"We already know that many opportunities have been discovered, there have already been many partnerships and possible investments" in a balance that will be made over the next few weeks, the director of the Department of Employment, Entrepreneurship and Companies of the Lisbon City Council (CML), on Thursday, the last day of the Web Summit that took place in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, told Lusa.

In a mission that she considered a success, the Lisbon-based official stressed the importance that the Brazilian market has for 'startups' that want to scale their businesses and internationalize.

In the conception and DNA of Portuguese 'startups' is the "idea of internationalization" due to the growth limit that exists in Portugal, in contrast with the continental Brazilian market.

On the other hand, another of the mission's objectives was to show that the country wants to "welcome with open arms the Brazilian companies that want to come to Portugal"

"From the flow we had here in our lounge [Startup Portugal] during these days we know that Portugal is considered a gateway for Brazilian companies that want to enter the European market", she guaranteed

Data sent to Lusa by Web Summit Rio indicates that the 31 Portuguese 'startups' are the second largest foreign delegation in this edition, right behind the United States and ahead of Canada and neighboring Brazil Argentina.

Speaking to Lusa, the executive director of Startup Portugal, António Dias Martins, said that the delegation supported by "Startup Portugal and Lisboa Unicorn Capital has a very positive assessment of this edition".

"In the space dedicated to Portugal and Lisbon, we received more than a dozen investors, 'business angels' and local incubators in a 'pitch' session of Startups from the delegation", he stressed.

On the same occasion, both António Dias Martins and AICEP administrator Luís Rebelo de Sousa sought to promote the programs and the "very competitive advantages that Portugal currently has to offer to entrepreneurs who want to launch or grow their business there, positioning itself as one of the main hubs for Startups in Europe".

Regarding the specific assessment of the results, the Portuguese official warned that it is still premature to reach conclusions and that this "can only be done over the next few years".

Even so, he recalled the previous edition in Rio de Janeiro, in 2023, in which among the 25 startups that participated "at least 5 of them have already opened a company and launched relevant activity in Brazil and/or obtained financing from Brazilian investors".

The event that ended on Thursday, held in Barra da Tijuca, received more than 30,000 participants in RioCentro, from at least 100 countries, more than 1,000 'startups', about 600 investors and 600 speakers, in a structure supported by more than 210 partners and 400 volunteers, according to the organization.

The technology event, which was born in Ireland in 2010, started taking place in the Parque das Nações area, in Lisbon, in 2016 and will remain in the Portuguese capital until 2028. In addition to Rio de Janeiro, the company also registered an expansion to the Middle East, with the Web Summit Qatar that took place in early 2024.

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