being forced into a heavy all-in-one package. That philosophy, simplicity first, choice always, remains central today.

Infraspeak gradually attracted customers who were frustrated by traditional solutions. Hotels, hospitals, and service providers began adopting the software, drawn to the promise of efficiency and visibility. For many, it was the first time maintenance data could be accessed in real time. Work orders no longer sat lost in email threads. Reports no longer took weeks to compile. Decisions could be made with confidence.

Felipe insists that the product journey has never been about chasing trends. It has been about listening and responding. The company’s culture reflects that same orientation. Engineers, sales teams, and support staff are encouraged to stay close to the customer. Feedback loops are constant, and improvements are celebrated when they solve real pain points.

Culture as the Growth Engine

When asked about the hardest part of scaling a startup, Felipe does not hesitate. Culture, he says, is what either holds everything together or quietly unravels it. He believes many founders underestimate how early culture takes shape. Every hire, every ritual, every decision sets a precedent. If those precedents are inconsistent, the company struggles to align as it grows.

For Infraspeak, culture was never an afterthought. Felipe recalls the deliberate decision to embrace flexibility, meritocracy, and rituals that brought teams together. Monthly perks, remote-friendly practices, and transparent communication were not perks for appearances but commitments to creating a workplace where people thrive. “Great people make lasting impact and help shape culture faster than any other lever,” he says.

He is candid about mistakes too. Looking back, he would have brought in more seasoned talent earlier. At first, the temptation to hire only eager juniors felt natural. But experienced leaders provide stability and guidance that accelerate growth and prevent repeated errors. Balancing youthful energy with veteran insight became a turning point in the company’s maturation.

The results speak for themselves. Employees who joined as juniors have risen quickly to positions of leadership, empowered by the company’s trust and investment in their development. The startup environment offers challenges that stretch people, and Felipe describes that transformation as one of the most rewarding parts of the journey. Watching colleagues discover new capacities in themselves is, for him, as meaningful as signing major clients.

Lessons for Small and Mid-Sized Enterprises

Infraspeak’s path offers insights for SMEs navigating their own digital or organisational transformation. Felipe highlights the danger of scattering attention across too many channels, whether in marketing, operations, or expansion. Focus, he says, is what unlocks progress. Start with clarity about the problem being solved, validate it with customers, then double down. Spreading thinly across multiple directions delays traction.

He also cautions against the myth that culture will naturally sort itself out. For small companies, culture is both fragile and decisive. If values and practices are not articulated early, the organisation inherits habits that can later prove toxic. Leaders must model the behaviours they want reflected. In his view, culture is the most enduring competitive advantage a company can have.

When asked what advice he would give to a founder just starting out, Felipe keeps it simple. Talk about your idea openly. Seek feedback constantly. Protecting a concept in isolation is a slower route to progress. Conversations accelerate refinement and clarity. And once clarity arrives, do not hesitate to invest in people who will shape the journey with you

He acknowledges the roller-coaster nature of entrepreneurship. The highs can feel euphoric, but the lows are equally deep. Resilience comes from remembering why you started and surrounding yourself with peers who understand the ride. For him, fellow founders have been invaluable sounding boards. Sharing stories of both victory and failure normalises the turbulence.

Today, Infraspeak operates internationally, with clients across Europe, South America, and beyond. Felipe remains grounded in the original mission: to be a source of good life for teams and customers alike. That mission drives not only product design but also company culture. The belief is simple yet ambitious. When operations are clear and seamless, people can focus on meaningful work and experience less daily frustration.

As the company grows, Felipe’s personal goal is to keep listening. Innovation, he believes, is not a product of isolation but of continuous dialogue with users, employees, and partners. He wants Infraspeak to remain flexible enough to adapt yet stable enough to give customers confidence for the long haul.

His story, and the story of Infraspeak, resonates with many SME leaders facing their own decisions about technology, people, and growth. The message is not that every company should mirror Infraspeak’s path. It is that every company can benefit from clarity, humility, and cultural intention. Behind the software lies a reminder that even in technical fields, the most powerful lever of success is human.

Felipe Ávila da Costa, Co-Founder & CEO, Infraspeak

Infraspeak is a unique facilities management software that connects your entire operation with end-to-end collaboration, complete visibility, and intelligent automation.