Web Summit Rio 2025: A Global Tech Gathering

Rio de Janeiro once again hosted Web Summit, the world-renowned tech conference, from April 27-30, 2025. Held for the second time in Brazil’s vibrant capital, the event took over the impressive RioCentro in Barra da Tijuca, near the Olympic stadium.

Founded in 2009 by Ireland’s Paddy Cosgrave, Web Summit has grown into a global phenomenon, with events in Lisbon, Doha, and, new for 2025, Vancouver. It’s truly “where the tech world meets.”

Attendees explored a dynamic environment featuring:

• Networking areas and an Investors Lounge

• Pitch stages and Mentors Hours

• A dedicated Women in Tech area

• Master Class sessions and Roundtable discussions

Startup booths showcased innovations across health, finance, travel, and more, while enthusiastic volunteers ensured a smooth experience.

The energy extended into the Night Summit, transforming three of Rio’s most vibrant spots – Barra da Tijuca, Leblon, and Botafogo – into extended networking opportunities.

The highly anticipated PITCH WINNER was BioLinker from São Paulo, Brazil. This bioengineering company impressed with its focus on protein production using fermentation bioprocesses and cell-free protein expression. You can learn more about them at https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/biolinker.

Beyond the main event, the Food Summit kept attendees fueled with diverse options from various food trucks. The LiveVoice translation feature in the Web Summit app was a game-changer, seamlessly translating talks from Brazilian Portuguese to English and vice versa.

The Rio de Janeiro Tech Week AI Founders and Funders Power Walks, organized by Staaake (https://lu.ma/staaake), offered a unique way to connect, exercise, and explore the city before and after the conference. Startups from across South America, Europe, Canada, and the U.S. showcased their ingenuity. Notably, Canada’s Research Bunny (www.researchbunny.com) presented their app that makes academic papers accessible in multiple languages – a truly innovative solution for bridging the gap between scholars and seekers.

Bottom line: Web Summit Rio 2025 was a thrilling, well-run tech extravaganza. Rio’s stunning scenery, warm people, and sunny weather made it an unforgettable experience. Great topics, top-tier speakers, and endless networking. Don’t miss the next one!

Take a chance to review once again the Web Summit 2024 – Lisbon via our Virtual Tour, and check more on our app: