As a major technology hub in the region, the Middle East continues to strengthen the technology sector – even with temperatures dropping to 4 degrees Celsius. The Web Summit Qatar, what happened between February 23 and 26. The local version of this important innovation and startups event brought a record number, with 25 thousand participants from all corners of the world, being a testimony of the local effort to promote entrepreneurshiptech and bring, of course, people, investments and economic diversification for the region
The content agenda did not differ from previous editions of the Web Summit, the focus on the challenges of startups, investors' interests, artificial intelligence blockchain, SaaS and B2B continued to be topics of discussion.The emphasis, of course, changed: in AI, for example, the discussions focused on local capabilities and sovereign AI. The impact themes in the content section, however, fell short, how the meetupof impact investors that had only three participants: besides me, a Canadian venture builder, and a Swiss investor
Among the exhibiting startups at the Web Summit Qatar, a local company stood out, that presented a scalable solution for CO₂ capture using photobioreactor systems that cultivate algae, significantly reducing industrial emissions while improving air quality is a startup from Bosnia that created an innovative technology for recycling chemical waste with zero CO₂ emissions, transforming hazardous waste into high-purity reusable chemical materials, serving industries such as pharmaceuticals and electronics
An interesting fact is that most of the startups selected for the semifinal of the pitch competition at the event were impact-driven: a startup that developed a temperature intelligence supported by AI to provide hyper-local maps and smart analyses of urban heat data, offering a powerful solution for urban planning and environmental management; uma fintech/edtech que tem por missão promover o letramento financeiro entre crianças e adolescentes por meio de experiências, games, and payment solutions using NFC bracelets; and another company that developed antimicrobial nanotechnology additives for "active packaging" that extend shelf life and reduce the need for preservatives and antibiotics in products – this, by the way, it was the winning solution of the competition
With this competition, the evaluation board, composed of high-caliber investors from various parts of the world, left a clear message: we want impact startups. In particular, for the startups that have managed to demonstrate their ability to combine impact, innovation, high technology and scalability, so, did not miss, in Doha, interest in discussing investments, partnerships, contracts and proof of concept
The Qatari government itself and local companies were exceptionally open to discussing business; with, in Brazil, the decision-makers at the booths of large companies at trade shows are escorted and getting a little spot in their schedule is a herculean task, there was an impressive opportunity to sit down with C-level executives.Even outside of relaxation and networking events, there was no lack of human warmth for foreigners with good business
Thus, the Web Summit Qatar 2025 served, yes, as a locus for investors – including those of impact – identify opportunities in promising startups, and it was, without a doubt, a privileged space for startups and founders with scalable and innovative businesses to seek partners
With a focus on technology and the environment, impact investment gains prominence at Web Summit Qatar
