The Web Summit in Rio is about to start, and the timing couldn’t be better.
After a historical moment for Brazilian startups in 2021 and a not so good development in 2022, the largest technology conference in the world promises to shine a spotlight on the innovation market in Brazil and Latin America.
Already on the second day of the event, the theme “Investing in Latin America” will address this scenario, through a discussion between Renata Quintini, (Renegade Partners); Eric Acher (Monashees); Edith Yeung (Raça Capital) and Ricardo Amorim (AAA Inovação).
The expectation is that the conference, which is already successful in Toronto (as Collision), Hong Kong (as RISE) and Lisbon (as Web Summit), will stimulate the Brazilian business ecosystem and transform Rio and Brazil into a startup hub.
During the six years that Brazil will host the Web Summit in Latin America from 2023, the investment forecast is around R$ 1.2 billion (Brazilian currency) in Rio’s economy.
But the impact of the Web Summit on the Brazilian technology sector will be much greater than expected. Follow along to find out why!
From Lisbon to Rio
Since 2016, when the event started in Portugal, startups in Lisbon are 27 times more valued, according to a study by Dealroom.
The biggest newspapers in the world reported that, in the event’s debut year in Portugal, the Web Summit brought more than 200 million euros to the country’s economy.
Nokia, Cisco, Google and Uber are some of the companies that have been present at Web Summit Lisboa since the first edition.
For the first time outside Europe, the conference is riding on the success in Portugal and bringing visibility to Brazil and Latin America.
Google, PayPal, Ambev, Microsoft, Porsche and Shell are some of the big companies that will be present at the Web Summit Rio.
Brazil ranks 10th in the global ranking of unicorns, containing 19 startups. Data from Tipalti.
With this good placement, Brazilian entrepreneurship is already entering the event on the right foot, drawing the attention of investors.
Beyond technology
With the presence of CEOs from different areas, activists and personalities linked to innovation, the Web Summit has a lot to add not only to the Brazilian technology sector, but also to the entire Latin American society.
We’re talking about technology that encompasses big challenges, such as companies’ commitment to Environmental, social, and governance (ESG).
Knowing about Sustainability values, 99% of investors consider the ESG disclosures issued by companies when making decisions, says a recent study by Ernst & Young.
And technology is a key element not only for people’s engagement with socio-environmental values, but also for the Smart Cities concept, one of the main themes of the Web Summit in Rio.
In this schedule, international companies that are collaborating with the improvement of Sustainability in cities will be highlighted, and their examples will be analyzed.
Blockchain in cities
When technology and creativity are combined, borders disappear. This is the case of blockchain implementation in urban complexes, to collaborate with the Smart Cities concept.
Kathleen Breitman, Co-founder of Tezos and Yat Siu, Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands will participate in this discussion, which will present how blockchain technology works in a revolutionary way to increase the quality of life of citizens.
São Paulo, Florianópolis and Curitiba lead the ranking of smart cities in Brazil, while Rio de Janeiro occupies the 7th place.
Milton Maluhy Filho, CEO of Itaú Unibanco, will also be discussing the future of smart cities.
Activism and politics
The co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Ayọ Tometi, and the Amazonian activist, Txai Suruí, will open the event, along with other personalities.
And in the wake of this process of global understanding is the Policy, which has an opportunity to discuss technological solutions at the Web Summit.
Bernardo Ivo Cruz, Secretary of State for Internationalization of Portugal Government and Sarah Wilshaw, Chief Commissioner for Global Affairs of Canada will be discussing the directions of internationalization.
Before and after the Web Summit, everything is interconnected
The knowledge, connections and insights brought by participants and visitors to the Web Summit can generate new ideas for digital transformations in Brazilian technology.
This is how innovation ecosystems are born, which are made up of different players that work together to create technology systems that are favorable to all. In Brazil, there are 11 cities containing technological poles.
During the 4-day event, networking opportunities promise to impact the investment in the digital market throughout Latin America, with the participation of journalists, businessmen, investors and enthusiasts from all over the world.
Around 15,000 people will circulate per day in Rio Centro’ pavilions, where the conference will take place.
During the event, an injection of millions into the economy of Rio is estimated. But in the long run, the conference’s economic impact could bring new jobs, because the arrival of post-event investments should increase.
During the Web Summit Lisboa, last year, Brazil was the third country with most participants, behind only Germany and United Kingdom.
This is a sign that technology is very present in Brazilians’ lives. And also that the future is already here, with the Web Summit in Rio.
SafetyMails participation
Leader in the email verification market in Brazil and Latin America, SafetyMails is among the representatives of the Brazilian email marketing segment at the Web Summit.
SafetyMails is always highlightiting why email marketing is called the greatest ROI in digital marketing, and for that reason, it launched the Email marketing Imersão 360º and Email marketing Summit events.
These meetings brought together the biggest names in the Brazilian market to discuss the promising directions of email marketing.
The Web Summit in Rio is an event of great proportions, and the biggest expectation of the market, organizers and participants, is to make Rio and Brazil even more global than they already are.