DigAí’s AI agent triumphs  in Web Summit Rio PITCH competition

• Brazilian startup sees off thousands of startups to secure the coveted title at Latin America’s biggest tech gathering 
• Numerous partners sign multi-year agreements with Web Summit including Banco BV, and SendPlus

DigAí Co-Founder and CEO Christian Pedrosa received the PITCH trophy on Web Summit’s Rio Centre Stage after winning the final round of judging by Tamara Steffens, Managing Director at Thomson Reuters Ventures; Steven Ogunro, Partner at CrossWork Ventures; and Brant Meyer, Head of Seed Stage Investment at Trac VC.

DigAí has been crowned the winner of Web Summit Rio’s 2025 PITCH competition, which brings together the world’s leading early-stage startups to battle it out on stage.

The São Paulo-based startup builds AI agents — smart virtual assistants that can help businesses streamline hiring, boost sales, and improve productivity. “We’re a one-stop shop for enterprise conversational AI,” explained co-founder Christian Pedrosa. “We create technology that helps people have useful conversations that help teams move faster.” 

Thousands of startups enlisted in Web Summit’s startup program to compete for the PITCH prize over the three-day event. In the end, DigAí beat out two fellow Brazilian contenders in the final: biotech innovator Biolinker and SaaS platform Elephan.AI. All three finalists share Brazilian roots, underscoring the country’s emergence as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurial talent.

30 April 2025; Christian Pedrosa, CEO, DigAÍ, speaks after winning the Pitch final on centre stage during day three of Web Summit Rio 2025 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Web Summit via Sportsfile

Curiously, DigAí didn’t start as a sales tool — it began as a volunteer project at Nubank, one of the world’s largest digital banks, where founder and CEO Christian Pedrosa worked as a Business Security Manager. There, he launched a program teaching programming in São Paulo public schools, and saw firsthand how many students struggled to express themselves in interviews.

“A lot of students were missing out on jobs not because they lacked skills, but because they struggled to express themselves and organize their thoughts during interviews,” said Christian Pedrosa.

To tackle this, Pedrosa built an AI interviewer that gave real-time feedback. Students were successful in job interviews, and the idea grew, to DigAí.  The name “DigAí” itself is a playful nod to the Portuguese expression “diga aí,” meaning “Say it”,  which captures the startup’s mission perfectly: empowering meaningful conversations through AI.

“We’re here to show what we’ve built,” said Christian Pedrosa. “Web Summit is amazing for that — everyone in Brazil’s VC ecosystem is here. It gives founders with a good idea the chance to pitch, connect, and explore.”

29 April 2025; Pitch finalists Christian Pedrosa, CEO, DigAÍ; Thais Sterenberg, Co-founder & CEO, Elephan.ai; Mona Oliveira, Biolinker, backstage on centre stage during day two of Web Summit Rio 2025 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Web Summit via Sportsfile

PITCH finalists join biotech and AI

Runner-up startups in the PITCH final included Biolinker, a biotech company working to make it faster and easier for scientists and biotech firms to develop and scale protein-based products.

“It can be hard to explain what we do, because in popular culture, ‘protein’ often just means meat or whey,” explained founder and CEO Mona Oliveira, PhD. “But essentially, we engineer microorganisms — pharmaceutical enzymes — using synthetic biology to produce high-value ingredients for various industries.”

Participation in Web Summit Rio marked a key milestone for Biolinker. “More people should know that Brazil has these technologies,” said Oliveira. The event offered her a platform to connect with investors, potential clients, and the media. “We’re using this chance to show what we can do.”

Completing the trio of finalists was Elephan.AI, a startup reimagining how B2B sales teams close deals through real-time, AI-powered coaching during sales calls. Their platform acts like a smart teammate, analyzing conversations and offering instant guidance on what to say, how to respond, and how to keep the deal on track.

“We capture every interaction a company has with leads — WhatsApp messages, meeting notes, sales calls — and turn that into insight,” says co-founder and CEO Thais Sterenberg. “That data becomes a powerful feedback loop. We make that knowledge visible so everyone on the team can perform at their best.”

30 April 2025; Maria Prata, Content creator, Prata Porter, Tarciana Medeiros, CEO, Banco do Brasil, Adriana Barbosa, Founder & CEO, Feira Preta Ecosystem; Bianca Andrade, CEO and founder, Boca Rosa Company; on centre stage during day three of Web Summit Rio 2025 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Web Summit via Sportsfile

Web Summit Rio 2025 highlights 

Web Summit Rio 2025 broke records with 1,397 startups, 657 investors, and 34,552 attendees from 102 countries, solidifying its position as South America’s largest tech event. A new five-year agreement with the City of Rio ensures the event’s presence through 2030. Notably, 46% of participating startups were women-founded, showing the event’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. You can read more about numbers at Web Summit rio here. 

As highlighted by Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave, “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.

Partners sign multi-year agreements with Web Summit

A number of Web Summit partners have signed multi-year agreements for the upcoming editions of Web Summit Rio. These include Brazilian bank Banco BV; AEVO; Petrobras; Brazil’s largest innovation and knowledge center CESAR; e-commerce platform Loja Integrada; Mexico’s BlackBox Startup Law; US-based AI-powered lead intelligence firm Snov.io; US marketing automation startup SendPulse; and US software experience management platform Pendo.

27 April 2025; Paddy Cosgrave, CEO & Founder, Web Summit, on centre stage, with, from left, Antonio Queiroz, President of Fecomercio System of the State of Rio de Janeiro, SENAC; Luciana Santos, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Government of Brazil; 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; Marcio Aguiar, Executive Director, Nvidia, on centre stage during day one of Web Summit Rio 2025 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Web Summit via Sportsfile

AI, Alliances, and the Future of Innovation 

At Web Summit Rio 2025, the dominant theme was the shifting balance of global tech power and the urgent need to rethink international trade. Talks around artificial intelligence drew the most attention —continuing the momentum sparked by ChatGPT and fueled by new players like China’s DeepSeek. Attendees were eager to explore the future of AI agents. The convergence of tech and culture was another strong thread, with sessions examining storytelling innovation, the creator economy, and the rising influence of platforms like TikTok on global communication.

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

Meetups, meetups, meetups

Beyond the main stage, curated meetups like the FinTech Founders Meetup, Women in Tech Meet, and Politics and International Trade sessions drew strong interest, reflecting Web Summit’s growing investment in its meetup program. Since Web Summit Lisbon 2024, the company uses proprietary software to analyze attendee profiles and recommend relevant gatherings—resulting in over 100 AI-matched meetups that sparked meaningful connections and collaboration at Web Summit Rio 2025.

More than just a showcase of startups and innovation, Web Summit Rio 2025 reflected a world in transition—one where tech is not just adapting to change, but actively helping shape it.

Top Meetups Included:

• Agentic AI – the next quantum leap in artificial intelligence with Nvidia, Executive Director Marcio Aguiar
• TikTok and the power of discovery: Ivete Sangalo’s viral journey, with TikTok GM for Global Solutions Gabriela Comazzeto, and singer and actress Ivete Sangalo 
• Welcome to the future of cross-platform storytelling featuring Porta dos Fundos founder Fábio Porchat
• Let’s talk TikTok: the creator playbook for 2025 featuring TikTok Global head of integrated marketing Carol Baracat
• Agents and allies: Essential skills for working alongside AI agents Chris Stephens featuring IBM Chief Impact Officer Justina Nixon-Saintil and Groq Field CTO Christ Stephens