Web Summit Rio, Latin American franchise of global tech and innovation, wrapped up Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, breaking attendance records for the third consecutive year.
The event brought together thousands of attendees looking to connect, learn and stay ahead with the latest digital technology advances and innovations since its launch in 2023.
This year's four-day edition brought a record of nearly 35,000 attendees from over 100 countries and regions, along with about 1,400 startups and over 600 investors.
Artur Pereira, the summit's manager, credits the jump in attendance to the 106 million U.S. dollars in investment for the top 40 startups raised in 2024, about 2.3 million dollars each.
“Startups know that [if] they want to get funded, [if] they want to do business, [if] they want to meet the biggest tech companies in the world, they [need to] come to Web Summit,” Pereira said.
Embraer, a global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil and one of the summit's main exhibitors and investors, held what it called a "startup marathon" in its search for partnerships. With a strong global market presence in commercial, executive, and defense aviation, the company also used the event to highlight how innovation remains central to its growth strategy.
"If we don't apply Artificial Intelligence, if we don't apply new technology to our products, if we don't offer these things to clients who are seeking certain profit margins, we lose our competitivity. So, innovation is not a choice. It is a necessity, and it has always been that way with Embraer,” said Leonardo Garnica, head of corporate innovation of Embraer.
While serious networking and deal-making were the main focus of the summit, there were also lighter sides to the event, for example, a digital rainforest experience, or stepping on the gas in a virtual 3D formula-one driver experience offered by racing giant McLaren.
The event has been extended in the same venue for another five years, until 2030.
Web Summit Rio concludes with record-high attendence
