Tech Roundup: What to expect from Web Summit Rio 2024

Welcome to our Tech Roundup, where we bring you the biggest stories in technology and innovation in Brazil and Latin America. This week: Web Summit lands its second edition aiming at consolidating itself as the go-to tech event in the region.

Web Summit Rio 2.0 all about making connections

Web Summit, Europe’s leading tech conference, is holding the second edition of its Rio de Janeiro spin-off this week, from today to April 18, and promises to be a much larger even than its first edition last year.

State of play. The organization is expecting 30,000 attendees from more than 100 different countries, a substantial increase from the 21,000 last year. The boost in attendance numbers will also result in more floor space, as the 2024 edition of Web Summit Rio will use almost the entirety of the Riocentro convention center in Barra da Tijuca.

• “We knew the potential of the first edition to generate interest, but the result exceeded our expectations,” Artur Pereira, Web Summit’s country manager in Brazil, tells The Brazilian Report.
• With ticket prices ranging between BRL 2,745 (USD 542) to BRL 49,995 (USD 9,870) — the same as last year — the second edition of Web Summit Rio sold out last Friday, faster than any other event under the brand.
• This year’s summit will bring together more than 1,000 startups — 45 percent of which were founded by women, the highest-ever proportion at a Web Summit event — in addition to more than 600 investors, 210 partners, and 900 media professionals.

Why it matters. Bringing Web Summit to Rio de Janeiro is part of Mayor Eduardo Paes’ larger plan to transform Brazil’s tourism capital into its tech capital,...