Web Summit Rio breaks startup record, gathering 1,397 startups, among 34,552 attendees

• 34,552 attendees are joining Web Summit from 102 countries, including Brazil, the US, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, the UK, India, Singapore and Ecuador;
• 1,397 startups from 43 countries will take part in Web Summit Rio. The 2025 figure marks a 31 per cent increase from 2024, when 1,066 startups joined;
• Of the 2025 startups, 647 are women-founded, representing over 46 per cent of participants. The number represents a 34 per cent increase from 2024, where 480 women-founded startups joined;
• 657 investors from 26 countries are joining the event, a 32 per cent increase compared to last year;
• Web Summit’s proprietary Summit Engine software is powering 105 meetups in Rio Centro, matching the 34,552 attendees by interests, industries, and goals;
• 171 partners exhibiting include Google Cloud, Salesforce, SAP, Senac, Itaú, JP Morgan, Greenpeace, and Mastercard Brasil;
• 846 members of the media are attending Web Summit Rio, covering talks from 516 speakers;

27 April 2025; Luciana Santos, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Government of Brazil, on centre stage, with, from left, Paddy Cosgrave, CEO & Founder, Web Summit; Antonio Queiroz, President of Fecomercio System of the State of Rio de Janeiro, SENAC; and Eduardo da Costa Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro; during opening night of Web Summit Rio 2025 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Web Summit via Sportsfile

Rio de Janeiro secures Web Summit Rio until 2030

Paddy Cosgrave, founder and CEO of Web Summit; Luciana Santos, Brazil’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation; Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro; and Antonio Queiroz, President of the Fecomercio System of the State of Rio de Janeiro (SENAC), announced a new five-year agreement with the City of Rio de Janeiro during Web Summit Rio’s Opening Night on Centre Stage. The agreement secures Web Summit’s presence in Rio until 2030, scaling Web Summit Rio to South America’s largest technology event and helping turbocharge Rio’s tech ecosystem. You can read more about the deal here. 

28 April 2025; Attendees during day one of Web Summit Rio 2025 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Web Summit via Sportsfile

1,397 startups from 43 countries 

Web Summit’s startup programme reached new heights in 2024, with more than 6,500 startups in total joining our global events across Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. That momentum continues in 2025, with a record-breaking 1,397 startups at Web Summit Rio – a 31 percent increase from last year, cementing Web Summit events as the place where the world’s most vital conversations happen, new talent is discovered, and investors and startups connect and grow alongside leading voices in tech, business and culture. 

This year, Web Summit Rio brings startups, investors, partners, and global trade delegations together at a crucial moment, as shifting tech landscapes and new economic realities open up fresh opportunities to forge cross-border collaborations, drive innovation, and shape the future of global industries.

Brazil leads the way in startup representation, alongside a strong presence from countries such as the US, Chile, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. 

Millions of dollars in deals

Crunchbase data shows that of the startups participating in the Web Summit Rio 2024 startups programme [ALPHA, BETA, GROWTH], 46 have since raised funding, bringing in a total between them of $106 million, or an average of $2.3 million each. 

In total, participating companies at Web Summit Rio 2024 have collectively raised $39 billion since the event.

According to Forbes, $200 million worth of deals were signed during Web Summit Rio 2024. The article states that at least 10 cooperation agreements were signed during the conference, the result of over 60 meetings held by the city’s investment agency InvestRio. According to the president of Invest.Rio, Alexandre Vermeulen, the number of investments doubled in comparison to the 2023 event.

3 May 2023; A general view of attendees at the Investor Lounge during day two of Web Summit Rio 2023 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Web Summit Rio via Sportsfile

657 investors from 26 countries 

It’s not just startups that are growing: the number of investors has surged too, with 657 attending – a 32 per cent increase year-on-year. We welcomed leading investors from Brazil, while many more flew in from the US, Canada, Argentina, Singapore, Mexico, and the UK, all eager to discover the next big thing. Top funds at Web Summit Rio include names such as Kaszek Ventures, Andreeson Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins, and Upload Ventures.

27 April 2025; Sara Sabry, Astronaut, CEO & Founder, Deep Space Initiative, on centre stage during opening night of Web Summit Rio 2025 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Web Summit via Sportsfile

Women on the rise

Women represent over 45 per cent of all attendees.  Web Summit Rio 2025 also welcomes 647 startups with a female founder, which represents 46 per cent of all startups. This highlights Web Summit’s commitment to driving change by fostering networking opportunities, building mentorship programmes, and offering discounted tickets to women attendees.

Web Summit’s community partnerships also help increase the representation of traditionally marginalised groups in tech. Community Partners at Web Summit Rio 2025 include TETO, mobilizing youth to improve housing in Brazil’s underserved areas, Instituto GUETTO, empowering entrepreneurship and education in urban communities, and Vote LGBT, strengthening LGBTQ+ political representation and rights.

171 partners from 29 countries 

Startups and investors attending Web Summit Rio have the opportunity to connect with 171 partners, including Google Cloud, Salesforce, SAP, Senac, Itaú, JP Morgan, Greenpeace, and Mastercard Brasil, as well as 23 trade delegations from countries such as Finland, Germany, Austria, Canada, Portugal and Chile.

Major national and international media outlets, such as Globo TV, AFP, Bloomberg, Reuters, CNN, and Xinhua, will also be present, along with speakers from leading companies like Nvidia, OpenAI, Microsoft, TikTok, and more.

“Web Summit isn’t just getting bigger – it’s becoming more important as global politics, trade, and technology shift, pushing new debates forward, shaping industries, and forging fresh alliances. The numbers we’re seeing this year speak for themselves: nearly 1,400 startups are joining Web Summit Rio, a 31 per cent increase from last year. It’s a clear sign that even amid global uncertainty, innovation isn’t slowing down – it’s speeding up,” said founder and CEO of Web Summit Paddy Cosgrave.

“Cities like Rio aren’t just adapting to change, they’re leading it. Web Summit has always been about more than the talks on our stages, as powerful as they are: it’s about building the connections that drive new trade partnerships, unlock investment, and take local ideas global. That’s exactly what’s happening here in Rio,” he added.

27 April 2025; Speed networking during opening night of Web Summit Rio 2025 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Sam Barnes/Web Summit via Sportsfile

The right connection

With more than 34,000 people attending Web Summit Rio this year, making the right connections has never been more important. Web Summit’s growing mission is to help people make the best, most relevant connections by designing events that are more connected, convivial, and collaborative — a mission that is particularly relevant at a time when global tech shifts and trade upheavals are reshaping industries and heightening the need for new partnerships between innovators, startups, investors, media, and leaders worldwide.

To do so, Web Summit is using its proprietary software, Summit Engine, to power 105 meetups at Riocentro, matching attendees by their interests, industries, and goals. This follows the successful launch of meetups at Web Summit Lisbon last November.

Meetups in Rio include Women in Marketing, Future of Work Meetup, AI Leaders meetup, Europe at Web Summit Rio, and Energy Leaders & Innovators meetup. 

27 April 2025; Eduardo da Costa Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, on centre stage during opening night of Web Summit Rio 2025 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Web Summit via Sportsfile

516 speakers and 846 media 

516 speakers will speak over the four days of the event, including Nvdia’s Executive Director Marcio Aguiar; Open AI’s Head of Global Affairs for LATAM & Caribbean, Nicolas Robinson Andrade; Microsoft Brazil’s President Priscyla Laham; IBM’s Chief Impact Officer Justina Nixon-Saintil; and TikTok’s General Manager of Global Business Solutions Gabriela Comazzetto. 

846 members of the media from 23 countries will gather insights and report on breaking news related to AI, geopolitical changes, venture capital, and regulation, including from  Globo TV, AFP, Bloomberg, Reuters, CNN, and Xinhua.