O Web Summit Rio
Web Summit Rio, Web Summit’s first event hosted in South America, today
announced a total of 21,367 attendees from 91 countries – a record for a
first-year Web Summit event.
974 startups are exhibiting, representing 28 industries
173 partners are joining Web Summit Rio on the event floor
743 members of the media are in Rio to cover talks from 400 speakers
506 investors are attending, with VC activity in Brazil booming after 139 Q1
deals – worth a total of US$177.9 million – in 2023, according to PitchBook
40 percent of attendees at Web Summit Rio’s inaugural event are women, 37
percent of speakers are women, and 209 startups are women-founded
21,367 attendees from 91 countries
Web Summit Rio sold out four weeks before the event, reaching capacity faster than
any other event in Web Summit’s history. With an initial plan of hosting 5,000 tech
entrepreneurs and investors from around the world, estimated numbers of attendees at
the event were increased first to 10,000, then to 15,000, before the final figure of
21,367 was confirmed.
“Brazil is a major global player, and the tech world has come to Web Summit Rio to see
what’s happening in the region and in Latin America. To have such a strong
international presence at a first-year event is something extraordinary. We believe this
is a sign of great things to come in Rio de Janeiro, and Brazil in general, and we cannot
wait to see how we can grow over the next three years, and beyond,” said Paddy
Cosgrave, founder and CEO of Web Summit.
974 startups representing 28 industries; 173 partners
The most represented industries among startups are enterprise software solutions,
fintech and education. Startups travelled from 42 countries across the globe –
including Armenia, Mozambique, Georgia and Tanzania – to showcase their companies
Web Summit
Web Summit HQ, Tramway House, 32 Dartry Road
Dartry, Dublin 6, Ireland, D06 XT86.
and make meaningful connections at Web Summit Rio.
173 partners are exhibiting on the Web Summit Rio floor, including international
partners such as AWS, Spotify and JP Morgan, and Brazilian partners such as Itaú BBA
and Senac RJ. Trade delegations from across the world – including Hong Kong,
Switzerland and Britain – are also coming to Web Summit Rio to meet companies and
explore opportunities in the rapidly growing tech economies in Brazil and South
America.
506 investors; VC activity in Brazil booming
Web Summit Rio welcomed 506 investors from 21 countries – including the US – and
partners from Andreesen Horowitz, Headline, and Valor Capital Group.
According to PitchBook, in Q1 2023, Brazil's startup ecosystem saw 139 deals worth a
total of US$177.9 million in funding, indicating a return to pre-pandemic levels of deal
flow. Brazil has taken the lead in Latin America, surpassing Mexico in terms of deal
count and funding. Rio de Janeiro alone outperformed the whole of Argentina in terms
of dealflow. Brazil’s startup ecosystem is showing signs of resilience and growth,
making it an attractive market for venture capitalists, and highlighting the country’s
continued importance as a major player in the Latin American startup ecosystem.
743 members of the media and 400 speakers
In total, 400 speakers – including Nubank founder and CEO David Vélez, Nym security
consultant Chelsea Manning and Signal president Meredith Whittaker – will appear on
Web Summit Rio’s stages over the three-day event. 743 members of the media,
including those from the New York Times, Reuters, the Financial Times, the BBC and
Associated Press, will attend the event. Many of these will be moderating panels and
speaking on stage across the event’s seven stages and 14 content tracks.
Women in tech
40 percent of attendees at Web Summit Rio’s inaugural event are women, 37 percent of
speakers are women, and 209 startups are women-founded.
Web Summit Rio’s women in tech tickets sold out in record time. The women in tech
initiative offers discounted Web Summit Rio tickets to women connected to tech
industries, giving them access to an incredible experience full of inspiring talks,
mentorship opportunities, industry networking, learning and development, and
exclusive entry to women in tech areas, including the Women in Tech Lounge, powered
by Banco do Brasil.
Web Summit
Web Summit HQ, Tramway H