One of the world's largest technology events opened today in Lisbon with a record of almost 400 Brazilian companies and more than 71,000 registrants from 153 countries
The Web Summit Lisboa, considered one of the largest technology events in the world, began this Tuesday (12). Coordinated by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), Brazil arrived for this edition with the largest delegation and the largest stand in the history of Brazilian participation in the event. “There are almost 400 companies, with greater regional diversity, with companies from the North and Northeast and many led by women”, explained the Corporate Management Director of ApexBrasil, Floriano Pesaro, during the official opening.
This year's participation is the result of a partnership with the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) and support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), the Federal Data Processing Service (Serpro) and the Brazilian Embassy in Portugal. Brazil has established itself as the main destination for investments in startups in Latin America. According to the innovation platform Distrito, Brazilian startups have raised around US$1.46 billion in venture capital since the beginning of 2024. The amount is 9.51% higher than in the same period in 2023.
“This is the new Brazil, the vibrant Brazil, the diverse Brazil, the fighting Brazil, that is here,” said Aloysio Nunes, Head of Strategic Affairs at ApexBrasil’s Brussels Office, Belgium. Brazil’s ambassador to Portugal, Raimundo Carreiro, praised the country’s strength in this sector. “On behalf of this great Brazil, this diverse Brazil that innovates and builds, I welcome everyone on behalf of the Brazilian government.”
ABES is part of the Brazilian delegation of ApexBrasil at Web Summit Lisboa 2024. In addition to interacting with the approximately 400 participants of the Brazilian Pavilion, Jamile Sabatini Marques, our Director of Innovation and Development, will speak about the participation of women in the Brazilian ICT sector on November 14th in the official program of the pavilion. Jorge Sukarie, our advisor, will give a special presentation of the Brazilian Software Market Study – Panorama and Trends 2024 on November 15th, Innovation Day, a post-summit event.
Brazil Pavilion Schedule
Immediately after the inauguration, an intense program of debates, panels and discussions began in the Brazilian pavilion. Among the topics discussed were the promotion of startups from the conception of the idea to scale, the importance of decentralizing innovation, and the national strategy to support businesses with socio-environmental impact. Issues such as the national bioeconomy strategy and the combination of science, technology and traditional knowledge to improve the production and marketing of products by extractive communities in the Amazon were also addressed. The last panel of the day brought up for discussion what the world should expect from the agenda of COP 30, which will take place in the city of Belém, capital of Pará, in the northern region of Brazil, in 2025. For Sebrae representative Domingas Ribeiro, hosting COP30 will be a major challenge. “The role of Sebrae, in partnership with Apex Brasil, is to prepare small businesses, within the pillars of the bioeconomy”, he explained, adding that the bioeconomy, or production model based on the sustainable use of biological resources, was one of the topics analyzed today at the WebSummit.
Aloysio Nunes spoke about some of ApexBrasil's initiatives to support companies dedicated to decarbonizing the economy. “Climate change is a phenomenon that affects the world. The program of engagement of different countries, civil societies, parliaments, research institutes, and science producers in the fight against this 'disorder' of nature has become something fundamental for humanity,” he argued. Inspired by the cycles of nature and the concept of cross-pollination, the Brazilian Pavilion offers immersive experiences that combine ancestral knowledge with contemporary creativity and innovation. The goal is to show that technology in Brazil is aligned with sustainability.
Unprecedented partnership between ApexBrasil and CUFA opens space for startups from favelas
This year, the Brazilian delegation includes companies from the areas of Health and Well-being, Education, Finance, Bioeconomy, Retail, Marketing, Clean Technology, Logistics and Agribusiness. Of the total, 25% are companies from the North and Northeast regions and 27% of the companies are led by women. The novelty is the unprecedented participation of ten startups created in Brazilian favelas. The initiative is the result of an unprecedented partnership between ApexBrasil and Central Única das Favelas (CUFA) and Escola de Negócios da Favela. They are: Todas Por Uma; Seja do Mundo; Vô Contigo; Badu Design; Escola da Diarista; Jo+ Absorvente Dermico; 2050; Mazodan; Miriti Lab; Sankofa Sustentabilidade.
An example of this innovative Brazil with the potential to reach overseas markets is the startup Vô Contigo. The company was founded in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, with the goal of facilitating mobility for elderly people by connecting them with trained and qualified drivers to provide services to the elderly population. Ivonete Guerino, the founder and creator, recalled that it was not an easy journey from starting out to reaching one of the largest technology events in the world. “I am a black woman from the outskirts of the city who leads a business that has an impact on an invisible audience. So, I am part of countless layers. When I looked at the system, I felt extremely intimidated,” she said. Now, through the partnership between ApexBrasil, CUFA and Escola de Negócios da Favela, Ivone is in contact with other entrepreneurs and potential investors at Web Summit Lisboa, preparing to exchange experiences, learn, and expand her business into new markets.
Brazil as a reference in innovation in Latin America
Brazil has over 20,000 startups and is constantly growing in the Global Innovation Index. The country is a reference in innovation in Latin America, with scalable technological solutions in various market segments that attract interest from around the world. ApexBrasil has been working with Brazilian startups since 2017, with the aim of promoting and facilitating the insertion of companies in global trade.
The program at the Brazilian pavilion at Web Summit 2024 continues until next Thursday (14), with pitch sessions, presentation of programs to support female entrepreneurship, debates on the current scenario and the future of the startup market, impacts of Artificial Intelligence, the gaming market and other topics related to the innovation ecosystem. The expectation is to surpass the results obtained in the 2023 edition, when 60% of the participating companies announced the opening or plan to open operations in Portugal or Europe as a result of the mission and around US$11 million in business was generated and more than US$$ 2 billion in investments were announced for the opening of future operations.
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