Since its very beginning, Web Summit has brought together a global community of founders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to connect and exchange ideas about the technology and trends shaping the world.&nbsp;



What started in 2009 as a 150-person gathering of tech geeks in Dublin has grown into an ecosystem of over a million people attending our flagship events in Lisbon, Toronto, Rio, Qatar, and Hong Kong. We have hosted some of the biggest names in tech alongside young entrepreneurs and next-generation thinkers for critical conversations about technology, society, and innovation. The relationships formed at Web Summit events have led to remarkable advancements, from investment opportunities to seminal partnerships to the birth of game-changing companies.&nbsp;



Over the last 15 years, the world has changed in many ways, and we’ve always been committed to adapting and re-evaluating our mission and goals to meet evolving challenges, ideas, and global circumstances. We’re currently in an especially charged moment in time: AI is rapidly transforming so many aspects of how we live and work, society feels fractured and divided across multiple fault lines, and a new generation of adults is entering an uncertain economic, political, and environmental landscape.&nbsp;



Against this backdrop, Web Summit wants to build stronger and more diverse communities within our broader ecosystem to facilitate meaningful connections across our global network. As Web Summit becomes bigger, our aim is, in a way, to make it smaller for our attendees. More intimate. More convivial. More community-focused.&nbsp;



For years we have been building software to increase the likelihood of the right people meeting each other in the most meaningful way and helping those relationships thrive long after each event. Four years ago, amidst the global pandemic, at a time when no one could be together, we put our software to the test to increase the number of meaningful connections we create for our attendees. This became our North Star and what guided us. That mission helped us navigate the most difficult period in our history to unprecedented success.&nbsp;



Now we want to supercharge that.&nbsp;



Our new North Star is creating meaningful communities and connections for our attendees. Over the last year we have tested small prototype meetups for attendees in similar industries like product engineers or marketing leads. All of these were facilitated through our Web Summit app and the feedback has been incredible. People loved the opportunity to gather with others in their field. In Rio and Toronto we’ll scale our testing further. And come Web Summit in Lisbon we’ll launch for all our attendees. Every attendee who comes to Web Summit should feel part of a community. 



After all, Web Summit is merely thousands of small groups that combine into one giant Web Summit community. We will seed small communities at our events, and then help them thrive long after each event.&nbsp;



We believe it is more important than ever to bring people together from across the world. We have always known that people value Web Summit for the relationships they make. Relationships that can often transform their hopes and ambitions, their careers and their lives.&nbsp;



Our events will increasingly be made up of not just hundreds of thousands of attendees, but hundreds of small, vibrant and exciting communities. Our software, our design, our production and all teams and elements of Web Summit will expand to help make this worthwhile mission a reality.



<a href="https://flic.kr/p/2pAvYTo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Image</a>: <a href="https://flickr.com/photos/websummit/53350784566/in/photolist-2phsmNb-2pht29W-2phmf7A-2phmfv1-2phqJbN-2phqJ6n-2phqHCD-2pht2JU-2pht2ng-2phrSD9-2phsn27-2phmetw-2phsn7x-2pht2S4-2phmfos-2phrSjG-2phskRr-2phmetr-2phmeyG-2phrR8Z-2phskPH-2pht2ev-2pht22g-2phqHUk-2phsnJe-2phsnfD-2phrR8i-2phrSJp-2phrSXW-2phsnFJ-2phqHxd-2phmf6U-2phrSSv-2phsngA-2phmf1P-2phrR8D-2phrSCN-2phmeXH-2phrSTs-2phrSdV-2pht2g4-2phmfgZ-2phrSmv-2phrSmA-2phrT2y-2phqHBw-2phqJ79-2phrSn2-2phmf87-2phqJ2V" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sportsfile </a>/<a href="https://websummit.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Web Summit</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY 2.0</a>)

Web Summit’s new mission

<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-did-you-miss-out-on-web-summit-qatar-2024-here-s-a-roundup-of-just-some-of-the-highlights-from-our-inaugural-event-in-doha">Did you miss out on Web Summit Qatar 2024? Here’s a roundup of just some of the highlights from our inaugural event in Doha.</h3>



Our first event in the Middle East saw more than 1,000 startups joining us from more than 81 countries around the world, and was the largest ever gathering of international startups in the region’s history.



Of these startups, 31 percent were women-founded, hailing from 56 countries including the US, Qatar, UAE, India and the UK. We were also proud that 37 percent of our attendees and 30 percent of our speakers were women.



<a href="https://qatar.websummit.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Web Summit Qatar</a> kicked off with an Opening Night speech from Web Summit CEO Katherine Maher, who said: “Someday, what I hope to hear is that the connections that people made in this room, out on the floor, over dinner or at Night Summit are ultimately going to lead to some of the greatest collaborations and innovation for humanity’s future.”



Here are some of the many sessions our attendees enjoyed:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-spend-us-7-trillion-when-us-70-billion-will-do">Why spend US$7 trillion when US$70 billion will do?</h3>



OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is seeking US$7 trillion to overhaul the global semiconductor industry – an amount that would put Sam at the head of one of the planet’s top economies.



The aim? To dominate the chip world. The problem? The CEO’s valuations are all wrong. At least that’s what it seems. “We could do it, probably, in US$700 billion, which is a bargain,” said Jonathan Ross, founder and CEO of Groq.



Groq bills itself as the world’s first language processing unit (LPU), providing eye-catching speed performance for AI workloads running on the company’s LPU inference engine. “Our next-gen chip is 10-times more efficient than this generation, so maybe only US$70 billion,” said Jonathan.



“Originally, we didn’t know that generative AI was going to be that important. The term didn’t really exist,” said the former Google employee, bringing us back to the 2017 face-off between Google’s AlphaGo and world-champion Go player Lee Sedol.



From victory there, using chips Jonathan had built, GenAI was born. It lay relatively dormant until last year, when large language models burst onto the scene, giving concepts such as AlphaGo a boost of speed. And now, we’re in a world where GenAI-backed developments are arriving at breakneck speed.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trevor-noah-seeing-is-no-longer-believing-in-an-ai-world">Trevor Noah: Seeing is no longer believing in an AI world</h3>



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://web-summit-library.imgix.net/websummit/2424/03/53554005953_04557c679d_c.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;fit=scale&amp;h=533&amp;ixlib=php-3.3.0&amp;w=768&amp;wpsize=medium_large&amp;s=d5d99c87ba7da39d0dbeabf9d6a8cbcd" alt="A person (author and presenter Trevor Noah) sitting in an armchair. Trevor is wearing a headset mic and gesturing with his right hand. Behind Trevor, a screen reads 'Web Summit Qatar'. This is Opening Night of Web Summit Qatar." width="768" height="533"> Presenter and author Trevor Noah. <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2pAohbe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Image</a>: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/websummitqatar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harry Murphy</a>/<a href="https://websummit.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Web Summit</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY 2.0</a>) 



As GenAI tools such as ChatGPT continue to gain popularity, author and presenter Trevor Noah urged caution about overestimating their capabilities. “As human beings, we’re oftentimes prone to viewing these technologies as being human, when in fact sometimes they are just giving us an output that matches our interpretation of what a human being would or wouldn’t do,” said Trevor.



The tech-savvy presenter has apparently spent time interrogating ChatGPT to understand its limitations. “I don’t see myself getting married to ChatGPT anytime soon,” joked Trevor. “I spend a lot of time asking ChatGPT about how it’s processing information, or how it’s thinking. And then it gives me an insight into it.”



While applauding technology’s ability to connect people across divides, the author warned of unintended consequences. “I think the biggest thing we always have to acknowledge is this: If you bridge the gap between people very quickly, it’s good for good. It’s also [good] for bad,” said Trevor.



The author and comedian warned that, as AI advances, AI-generated images, videos and text will lead to a situation where – between deep fakes and misinformation – no one knows what to believe.



“We’ve lived in a world where people have said ‘don’t believe it until you see it’, right? But now, when you see something with your own eyes, can you believe it?,” said Trevor.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tech-and-the-quest-for-justice">Tech and the quest for justice</h3>



As technology constantly evolves, the potential for social and political change broadens. But, rather than take a cynical approach, humanity should look to the potential these advancements pose for activism.



So says award-winning human rights activist and Black Lives Matter co-founder Ayọ Tometi, who believes technology goes hand-in-hand with human rights advocacy.



“Communications technology has always been important for human rights advocates. No matter what time period we’re in, we’re always making use of the tech or the communications of our day,” said Ayọ.



Reflecting on the strategies of late political activists including Martin Luther King Jr, Bayard Rustin and Coretta Scott King, Ayọ highlighted the importance of the press in social movements: “They were always mobilising and organising themselves in a way that they could garner press in order to share their stories with a broader public. And they were so incredibly effective, because at the end of the day, we are human beings. People understand stories, and when they see what is happening, they’re moved by it.”



Though Ayọ touched on the potential dangers of technology – including public access to personal data and the spread of misinformation – she stressed the value it provides on a global scale.



“What we’re doing now is using our cell phones … and we’re able to document and share our stories, raise funds, and raise awareness for movements,” she added.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-space-x-rival-aims-for-mars">Space X rival aims for Mars</h3>



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://web-summit-library.imgix.net/websummit/2424/03/53559402209_530a7f166d_c.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;fit=scale&amp;h=512&amp;ixlib=php-3.3.0&amp;w=768&amp;wpsize=medium_large&amp;s=59aa516af161fb2b5e772f5fbc8823c3" alt="A standing person (Relativity Space co-founder and CEO Tim Ellis) wearing a headset mic and holding a presentation clicker. Behind Tim, a screen bears the message 'We design, build and launch reusable rockets'. This is Centre Stage on Day 3 of Web Summit Qatar." width="768" height="512"> Relativity Space co-founder and CEO Tim Ellis on Centre Stage during Day 3 of Web Summit Qatar 2024. <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2pARWi8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Image</a>: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/websummitqatar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ramsey Cardy</a>/<a href="https://websummit.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Web Summit</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY 2.0</a>) 



Relativity Space co-founder and CEO Tim Ellis has ambitions to develop an industrial base on Mars, but says that “going to the moon, going to Mars, space stations, commercial habitats, manufacturing in space… These are really growth trajectories that have a longer time horizon”.



Right now, the big money is in telecommunications infrastructure in space – or, more simply put, satellites. Companies including Amazon, Apple and SpaceX are investing billions to build their own satellite networks, which is creating a demand for launches that exceeds supply.



This is where Relativity Space comes into play. Having worked as a rocket propulsion engineer at Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, Tim went on to hire 40 percent of Relativity’s employees from SpaceX – including the core team that developed Falcon 9 (the world’s first orbital class reusable rocket).



The space startup is developing a large reusable rocket called Terran R, which is 3D printed using rapid manufacturing techniques, is reusable, and, crucially, has a payload capacity about 40 percent larger than the Falcon 9.



“There are so many satellites that need to be launched that having 40 percent more payload for the same price greatly increases the competitiveness of other customers that want to build their own constellations and satellite networks,” explained Tim.



A long-term vision for a manufacturing base on Mars exists largely because the satellite market won’t slow down any time soon. Relativity Space has already signed US$2.2 billion in customer contracts to date, and is currently negotiating about US$7.5 billion dollars of additional contracts.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-can-t-give-it-all-to-microsoft">‘You can’t give it all to Microsoft’</h3>



What will follow Microsoft’s historic domination of enterprise solutions? More domination from Microsoft. That’s according to Alfred Chuang, co-founder and general partner at Race Capital.



Likening the current investment cycle to something akin to the web boom two decades ago, Alfred thinks the push towards AI – which has witnessed investment figures bounce back following the fallow 2022-2023 years – is showing a handful of clear focuses of attention.



One is the clear attraction to “foundational technology”, as Alfred described it, highlighted by large language model companies spending significant sums on buying up opportunities in the space. Another is a focus on enterprise technology investment – “not consumer technology, because it is unknown how it will play out,” said the founder.



Within this, though, sits Microsoft: the dominant force of previous tech cycles, and the business best placed to run the show again.



“Given that, the world needs an alternative. You can’t give it all to Microsoft,” said Alfred. “So there is a lot of excitement around building out this enterprise infrastructure stack for GenAI in enterprise applications.”



This is what’s driving the congregation of companies in this field, said Alfred. Some are built for this space, others are pivoting in, while more and more are new companies, starting out there. “A lot of money is getting behind these companies.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-the-idea-of-a-singular-african-tech-scene-holding-the-continent-back">Is the idea of a singular African tech scene holding the continent back?</h3>



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://web-summit-library.imgix.net/websummit/2424/03/53559240633_85906b7e87_c.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;fit=scale&amp;h=512&amp;ixlib=php-3.3.0&amp;w=768&amp;wpsize=medium_large&amp;s=2d55224176f2bf40a88fe256cd75926b" alt="A person (Africa Communications Media Group co-founder and CEO Mimi Kalinda) sitting in an armchair. Mimi is wearing a headset mic and gesturing with her left hand. She appears to be speaking. Screens behind Mimi bear the Web Summit Qatar logo. This is Centre Stage on Day 3 of Web Summit Qatar." width="768" height="512"> Africa Communications Media Group co-founder and group CEO Mimi Kalinda on Centre Stage during Day 3 of Web Summit Qatar 2024. <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2pAR7gk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Image</a>: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/websummitqatar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ramsey Cardy</a>/<a href="https://websummit.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Web Summit</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY 2.0</a>) 



Africa is an enormous, diverse, populous continent with myriad cultures, languages and ways of thinking. But in the west, particularly in the US, Africa is often spoken about in singular terms, as though it were one country.



This may be holding back the continent-wide tech scene.



“On the issue of narrative, when we talk about science, we don’t say African science, or US science, or Asian science,” said Johannesburg-based Mimi Kalinda, co-founder and group CEO at Africa Communications Media Group.



“Why is it that African entrepreneurs and tech founders specifically are leading with the fact that we’re African? Is that relevant? I think that we just need to produce really great tech; innovate on the problems not just of Africa, but of the world,” said Mimi.



Indeed, the focus on the concept of African tech is driving investment into just a few African markets – particularly Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa – despite booming economies right across the continent.



Investment is increasingly coming from other markets in the global south, such as Southeast Asia and South America, but AZA Finance founder and CEO Elizabeth Rossiello thinks the real burst of growth will come when African founders succeed and re-invest locally.



“The growth is in front of us. … We need to find the capital within, wait for our founders to get a little richer, and put the money back into the ecosystem,” Elizabeth said. “The next stage is for Africa to export its tech and export its excellence.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-we-need-to-send-politicians-into-space">We need to send politicians into space</h3>



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://web-summit-library.imgix.net/websummit/2424/03/53555508684_36ea30c5f2_c.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;fit=scale&amp;h=496&amp;ixlib=php-3.3.0&amp;w=768&amp;wpsize=medium_large&amp;s=07623ab1c0263d6fa031cd1ac8b21e4d" alt="A person (astronaut and entrepreneur Sara Sabry) sitting in an armchair. Sara is wearing a headset mic and gesturing with both hands. Sara appears to be speaking. Screens behind Sara bear the Web Summit Qatar logo. This is Centre Stage on Day 1 of Web Summit Qatar." width="768" height="496"> Astronaut Sara Sabry speaking on stage at Web Summit Qatar 2024. <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2pAvYTo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Image</a>: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/websummitqatar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stephen McCarthy</a>/<a href="https://websummit.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Web Summit</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY 2.0</a>) 



Describing the groundbreaking journey to becoming the first Arab and African woman in space, astronaut Sara Sabry shared insights that extended beyond the technical achievements of space travel.



Sara believes that experiencing space firsthand can fundamentally alter one’s perspective, advocating for world leaders to embark on space missions to gain a unique and unifying view of our planet.



“I truly believe that we need to be sending more people – more leaders, more politicians, more people of influence – to go to space, because it gives you this other perspective of the world; that we’re really all the same,” said Sara.



“It’s an incredible experience,” Sara remarked, referring to the phenomenon of seeing Earth from space, known as the overview effect, which is what the astronaut was sent into space to study.



Sara’s advocacy for sending influential figures into space is grounded in the conviction that such experiences can lead to a greater sense of global unity and cooperation.



“We’re really all the same,” observed the astronaut, highlighting how space travel can reveal the insignificance of political and cultural differences when we all look the same from the Blue Origin rocket.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-make-sure-not-to-miss-out-on-web-summit-2024-pre-register-for-your-ticket-today">Make sure not to miss out on Web Summit 2024. <a href="https://websummit.com/2for1" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Pre-register</a> for your ticket today.</h4>



<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/websummitqatar/53554357200/in/album-72177720315070877/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Main image</a> of Centre Stage at Web Summit Qatar on Opening Night: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/websummitqatar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stephen McCarthy</a>/<a href="https://websummit.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Web Summit</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY 2.0</a>)

A large stage viewed over the heads of a crowded audience who are on their feet. On the stage, a long line of people face the audience. At the front of the stage, pyrotechnics go off. A large screen hanging at the back of the stage shows the Web Summit Qatar logo. This is Opening Night of Web Summit Qatar.

Here’s what you missed at Web Summit Qatar 2024

<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-entrepreneurship-a-startup-revolution-and-the-future-of-portuguese-cinema-find-out-what-our-speakers-had-to-say-about-portugal-s-evolving-ecosystem">Entrepreneurship, a startup revolution, and the future of Portuguese cinema – find out what our speakers had to say about Portugal’s evolving ecosystem.</h4>



Web Summit 2023 brought together speakers from around the world to discuss everything from advances in technology to latest industry trends.



Speakers including Shilling managing partner Migual Santo Amaro, Startup Portugal CEO António Dias Martins and producer and actor Paulo Branco shared their insights on how Portugal has evolved over the last decade.



Take a look at what they had to say about the ever-changing Portuguese landscape.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-past-present-and-future-of-portuguese-tech">The past, present and future of Portuguese tech</h3>



The European tech ecosystem is changing. Portugal in particular – according to Shilling managing partner Miguel Santo Amaro – boasts a “radically new landscape” compared to that of a decade ago.



“The last 10 years have been basically the inception of what the Portuguese ecosystem didn’t have. And I think now we’re in a very different stage, because there were little to no venture capitalists in Portugal 10 years ago,” said Miguel.



A decade on, the country now has seven unicorns, as well as “a lot of good, interesting, small early-stage venture capital money from Portugal, and a bunch of international tier-one investors,” according to Miguel.



Portugal Ventures executive VP Teresa Fiuza also discussed the success of Portugal’s tech community, saying “developed academia and entrepreneurship” have played a large role in the development of the country’s technical landscape.



“The network of incubators and accelerators, the help of the Portuguese government, and the mingling of all of these people together have been very important,” Teresa said.



For future success, Teresa believes Portugal must expand the range of locations offering entrepreneurs business opportunities: “Entrepreneurship in Portugal is not only developed in Lisbon and Porto; we have a lot to show in other regions of the country. And that’s what we have to do – expand this in other areas.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-founders-choose-portugal-to-kickstart-their-startups">Why do founders choose Portugal to kickstart their startups?</h3>



In the last 10 years, Portugal has experienced a “startups revolution” – that’s according to António Dias Martins, CEO at Startup Portugal.



The country, as well as being home to Web Summit, is home to more than 4,000 startups, with 100-plus startup incubators. Seven of the 15 largest companies in the country are tech companies.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“We believe that Lisbon can be one of the main centres of tech in Europe”
<cite>Gil Azevedo, executive director, Unicorn Factory Lisboa</cite></blockquote>







“We believe that Lisbon can be one of the main centres of tech in Europe” said Gil Azevedo, executive director at Unicorn Factory Lisboa. This potential can be attributed to broad governmental and municipal support for tech, a world-class university system producing talented engineers, and a high quality of life.



António also believes that Portugal being a relatively small country works to its advantage. With a smaller ecosystem, it’s easier for people to connect, and everything is done on a “human scale” rather than on the scale of a massive, faceless, global company.



But what’s next? António and Gil both believe that Portugal’s historical ties with Africa and Brazil make it the natural gateway to these growing and thriving markets.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-streaming-platforms-engagement-and-the-end-of-creativity">Streaming platforms, engagement and the end of creativity</h3>



The Portuguese film industry is undergoing a massive transformation, with streaming companies amassing increasing market share and besting traditional TV providers, and with the threat of AI on the horizon.



Paulo Branco is a producer and actor, and the founder of LEFFEST (the Lisbon and Estoril Film Festival). Paulo believes streaming platforms are not only reshaping the entertainment industry, but also stifling creativity for audiences and creators.



“Younger people are now in another world of how they consume images … everything that is being produced now is what the platforms want. And, at this moment, these platforms have the power,” said Paulo.



According to Paulo, production companies and streaming platforms are now creating films and shows not to make art, but simply to keep people engaged.



For the LEFFEST founder, cinema is a space for creation and creativity. But streaming platforms, especially with the introduction of AI, are now only interested in maintaining viewership rather than creating art.



“Real creation,” argued Paulo, “is finished.”



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-web-summit-qatar-takes-place-in-doha-from-february-26-29-book-your-tickets-now">Web Summit Qatar takes place in Doha from February 26-29. <a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/tickets/attendees" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Book your tickets now.</a></h4>



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Web Summit’s new mission

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Here’s what you missed at Web Summit Qatar 2024

How tech is transforming Portugal’s landscape