Web Summit announces Web Summit Rio

Dublin-based Web Summit has announced that it will be heading to Latin America next May with Web Summit Rio, the organisation’s first non-European event under the same moniker.

With the Miami Herald highlighting Latin America’s emerging presence in the startup scene, and Brazil in particular home to 27 unicorns and recipient of $9.4 billion in VC investments in 2021 alone, Web Summit is now taking the show on the road, selecting Rio de Janeiro to play host to the Latin American version of arguably the tech industry’s most influential conference for at least the next three years.

“We are delighted to bring a brand new Web Summit event to one of the most iconic cities in the world. I hope and expect Web Summit Rio will become one of the largest tech events in the world. Rio is widely seen as one of the hottest destinations for the tech industry. International investors are looking at Latin America, and Brazil, in particular, attracted by some of the hottest startups in the region,” said Web Summit CEO and co-founder Paddy Cosgrave.

While Web Summit hosts sister events in Toronto (Collision) and Hong Kong (Rise), the event in Rio is specifically branded under the Web Summit name, and will serve as an addition to the popular Lisbon event.

According to a statement issued by Web Summit, the Rio event is just the first in a planned series of regional Web Summit events, with the organisation particularly interested in launching an African edition ‘in the coming years.’

Web Summit made controversial waves in 2016 when the conference left its native shores and raised the curtain in Lisbon, a move that generated in excess of €200 million in economic impact for the country of Portugal according to government estimates.

“Rio has always been the stage for important themes to the world. Now, once again, we will lead the region while bringing together the best companies, talents, and investors to discuss technology and innovation,” commented Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes. “Rio has a tradition of hosting major international events, and we are proud to have been chosen as the first city in Latin America to host this major event.”