Record-breaking Web Summit Rio welcomes largest-ever gathering, with 40,287 attendees and 1,572 startups

Web Summit Rio 2026 is welcoming its biggest audience yet, with 40,287 attendees from over 100 countries, alongside a record-breaking 1,572 startups and 688 investors, kicking off the fourth edition of Web Summit Rio in Rio Centro. 

The event, which runs from June 8 to June 11, set a new record for startup participation and continued the conference’s rapid growth since launching in Rio de Janeiro. Across its first four editions, Web Summit Rio has now welcomed more than 130,000 attendees and 5,000 startups from around the world to Rio de Janeiro. 

Top stats:

• 40,287 attendees from over 100 countries are in Brazil for Web Summit Rio 2026 (2025: 34,552 from 102 countries).
• Web Summit Rio welcomes participants from 100 countries, including the United States, Portugal, Ireland, Canada, China, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Germany, Qatar, Mexico, and Peru.
• 1,572 startups will be showing their ideas, a 12% increase from the 2025 edition of Web Summit Rio, from countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, the Netherlands, Poland, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Singapore, and China. Top sectors include AI & machine learning, Healthtech & wellness, SaaS, and Fintech. 
• 43% of all startups attending have a woman founder.
• 688 investors are in Rio as global capital turns toward the region, a 5% change year on year. Top funds on the ground include Kaszek, Monashees, Softbank Group, Hummingbird Ventures, and Prosus. 
• 133 meetups, powered by Web Summit’s proprietary summit software. Top meetups include the Rio de Janeiro Tech & Founders Meetup, China–LatAm Tech Partnerships, Founders & CEOs at Web Summit Rio, Diverse Voices Meetups, The Power of Conversations in the AI Era, and an AI Innovators Reception hosted by IBM.
• 479 speakers across content tracks,  including the new Sport Summit and the new Machine Summit 
• Country delegations from Austria, Cape Verde, China, Finland, Portugal,  Chile, and Germany.
• 720 members of the media, including Globo TV, Al Jazeera, BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, and CGTN.

“At this critical moment, it’s incredible to be hosting the world’s most visionary tech gathering. And this year we have broken all records. We have a record number of startups – 1,572, to be exact. These are the women and men who will build our future: the connections they make will help transform the world”, said Artur Pereira, Country Manager of Web Summit Rio, during Opening Night.

“More than 40,000 people are joining us at Web Summit Rio. They are founders; creators; investors; developers; governments; thinkers; journalists; business people; and dreamers. They are all here to get a window into the future – and to help make that future better, for Rio, for Brazil and for the world.”

8 June 2026; Artur Pereira, Managing Director, Web Summit, speaking at Centre Stage during opening night of Web Summit Rio 2026 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Web Summit via Sportsfile

Most significant gathering of startups and investors

Over the next four days, many of 1,572 startups will come from around the world to form partnerships, meet potential clients and find investment, and 688 investors are coming to find the next breakout founders. Top funds on the ground include Kaszek, Monashees, Softbank Group, Hummingbird Ventures and Prosus. 

AI and machine learning remain the leading sector in the startups programme, followed by fintech, SaaS, and healthtech and wellness. 

While this year’s Web Summit Rio has gathered its largest-ever group of founders, macro-industry trends show that economic headwinds and the impact of AI are causing mass layoffs in the technology sector. A fresh report from Challenger, Gray and Christmas shows that in 2026, over 123,000 jobs in the tech sector have been cut by companies like Meta and LinkedIn. 

However, Web Summit Rio is telling a different story about the tech sector and innovation. Even amid global uncertainty and mass layoffs, the appetite to build businesses and connect with partners and investors at events is stronger than ever.

The rise of the solo founders  

The number of solo entrepreneurs exhibiting as part of the startups programme has more than doubled since last year. This could indicate that, thanks to vibe coding companies like Replit – who are speaking at Web Summit Rio – startups can now build businesses faster and with few resources, including talent. 

Crunchbase funding 

Data from Web Summit Rio shows that since the inaugural edition, in 2023, 192 from its Startup Programme have collectively raised $487.2 million (around R$2.46 billion). The figures point to a growing pattern: startups that build relationships through the Web Summit ecosystem are going on to raise capital.

Big tech comes to Rio 

Some of the biggest technology companies in the world will be speaking and partnering at Web Summit Rio this year. Dell, Replit, IBM, OpenAI, Oracle, AWS, and Google will all be exhibiting and showcasing new technologies across the sold-out Web Summit Rio floor, along with 157 other partners. 

Leaders from Replit, OpenAI, Meta, Nvidia, IBM, Microsoft, Huawei, and Google will be speaking alongside founders from some of the fastest-growing and most promising companies, including self-made billionaire Kalshi co-founder & COO Lara Luana, Clara Co-founder & CEO Gerry Giacomán Colyer, and Orbital Founder & CEO Euwyn Poon. European Commission Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy Henna Virkkunen and Brazil’s Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Luis Fernandes are among the policymakers coming to discuss global trade and digital sovereignty. And global sports stars including Olympic Gold Medallist Rebeca Andrade, Brazil National Football Team World Cup Winner Denílson de Oliveira and Former Captain of the Brazil National Team Aline Pellegrino will join the 479 speakers across 14 tracks. 

A robot opened the event

For the first time, one of the first guests on stage on opening night isn’t a person. The G1 — a 132-centimetre humanoid robot from Hangzhou-based Unitree, with up to 43 joints and its “brain” recently open-sourced — joins opening night in Rio, alongside the Go2W wheeled-leg robot dog, for a live demonstration of where consumer robotics actually is in 2026

Women take Centre Stage 

Women founders remain a major part of the startup community, with 43% of participating startups led by women. Through its Women in Tech programme, Web Summit promotes greater gender parity by providing discounted tickets, networking opportunities, and a platform to help women founders and business leaders connect and grow. Web Summit Rio will host meetups across the four days to further connect the community of women founders and investors with gatherings like Mothers Building in Tech meetup, Women Investors meetup and Women and AI Optimisation meetup. 

Kalshi founder and self-made millionaire Luana Lopes Lara, Brazil and Latin America’s most decorated Olympic gymnast Rebeca Andrade and Microsoft President Priscyla Laham are just some of the women titans in tech, business and sports that will be taking the stage. 

Web Summit Rio has continued its women in tech ambassador programme and selected 10 women to lead across its women in tech activities and meetups. The ambassador cohort includes Amanda Graciano, a leading voice in innovation and digital transformation; Dilma Campos, a creative leadership and ESG strategist; Camila Moletta, founder of Brazil’s largest female creative talent platform; and Lisiane Lemos, one of Brazil’s most prominent advocates for equity and inclusion in technology.

133 meetups help find new communities

As Web Summit Rio hits its largest attendance yet, keeping it curated and convivial takes precedence. 

133 community meetups, powered by Web Summit’s Summit Engine recommender, will be hosted across the event to bring people together, matching attendees by interests, industries, and goals. 

Highlights include the Rio de Janeiro tech & founders meetup, the AI Innovators networking reception hosted by IBM, and Founders & CEOs @ Web Summit Rio, which bring together leading founders, operators, and investors shaping the startup ecosystem. China–LATAM Tech Partnerships and Come work and live in Europe! explore cross-regional collaboration and talent mobility. Attendees will get a chance to meet like-minded people with similar hobbies at the Podcast lovers meetup, Adventure & outdoor enthusiasts meetup, and Gamers meet builders meetup.