DigitalMara participated in the Web Summit 2025, joining the global business and tech community for four days of innovation, networking, and insights. This year, the summit shone a spotlight on multi-regional collaboration, AI-driven solutions, and the evolving media landscape. Our team returned inspired, equipped with new ideas and valuable connections. Here’s a brief recap of the highlights.
Key facts about Web Summit 2025
- The event consistently gains traction and attracts an enormous number of attendees. Organizers have reported 71,386 attendees from 157 countries.
- Web Summit introduced the China Summit, a special track spotlighting regional innovation and sparking conversations on how cross-border collaboration can drive global progress in media, AI, and emerging technologies.
- The Future of Media Summit made its debut as a focused gathering of top editors and journalists from major international outlets, examining how technology is reshaping the media landscape and the way news is created and consumed.
- The number of exhibiting startups amounted to 2725, from 108 countries. While 40% of startups were women-founded. AI and machine learning were presented as the top industry. SaaS, HealthTech and Wellness, Fintech, and sustainability completed the top five sectors.
- A record 1,857 investors attended, marking the highest number in its history and a 74% increase from the previous year’s 1,066.
- Notable partners exhibiting at the event included IBM, Visa, Qualcomm, Alibaba Cloud, Revolut People, KPMG, Replit, Huawei, and LinkedIn.
- Together with Crunchbase they reported, nearly 200 startups from last year’s Startup Program secured post-event investment, with total funding reaching $715.5 million.
During the Web Summit, more than 400 curated meetups took place, enabling attendees to form meaningful, high-value connections. From women in tech and backend developers to UX/UI designers, WiT speed networking, AI innovators, and professionals in manufacturing and robotics, there was something for everyone. Attendees also enjoyed moments to relax and recharge, with activities like Giant Jenga and guided meditation adding a playful touch.
Using Web Summit’s proprietary Summit Engine software, participants were matched with people and companies most aligned with their interests, industries, and goals, transforming simple introductions into real communities within the event.
Social impact
Being an influential event, Web Summit supports community initiatives that address critical global challenges. Under the Impact program four partners showcased on a global stage. These were Sigma Labs, The Lisbon Project, Women Leaders Circle, and Tech Connect Africa.
This year’s edition presented a new Scholar Program for student from Ireland. The group of 52 have gained a full-access pass to the event and a chance to network with startups, investors and senior executives.
2025 PITCH
Portugal-based Granter claimed the top prize at the 2025 PITCH competition. From a pool of 2,725 startups, 105 advanced to the three-day contest, and Granter stood out for its innovative approach. The company’s AI-powered grant assistant helps businesses quickly identify the most suitable funding opportunities, check eligibility in real time, and craft compelling applications—streamlining the process of securing financial support.
Following closely, Nigeria-based VarsityScape and UK-based SegmentStream claimed the runner-up spots. VarsityScape leverages AI to simplify the management of online academies for educators and teams, while SegmentStream provides an AI-driven marketing platform that helps companies track ad performance and pinpoint their most valuable customers.
DigitalMara
Our CCO Kseniya Litvinchuk, attended Web Summit and shared her impressions:
“Attending the summit provided a clear view of where industries are heading, highlighting cutting-edge AI innovations, emerging technologies, and solutions with transformative potential. It was also an excellent opportunity for meaningful networking, allowing us to engage with diverse professionals and thought leaders and forge connections that will inspire future collaboration.”
