Runway to Web Summit events support local tech communities ahead of Web Summit events, fostering innovation and growth. The latest gathering brought together Web Summit founder and CEO Paddy Cosgrave, along with QDB CEO Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi, to discuss the future of tech and its impact on Qatar’s ecosystem. They were joined by local Qatar-based startups SkipCash (mobile payment platform), Adeer (AI business management solution), Wqtah (platform for booking local experiences), and Kafy (food-tech) who shared their latest innovations and future plans.

Speaking at the event, Web Summit CEO, Paddy Cosgrave highlighted the potential of Web Summit Qatar 2025. “We are delighted to be in Doha today, alongside some incredible local Qatari startups showcasing the immense talent and potential of this region—which is truly exciting. It’s great to see some of last year’s participants returning as partners for this year’s event,” said Cosgrave. “We’re also thrilled to be here with Qatar Development Bank, who have been such a key part in growing Qatar’s startup ecosystem by offering support and resources that entrepreneurs need.” He added;

Honestly, we can’t wait for Web Summit Qatar 2025.

In 2024, Web Summit Qatar showcased the potential of Qatar’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, a foundation 2025 is set to amplify. “The success of Web Summit Qatar 2024 highlights Qatar’s role as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, showcasing exceptional talent and opportunities across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa,” said Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, Director of the
Government Communications Office and Chairman of the Permanent Web Summit Organising Committee.

“As one of the fastest-growing events in the region, Web Summit Qatar attracts increasing global attention, underscoring its significance as a platform for innovation and collaboration. Building on this momentum, the 2025 edition will foster deeper partnerships, empower more startups, and drive greater progress in the tech and innovation sectors,” he added.

During the February event, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) unveiled its latest Startup Qatar Investment Programme under the Startup Qatar platform, aimed at supporting tech startups in establishing or expanding operations in Qatar. The event marked the signing of 24 Memoranda of Understanding, fostering strategic partnerships to advance the country’s tech ecosystem.

At the Runway to Web Summit gathering in Doha today, QDB CEO Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi emphasized Web Summit’s role in driving innovation and collaboration, reinforcing Qatar’s position as a global leader in the tech and startup sectors.

“Web Summit Qatar represents a powerful testament to Qatar’s emergence as a global innovation hub. When thousands of startups from around the globe converge here and express interest in our ecosystem, it signals something truly transformative,” said Al-Sowaid. “We’ve successfully created an environment where innovation thrives, where government support meets entrepreneurial spirit, and where great ideas find the resources to become global solutions.”

Al-Sowaid continued, “Qatar today stands as a launch pad for innovation, connecting visionary entrepreneurs with unprecedented opportunities. Through platforms like Web Summit, we’re actively shaping the future of global innovation and establishing Qatar as the natural home for transformative ideas in the region and beyond.”

The latest Runway to Web Summit gathering in Qatar also spotlighted the contributions of Qatari startups through a panel where founders shared their journeys, challenges, and goals.

After attending as startups at the inaugural Web Summit Qatar in 2024, SkipCash, a QR-based mobile payment app, and Wqtah, a platform for booking local experiences, are returning as partners for the 2025 event. Both shared how participating in last year’s event influenced their development and prepared them for future opportunities.

Web Summit Qatar 2025 is set for February 23–26.

The post Honestly, We Can’t Wait for Web Summit Qatar 2025 — Paddy Cosgrave appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

More than half of the respondents noted a lack of women in leadership roles, with nearly 51 percent feeling unfairly compensated compared to men. Balancing a career and family life is an increasing challenge, with sexism in the workplace still a reality for a majority. Despite this, close to 76 percent of surveyees feel empowered to lead.

Known as the event where the tech world meets, Web Summit aims to spark debates that help us understand and address these ongoing issues. Web Summit’s 2024 Women in Tech survey was conducted during the summer among women who have joined our Women in Tech program over the past years.

Key findings:

• A substantial 50.8 percent of women reported experiencing sexism in the workplace, a figure that has shown little change in recent years.
• Nearly half (49.1 percent) of women in the tech sector feel pressured to choose between family and career, marking a 7 percent increase from last year.
• More than 75 percent of respondents acknowledged feeling the need to work harder than their male counterparts, a trend that has remained steady over time.
• Respondents identified unconscious gender bias, balancing career and personal life, the scarcity of female role models, imposter syndrome, lack of support networks, and difficulties in funding as their most significant challenges.
• Despite challenges, close to 76 percent of respondents would feel empowered to pursue and/or hold a leadership position.
• More than 80 percent percent of surveyees stated that there is a woman in senior management in their company, with 68.2 percent reporting that a woman holds a C-level position.
• There’s optimism around AI’s potential to drive positive change. More than 68 percent of respondents have a positive outlook on the impact of AI and automation on gender equity.

“Why do we have 1,000 women-founded startups joining us at Web Summit this year, and why does that number keep growing? This is the question that comes to mind when I see the survey results showing women are still facing the same challenges,” Carolyn Quinlan, VP of community at Web Summit, said in a press statement. She continues “It’s frustrating that issues like sexism, unfair pay, imposter syndrome, and work-life balance keep appearing—it often feels like we’re stuck in the same conversations. Yet, I can’t help but feel hopeful. More women are stepping up, leading, and bringing their startups to events like Web Summit.”

Quinlan noted that since 2021, Web Summit has maintained a near parity ratio in attendees —and the rise in female participation and women-founded startups brings hope that Web Summit can push these conversations forward and create a future where technology is a space for everyone, not just a boys’ club.

See also: The challenges faced by female founders in the startup world

Momentum for change

The call for change is evident. Approximately 56 percent of women feel the industry isn’t doing enough to tackle gender inequality, and 69 percent are dissatisfied with their government’s efforts. Despite the lack of initiatives, more women are empowered to step into the spotlight as opportunities arise. Close to 76 percent of women who answered Web Summit’s survey say they feel empowered to hold or apply for a leadership position.

Web Summit has seen a remarkable rise in women’s participation since launching the Women in Tech Programme in 2015. Designed to tackle gender inequality, the program offers discounts to encourage more women to attend and participate, making events more accessible, and inclusive —helping to foster a more diverse and innovative tech industry.

In 2016, just a year after the initiative’s launch, 42 percent of attendees were women, up from 25 percent in 2013. By 2021, women outnumbered men for the first time, reaching 50.5 percent. Since then, Web Summit has maintained a near-parity ratio

Beyond the Women in Tech program, there has been a significant increase in women-founded startups. This year’s Web Summit 2024, in Lisbon, Portugal will break records with 1,000 out of 3,000 startups attending as part of the startups program.

At Web Summit Rio 2024, 45 percent of the 1,000 startups had a woman founder. Similarly, at Collision 2024, more than 44 percent of startups were women-founded, which represents a 14-point increase from 30 percent the previous year. At Web Summit Qatar 2024, 37 percent of attendees were women, alongside 30 percent of women speakers, and 31 percent of the 1,000+ startups were founded by women.

See also: Highlights: Web Summit Qatar welcomes over 15,000+ attendees to Doha

The growing number of women-founded startups participating in Web Summit highlights the increasing drive among women to connect, innovate, and lead. In the report, one participant emphasized this point, stating,

Being the only woman among male peers in a senior management position allows me to bring other women into similar roles. I have the opportunity to open more spaces for the next women who arrive.

There is also optimism about AI’s ability to drive positive change, with over 68 percent of respondents viewing its impact on gender equity as beneficial. This perspective aligns with recent insights from PWC, which show that when used responsibly, artificial intelligence can expand talent pools, address bias in talent management, and improve workplace collaboration.

Web Summit is committed to fueling these vital conversations about change through its speakers, stages, and networking opportunities, providing a platform for women to drive progress in the industry.

Notably, some of the women speaking at Web Summit 2024, in Lisbon, Portugal include:

1. Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble.
2. Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics.
3. Moly He, co-founder and CEO of Element Biosciences.
4. Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal.
5. Margarida Balseiro Lopes, Portugal’s Minister of Youth and Modernization.
6. Julie De Moyer, Chief Data and AI Officer at LVMH.
7. Etosha Cave, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Twelve.
8. Eileen Burbidge, Founding partner of Passion Capital.
9. Daniela Braga, Founder of Defined.AI.

An echo of global trends

Web Summit’s 2024 Women in Tech report aligns with broader international trends. According to 2023 data from Nash Squared, women still only makeup 14 percent of tech leaders worldwide.

In major companies, women occupy just 26 percent to 29 percent of leadership roles, as noted by the World Bank. Female representation also continues to fall below 50 percent in these companies, underscoring the need for change highlighted by Web Summit’s survey
respondents.

As shown by Web Summit’s report’s findings, funding remains a critical barrier for female founders, with close to a third of respondents (29.6 percent) identifying it as one of the most pressing issues facing women in tech. An analysis from the World Economic Forum, based on Pitchbook statistics, found that women-only startups received just 1.8 percent of VC funding in Europe and 2 percent in the US in 2023. Similar data from Wamda shows that women-only startups received just 0.47 percent of funding in the MENA region in 2023.

See also: “If you are an investor, invest in women,” — Rafaela Frankenthal

The 2024 Women in Tech report is part of Web Summit’s commitment to fostering change, pushing for conversations that spotlight these issues and pave the way for concrete solutions. As women continue to navigate challenges in tech, Web Summit’s mission is to drive a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

The post Web Summit Report Reveals Persistent Inequality for Women in Technology appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The startups are selected through Web Summit’s startup program, dubbed ALPHA which showcases startups disrupting their industries. To join the ALPHA program, startup founders can apply HERE —and only startups that show potential, uniqueness, and world-changing ideas will be shortlisted.

So far the 38 African startups selected are from Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkiye, Uganda, and Zambia. Turkiye registers the most startups, 19, Nigeria with 5, Morocco with 3, Cameroon and South Africa each registers 2, and the rest of the nations with 1. Their solutions span various industries including Legal, Fintech, SaaS, HR & Recruitment, Events, Sports & Fitness, e-commerce, Web3, Social Media, AI & ML, Healthtech, Cleantech, Proptech, and Education.

From Uganda, eFoods Trade, an e-commerce and retail startup is a Pan-African B2B marketplace for African farmers, food importers, exporters, and food manufacturers to buy and sell foods.

“I’m thrilled to announce that we have been invited to one of the most prestigious technology conferences in Europe; the Web Summit, Lisbon, Portugal,” eFoods Trade spokesperson wrote in a post on Facebook. “We have a come along way connecting African food trade to the world. A tedious and daunting journey. GOD deserves all the Glory!”

The post Efoods Trade to Join Other African Startups at the 2024 Web Summit in Lisbon appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Speaking on a panel at Web Summit Rio, Rafaela challenged investors to do more to seek out and support women founders and to be accountable for diversity levels.

“If you’re an investor, invest in women. They exist. Look for them. Diversify your pipeline sourcing,” Rafaela said. “If you’re a founder, mentor women. Invite them to social events. Celebrate their achievements. Hire them.”

Rafaela added, “If you have a 70-percent male team, that’s not good enough. You can do better, so hold yourself accountable and hire women. And, if you’re a leader working in a tech company, promote diversity and inclusion initiatives, and question decision-making processes and biases in hiring and promotion. So everyone has a responsibility here, and there is something for each one of us to do.”

Rafaela told the audience at the summit about her struggles to secure funding as a woman founder. “Drawing from my personal experience as a tech founder, the biggest obstacle that women face today is access to capital. It’s really hard — could say impossible, in some cases — to build innovative technology without access to capital, and the VC industry today is dominated by men.

She added, “There are biases everywhere in the decision-making processes — especially when we’re speaking of the early stage, where most of the decisions are mainly based on gut feeling, so they are vulnerable to biases — and this is a huge problem.”

However, Rafaela did say that women were starting to have a huge impact in previously neglected areas of tech.

“I think there is so much exciting stuff going on in tech at the moment, and we’re seeing the first batch of female founders finally getting access to the opportunity and building their vision,” Rafaela remarks. “So I think the most exciting opportunities here are in areas that have been neglected or not invested in enough because these are problems that disproportionately affect women.”

“So we now call it femtech,” she said. This is talking about problems that affect women more than men. Some examples she gave included period pain, endometriosis, and IVF, to mention a few.

Also read:

• • Celebrating women in tech: StartHub Africa holds She Tech’s the Future demo day
  • Challenges and opportunities – global survey results on women’s tech careers
  • The challenges faced by female founders in the startup space

On the same panel, Infratoken founder and chief product officer Caroline Nunes spoke about the challenges in hiring women in tech and her own experience of trying to hire women for a backend position.

“I was faced with 229 applicants, and 218 applicants were men. We only had nine applicants as women and, from those nine, we got two women qualified with the minimum qualifications for the job,” explained Nunes. “They passed the interview part, but they failed the test part. And I was really sad about this, because even [when] I try to hire our women for the tech industry for my team, I am not able to hire.”

In her little research to see where it all happens, she found out that fewer women are graduating in the IT field.

This wider discussion on women in tech happened at Web Summit Rio, where more than 34,000 people gathered to discuss the most pressing questions around technology and to make the meaningful connections that will shape the future.

ALSO READ: UNVEILING POTENTIAL: WOMEN’S JOURNEY TO SUCCESS IN STEM AND STARTUP CULTURE

The post “If You are an Investor, Invest in Women,” — Rafaela Frankenthal appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The company is holding its first-ever summit in the Middle East — in Doha, the Capital of Qatar and it has gathered over 15,000+ attendees including government officials, entrepreneurs, investors, startups, the media, and the next generation of leaders reshaping the world, to mention a few.

“We host the Web Summit Qatar 2024 for the first time in the Middle East, which comes in line with Qatar’s National Strategy to advance our technology ecosystem,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Than, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Qatar said at the launch of the event on Monday. “This confirms the country’s position as a promising regional destination for the technology & investment sectors.”

Web Summit CEO Ms. Katherine Maher at the launch event noted that over the last few years, they noticed a growing presence from the Middle East at Web Summit events —which led to the company considering holding an event in the Middle East.

“Dynamic founders, investors, and entrepreneurs from the region were contributing to our events in such a meaningful way, that we knew that it was time for us to bring an event here,” said Maher.

After receiving bids from several cities across the Middle East, Web Summit selected Doha as the new event’s host city for the next five years. The summit plans to deepen its existing relationships in the region through Web Summit Qatar.

“Web Summit Qatar represents a brand new opportunity to connect a new generation of entrepreneurs, investors, and changemakers,” said Maher.

Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, Director of the Government Communications Office and Chairman of the Web Summit Qatar 2024 Organising Committee, said, “Hosting Web Summit Qatar signifies a milestone in our nation’s ongoing journey to forge the future, showcasing Qatar’s growing status as a place where people, ideas, and inspiration come together to envision the next digital revolution.”

He noted that the tremendous turnout of attendees demonstrates the high demand for such events in the region, and Qatar is a potential hub for SMEs and innovators.

On its very first day, Web Summit Qatar set records in Web Summit history including the biggest startup participation in a first-year edition and the largest presence of startups from Africa.

“With such a strong start, Web Summit Qatar is poised to be the next spot for technological leaps to take place,” said Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani.

In numbers

• 15,453 attendees from 118 countries.
• 1,043 startups, the largest gathering of startups ever in the Middle East — were selected from 81 countries to showcase their visions and innovative solutions to attendees including potential investors.
• 10 percent of attending startups come from Qatar, 20 percent from Africa, and 50 percent from the wider MENA region.
• 10 percent of startups joined the event through Web Summit Qatar’s Impact program, which focuses on tech for good.
• 358 startups will take part in 42 Mentor Hours sessions during the event, learning from and connecting with leading entrepreneurs in the industry.
• 401 investors are coming from 46 countries. Investors include Peak XV Managing Director; GV Ravishankar, Global Ventures Founder Noor Sweid, Founding Partner & CEO of 500 Global; Christine Tsai, Managing Partner at 500 Global; Khailee Ng, and Invest Qatar’s Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani, to mention a few.
• 380 speakers including; H.E. Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Trevor Noah, Nora Fatehi, Mark Read, Will Ahmed, Jonathan Ross, Sara Sabry, Amjad Masad, Sachin Dev Duggal, Patrice Evra, John Obi Mikel, Gilberto Silva, and Hosam Arab, among others.
• 148 partners exhibiting on the event floor, including Microsoft, Meta, TikTok, Snap, Shell, Deloitte, Palo Alto Networks, and Qatar Investment Authority, to mention a few.
• 37 percent women attendees, 30 percent women speakers, and 31 percent women-founded startups

Qatar announces USD$1bn investment in international and regional VC funds

During his opening remarks at Web Summit Qatar 2024, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced Qatar’s first-ever venture capital Fund of Funds program, which will invest USD$1 billion in international and regional venture capital funds. Led by the Qatar Investment Authority, the initiative aims to foster innovation and boost the tech ecosystem in the country. In addition, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also emphasized that as technological innovations rapidly advance, it is a collective duty to ensure this progress serves the greater good by balancing innovation with ethical principles and guiding progress with moral wisdom for the benefit of all.

US-based Breshna wins Web Summit Qatar PITCH

Breshna was named winner of Web Summit Qatar’s startup competition, seeing off dozens of international businesses to secure the top prize in PITCH, powered by Jusour. The no-code game development platform impressed the judges, seeing off competition from Uzbekistan and the UK on the final day.

Breshna aims to empower users to create, share, and monetize their video games without prior coding or game design knowledge. The platform provides its network of 175,000 users with a game-maker editor, an AI-powered text-to-game engine, and a Web3-enabled metaverse.

Hailing from Washington DC, Breshna founder and CEO Mariam Nusrat said moments like these are important in the long, hard journey of a founder: “This kind of visibility is really cool.”

Uzbekistan-based financial services company IMAN and UK-based healthcare solutions business Rhazes finished as runners-up.

PITCH, powered by Jusour, is Web Summit Qatar’s startup competition, that brought together the world’s leading early-stage startups for a live onstage battle. 40 of the 1,043 startups at this year’s event qualified for the three-day competition, culminating in Breshna taking the top prize.

Qatar to continue supporting African startups

While addressing the press and commenting on the participation of African startups at the 2024 Web Summit Qatar, H.E. Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology at the Government of Qatar applauded the participation of the startups and also stated that their government will continue to support African startups and that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has specific plans for that.

He noted that most if not all the African startups that participated at the summit resulted as part of the network key from their “African Colleagues” during the Qatar-Africa forum.

With 1,043 startups participating at the Web Summit Qatar 2024, 200 startups were African.

Katherine Maher’s last day in office as Web Summit CEO

While officially closing the 2024 Qatar Web Summit, Katherine Maher announced that she will no longer be the CEO of Web Summit. Maher announced that she will be taking on the position of CEO of NPR starting in late March.

“I’m delighted to announce that I will be taking up the position of CEO of NPR starting in late March. NPR has been a lifelong part of my soundscape, and I credit its reporting with sparking my curiosity that set me onto the path to become the person I am today,” said Maher.

Maher was appointed as the CEO of Web Summit on October 30th, 2023 succeeding Paddy Cosgrave who resigned just over a week ago, following a backlash over comments he made about the Israel-Gaza conflict. The board appointed her to lead the company through this period of transition.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated from the time of publication

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Scheduled to take place at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) from February 26 – 29, Web Summit Qatar is going to be double the size expected with more than 12,000 attendees already registered, up from the original target of 7,500.

Web Summit Qatar has selected — from thousands of applicants — 1,000 startups from 80 countries including Qatar, the U.S., Egypt, Brazil, Italy, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and India. Attending startups represent almost 30 industries. It will be the most global representation of startups ever for a first-year Web Summit event.

100 partners will be exhibiting including Microsoft, Qatar Investment Authority, Deloitte, and Palo Alto Networks. Trade delegations from countries including Canada, Türkiye, Bahrain, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Kenya — will be attending Web Summit Qatar to explore business opportunities in Doha and in Qatar in general.

The Women in Tech program, which runs across all Web Summit events in its commitment to balance gender in the technology sector, has also sold out. The Women in Tech lounge will welcome organizations like Women of Qatar and Woman Techmakers along with thousands of Women in Tech attendees from all over the world, reflecting the truly global nature of the Women in Tech program.

Stars such as Emmy Award-winning South African comedian, Trevor Noah will join Sara Sabry, astronaut, founder and CEO of the Deep Space Initiative; Amjad Masad, co-founder and CEO of Replit; Builder.ai founder and chief wizard Sachin Dev Duggal; YouTuber Felipe Neto; soccer legend and Brazilian World Cup winner Gilberto Silva; and Tabby co-founder and CEO Hosam Arab at Web Summit Qatar in February.

“The incredible global representation at our first Middle East event is a powerful reminder that technology is international and opportunity is everywhere,” Web Summit CEO Katherine Maher, said in a press statement. “Selling out the startups, partners, and Women in Tech programs weeks before the event is set to take place speaks to the quality and caliber of the Web Summit events, alongside the support of the GCO, as we expand into a region with an incredible generational opportunity and dynamism.”

Maher further stated, “I’m particularly excited to celebrate women’s empowerment at the Women in Tech lounge, and look forward to meeting the Women in Tech community from around the world.”

Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour Al Thani, Chairman of the Web Summit Qatar Organising Committee said they are pleased to host the first Web Summit event in the Middle East, which will build on the unique blend of opportunity, innovation, and connectivity our country has to offer.

“We believe emerging technologies will transform the world of work and business, as well as across education, government, public services, and the private sector,” said Mansour Al Thani, in a statement.

Web Summit Qatar joins the company’s global roster alongside its flagship event, Web Summit, which draws 71,000 attendees to Lisbon (Portugal) every November; North America’s fastest-growing tech event, Collision, in Toronto (Canada); and Web Summit Rio (Brazil), which will take place for the second time in 2024.

The post Web Summit Qatar 2024 Sells Out Startup and Partner Programs appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

She has been appointed by the board to lead the company through this period of transition. Katherine will bring to Web Summit her ability to bridge the worlds of technology, humanity, and dialogue needed to shape the future.

“I am excited to join Web Summit because I believe in their mission to connect people and ideas that change the world,” Katherine said in a press statement. She added, “In a present where technology is interwoven into every aspect of our lives, and in a future where it represents our greatest hope and our greatest disruptor, Web Summit’s role as a place for connection and conversation is more urgent than ever.”

Katherine’s experience managing some of the world’s biggest organizations will support Web Summit through its flagship event, Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, and focus on its mission to connect people and ideas that change the world.

Web Summit 2023 will take place from November 13-15, with a full program, including 25-plus stages, pitch competitions, investor meetings, masterclasses and roundtables, and mentor hours. Night Summit events will also be happening across some of the most exciting neighborhoods in Lisbon, allowing our attendees to network after hours.

The event reflects a rich, global tapestry of perspectives and experiences, with a record-breaking 2,600 startups — almost one-third of which are founded by women — from more than 85 countries, including Ghana. These startups will join more than 800 investors, 300 partners, and 2,000 media from 160+ countries Uganda inclusive.

The community initiatives are underway, including women in tech, which — as always — will support Web Summit’s aim to reach gender parity.

See also: WEB SUMMIT EXPANDS TO THE MIDDLE EAST, SET TO HOLD FIRST SUMMIT IN FEB 2024

The post Fmr. Wikipedia Boss Katherine Maher Appointed as New CEO of Web Summit appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

This event in the Middle East is part of the summit’s global strategy to broaden its reach into new markets. Web Summit Qatar will provide new opportunities to connect the tech world in growing ecosystems across the Middle East, Africa, and India, expanding on the company’s established presence in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.

Web Summit Qatar joins the company’s global roster alongside its flagship event, Web Summit, which draws 71,000 attendees to Lisbon, Portugal each November; North America’s fastest-growing tech event, Collision, in Toronto; Web Summit Rio, Brazil, which will take place for the first time in 2023; and RISE, which will be returning to Hong Kong in 2025.

After receiving bids from several cities across the Middle East, Web Summit has selected Doha as the new event’s host city for the next five years. The summit plans to deepen its existing relationships in the region through Web Summit Qatar.

“Web Summit in Lisbon has become the world’s largest technology conference, and our ambition is to make Web Summit ever more global. Establishing a new event in the Middle East is part of that broader plan for Web Summit,” Paddy Cosgrave, Web Summit CEO and Founder, said in a press statement.

Cosgrave further remarks that “Web Summit Qatar will help connect a new generation of founders in the Middle East to investors, journalists, customers, partners, and more around the world, and represents a new opportunity for Web Summit to convene technology leaders and develop an already fast-growing tech scene.”

Qatar has a fast-growing technology ecosystem, with a rapidly expanding startup scene, private sector, and government support for technology innovation. According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report 2021, Qatar ranks 28th globally for its capacity for innovation, outpacing other countries in the region. The country also invests heavily in technology infrastructure, focusing on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cybersecurity.

His Excellency Mr. Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai, Qatat Minister of Communications and Information Technology endorsed the Web Summit.

“Qatar looks forward to hosting thousands of innovative and future-shaping leaders and thinkers at Web Summit Qatar,” he said. “The summit joins a roster of global conveners in Qatar, that capitalize on world-class facilities and infrastructure, ease of travel, and strong economic growth.”

Mr. Mohammed Al Mannai noted that all attendees will have the opportunity to meet peers, explore avenues for growing their businesses, and experience Qatar’s vibrant culture.

The first year of the summit in Qatar will take place at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) from March 4-7, 2024. The summit will give opportunities for industry leaders to share ideas with others in different fields, a chance to meet business partners, as well for startup founders to meet potential investors.

Notably, Web Summit through its startup programme – ALPHA – gives startup founders from around the world an opportunity to be part of the conference and get a chance to showcase their startups that are disrupting their industries and introduce them to the world’s leading investors, companies, and media. Last year in Lisbon, Portugal 52 startups were selected to attend the summit among which 25 were African startups from Chad, Egypt, Gambia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tunisia. This year, we expect the number of African startups to be selected increase.

ALSO READ: RWANDA’S ICT MINISTER, PAULA INGABIRE ENDORSES THE 2023 AFRILABS ANNUAL GATHERING

The post Web Summit Expands To The Middle East, Set to Hold First Summit in March 2024 appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The 11th Web Summit will be held in Lisbon, Portugal from November 1-4, 2022 at the Altice Arena and is expected to bring over 70,000 people and companies redefining the tech industry. The summit will give opportunities for industry leaders to share ideas with others in different fields, a chance to meet business partners, as well for startup founders to meet potential investors.

The summit through its startup programme – ALPHA – is also inviting startups from around the world to be part of the conference. The Web Summit startup program – ALPHA – will showcase startups disrupting their industries and introduce them to the world’s leading investors, companies and media.

To join the ALPHA programme, startup founders can apply HERE. Startups will be selected by the Web Summit team for their potential, uniqueness, and world-changing ideas. The selected startups will get tickets to the Web Summit, access to investor-to-startup meetings, and be eligible to apply for pitch, startup masterclasses, mentor Hours, and more.

So far 52 startups have been selected to attend the summit among which 25 are African startups from Chad, Egypt, Gambia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tunisia.

ITIDA – DETGD (Egypt)
ITIDA is the executive IT arm of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Egypt, MCIT. ITIDA cooperates with The Digital Economy and Technology General Division, DETGD, which is a semi-governmental organization within The Federation of the Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, FEDCOC, to support technology startups in Egypt boosting their existence in the international summits.

SubsBase (Egypt)
Subsbase is the first and only subscription management platform that caters to the MENA’s subscription-based businesses.

Synapse Analytics (Egypt)
Synapse Analytics is an AI company with a suite of products that help businesses adopt AI into their core operations.

Ahkili (Tunisia)
Ahkili is a mental health start that provides one-to-one psychological support for everyone wherever they are and whenever they want

AppExperts (Egypt)
APPExperts is a mobile app building SaaS platform that lets you create fully-functional iOS and Android apps using a no-code solution.

Bekia, Inc. (Egypt)
An App that people can use daily to make money from their daily trash

CarNet (Tunisia)
CarNet is a digital maintenance booklet for cars, it ensures the proper management of vehicle maintenance and expenses.

Chopser (Gambia)
Chopser is a food & grocery ordering and delivery platform. We transform restaurants & marts in Africa from brick-and-mortar to online first.

Coinsence.org (Tunisia)
Boosting collaboration, sharing resources, and creating collective value through community currencies and crypto assets.

Cylon Accounting (South Africa)
Cylon Accounting is an income and expense management tool that helps small, freelancers and informal businesses access to loans and tax submissions.

Dojah Inc. (Nigeria)
Dojah provides access to solutions that enables easy onboarding of prospective customers by seamlessly verifying their Identity.

Fastdok (Morocco)
SaaS tool to create ready-to-use documents for multiple sectors, in minutes by answering a few questions.

Flickwheel (Nigeria)
Flickwheel is an Autotech platform that aims to improve vehicle roadworthiness by 3x by providing auto loans for auto repairs.

HENCEFORTH (Morocco)
Henceforth offers advanced software solutions in data analytics relying on AI and ML/DL Technics for big data and cyber security fields.

Kamioun (Tunisia)
Kamioun is a B2B amazon for small shops revolutionizing retail.

Mossosouk.com (Chad)
Mossosouk is an ecosystem of e-commerce applications connecting sellers and buyers in Chad with a fast delivery service.

Olado Business Group Limited (Rwanda)
Olado Business Group Limited is an online marketplace that enables Made in Africa products to reach out to more clients and provide door-to-door delivery.

Payper (South Africa)
Every customer is an influencer. With Payper, brands can reward engagement on social media to increase brand exposure and drive sales.

Paytek – iMali Digital Account (Mozambique)
iMali Digital Account Ecosystem allows bundling of all digital financial services in one app and enables QRcode payments at merchants.

Seqoon (Egypt)
Platform to co-own and enjoy a second home.

SgharToon (Tunisia)
Tele therapy for Learning Difficulties based on games and data.

SmartWage (South Africa)
We are building HR Solutions for employers with deskless employees across emerging markets.

TITA TEC Limited (Nigeria)
TITA TEC LTD is building a One-stop Universal Trade Center for all asset classes called the TITA CENTER

True Delta (Tunisia)
True Delta is an intelligent reconciliation tool designed to automate back office manual tasks involving data, documents & image processing

truQ (Nigeria)
truQ is the operating system for third-party logistics in Africa.

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