Web Summit Rio welcomes record 40,287 participants and 1,572 startups | News
Web Summit Rio 2026 welcomes its largest audience yet, with 40,287 participants from more than 100 countries, in addition to a record 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 11, set a new record for startup participation and continued the conference’s rapid growth since its launch in Rio de Janeiro. Through its first four editions, Web Summit Rio has now welcomed more than 130,000 visitors and 5,000 startups from around the world to Rio de Janeiro.
Top stats:
– 40,287 participants from more than 100 countries are present in Brazil for the 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 showcase 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.
v43% of all startups present have a female founder.
– There are 688 investors in Rio as global capital turns to the region, a change of 5% year-on-year. Top funds locally include Kaszek, Monashees, Softbank Group, Hummingbird Ventures and Prosus.
– 133 meetings, powered by Web Summit’s proprietary Summit software. Summits 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 various 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 media members, including Globo TV, Al Jazeera, BBC, Bloomberg, CNN and CGTN.
“At this critical moment, it is incredible to host the world’s most visionary tech gathering. And this year we broke all records. We have a record number of startups – 1,572 to be precise. 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 participating in the Web Summit Rio. They are founders; creators; investors; developers; governments; thinkers; journalists; businesspeople; and dreamers. They are all here to peek into the future – and to help improve that future, for Rio, for Brazil, and for the world.”
June 8, 2026; Artur Pereira, Managing Director, Web Summit, speaks on Center Stage during the opening night of Web Summit Rio 2026 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Web Summit via Sportsfile
Most important meeting of startups and investors
Over the next four days, many of the 1,572 startups from around the world will come to form partnerships, meet potential customers and find investments, and 688 investors will come looking for the next breakthrough founders. Top funds locally include Kaszek, Monashees, Softbank Group, Hummingbird Ventures and Prosus.
AI and machine learning remain the leading sector in the startups program, followed by fintech, SaaS and health tech and wellness.
While this year’s Web Summit Rio has gathered the largest group of founders ever, macro industry trends show that economic headwinds and the impact of AI are causing mass layoffs in the tech sector. A new report from Challenger, Gray and Christmas shows that more than 123,000 jobs in the technology sector will be cut by companies such as Meta and LinkedIn by 2026.
However, Web Summit Rio tells a different story about the technology sector and innovation. Even amid global uncertainty and mass layoffs, the drive 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 program has more than doubled since last year. This could indicate that, thanks to vibe-coding companies like Replit – speaking at Web Summit Rio – startups can now build companies more quickly with few resources, including talent.
Crunchbase Financing
Data from Web Summit Rio shows that since the first edition in 2023, 192 members of the Startup program have collectively raised $487.2 million (approximately $2.46 billion). The numbers point to a growing pattern: startups that build relationships through the Web Summit ecosystem will raise capital.
Big tech is coming to Rio
Some of the world’s largest technology companies will be speaking and collaborating at this year’s Web Summit Rio. Dell, Replit, IBM, OpenAI, Oracle, AWS and Google will all be exhibiting and showcasing new technologies at the sold-out Web Summit Rio, along with 157 other partners.
Leaders from Replit, OpenAI, Meta, Nvidia, IBM, Microsoft, Huawei and Google will speak alongside founders of some of the fastest growing and most promising companies, including self-made billionaire Kalshi co-founder and COO Lara Luana, Clara co-founder and CEO Gerry Giacomán Colyer and Orbital founder and CEO Euwyn Poon. Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, and Brazilian Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Luis Fernandes are among the policymakers set to discuss global trade and digital sovereignty. And global sports stars including Olympic gold medalist Rebeca Andrade, World Cup winner of the Brazilian national football team Denílson de Oliveira and former captain of the Brazilian national team Aline Pellegrino will join the 479 speakers on 14 circuits.
A robot opened the event
For the first time, one of the first guests on stage during opening night is not a person. The G1 – a 132 centimeter humanoid robot from Hangzhou-based Unitree, with up to 43 joints and its ‘brain’ recently open sourced – will take part in the opening night in Rio, alongside the Go2W robot dog on wheels, for a live demonstration of where consumer robotics will actually be in 2026
Women take center stage
Female founders continue to make up a large part of the startup community, with 43% of participating startups led by women. Through the Women in Tech program, Web Summit promotes greater gender equality by offering discounted tickets, networking opportunities and a platform to help female founders and business leaders connect and grow. Web Summit Rio will host meetups throughout the four days to further connect the community of female founders and investors with gatherings such as Mothers Building in Tech meetup, Women Investors meetup and Women and AI Optimization 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 female titans in technology, business and sports who will take the stage.
Web Summit Rio has continued its Women in Tech ambassador program, selecting 10 women to lead its Women in Tech activities and meetings. 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 platform for female creative talent; and Lisiane Lemos, one of Brazil’s most prominent advocates for equality and inclusion in technology.
133 meetings help find new communities
Now that Web Summit Rio has the largest turnout to date, keeping things organized and fun takes priority.
The event will host 133 community gatherings, powered by Web Summit’s Summit Engine recommender, to bring people together and match participants based on interests, industries and goals.
Highlights include the Rio de Janeiro tech & founders meetup, the AI Innovators network reception hosted by IBM, and Founders & CEOs @ Web Summit Rio, bringing together leading founders, operators and investors shaping the startup ecosystem. China-LATAM Tech Partnerships and Come Work and Live in Europe! exploring interregional cooperation and talent mobility. Participants will have the opportunity to meet like-minded people with similar hobbies at the Podcast Enthusiasts Gathering, the Adventure and Outdoor Enthusiasts Gathering, and the Gamers and Builders Gathering.
