The Riocentro in Barra da Tijuca is set to host over 34,000 participants, more than 1,000 startups, 600 global fund investors, and 300 speakers by Wednesday, as announced by the event organizers.
“In a time when traditional trade alliances are shifting, the Web Summit Rio is becoming a place where new relationships take shape – between companies, governments, investors, and ideas,” stated Artur Pereira, the general director of the Web Summit for Portugal and Brazil.
The organization noted that “the Web Summit Rio occurs amidst a dramatic escalation of tariffs worldwide, following widespread impositions by President Trump on countries like the EU and China,” adding that “this situation has created deep uncertainty for the technology sector – disrupting global markets and threatening supply chains.”
Artificial intelligence, sustainability, fintech, platform regulation, and diversity in technology are set to be other focal points of the event, now in its third edition in Rio de Janeiro. According to the local government, the summit has the potential to attract over 800,000 people and inject approximately 1.2 billion reais (around 250 million euros) into the Rio economy by 2028.
From Portugal, 28 startups focusing on artificial intelligence solutions, human resources, and sports & fitness are participating, supported by Startup Portugal and the Unicorn Factory Lisboa. Among them, 11 are taking part in the conference under the Business Abroad initiative, as stated in a communiqué.
The 11 startups participating in the technological summit under the Business Abroad initiative employ around 200 people and “have already raised more than seven million euros in venture capital and business angels,” the note reveals.
As a kickoff, a meeting will be held today mediated by the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Rio de Janeiro, in collaboration with Startup Portugal, Lisbon Unicorn Capital, and with support from the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP). The goal is to “create connections between Portuguese startups and founders, investors, and key players in the Brazilian startup ecosystem.”
The meeting at the Palácio de São Clemente, within the Portuguese Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, will feature addresses from Ana Rita Ferreira, the deputy consul general of Portugal in Rio de Janeiro; António Montenegro Fiúza, president of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Rio de Janeiro; and António Dias Martins, executive director of Startup Portugal, among others.
The tech event, which began in 2010 in Ireland, relocated to the Parque das Nações area in Lisbon in 2016 and will remain in the Portuguese capital until 2028. Additionally, the company has expanded to the Middle East with the Web Summit Qatar, which took place at the beginning of 2024.
