Rio de Janeiro is advancing towards an international tech hotspot, having recently raised $200 million at its city-hosted Web Summit. Furthermore, the city’s creation of tech hubs and incubators hints at a burgeoning tech startup scene, drawing interest from industry giants from Silicon Valley.
The summit garnered the attention of approximately 35,000 representatives from over 100 nations, signifying a 60% increase from the 2023 turnout. According to City Hall, projections suggest the event could catalyze a substantial economic growth, estimating almost 1.5 billion reais ($286 million) by 2028.
Government official, Chicão Bulhões, aspires for the summit to mirror the popularity of its Lisbon equivalent, attracting over 70,000 attendees. Bolstered by Rio’s investment agency, InvestRio, the summit culminated in ten cooperative agreements. Alexandre Vermeulen, Invest.Rio’s CEO, underscored a significant boost in investor participation, witnessing a doubling from last year’s conference.
In advancement of the city’s tech sector, Porto Maravalley has been proposed as a business and educational hub, pooling tech startups and an undergraduate program, IMPA Tech, focusing on data sciences and applied mathematics. This blend of education and business hopes to transform the city’s historic port into a tech innovation hotspot.
Near Copacabana beach, Instituto 12 stands out as a noteworthy project aiming to revitalize the city by creating a thriving tech hub. Supported by partnerships with companies such as TIM, PRIO, Hashdex, and assistance from InvestRio, it aims to attract professional talent to the city.
Further cementing its tech-centric growth, an Emirati state-owned holding company, Mubadala Capital, is slated to establish a new stock exchange in Rio.
Advancing Rio as international tech hub
Bulhões mentioned the platform’s focus on tech firms, providing robust support for them and incentivizing regional market stimulation.
Local startups are reaping the benefits from Rio’s tech hub transformation. Gilmar Bueno, CEO of Unicainstancia, praised the Web Summit for aiding his fintech firm’s success. He also hinted at an increasing number of entrepreneurs wanting to establish their tech startups in Rio. BioMed’s founder, Roberto Mendez, highlighted the city’s cooperative spirit and talented workforce. He also commended the government’s tech promotion efforts, advocating for more investment in this emerging sector.
All these positive developments suggest that Rio is not only paving a path for tech advancement but is setting a blueprint for future tech cities around the world.
