Tech conference previously marred by controversy comes back with a new feel and a focus on humanoid robots
It wasn’t just the first-timers who confirmed this year’s WebSummit had taken a new direction; rather, a press conference with returning CEO and Founder Paddy Cosgrave hit the nail on the head. Famously outspoken in nature, WebSummit made headlines for all the wrong reasons last year following a tweet by Cosgrave over Israel’s actions in Gaza, which sparked backlash and, indeed, his temporary resignation.
Controversy aside, this year’s event saw a host of new startups, with 3,050 companies exhibiting. Over one thousand VCs also turned out, with talks from Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble, Rúben Dias, and four-time Premier League and Champions League Winners Manchester City and Portugal, among others. Attendee figures totalled 71,528, with conference goers originating from over 153 countries.
There was a different feel to this year’s event, with a new meetups function providing that shiny, new penny element, providing people with multiple opportunities to network to their heart’s content. AI and bots formed a huge undercurrent for 2024, with Artificial Intelligence being the most represented industry. It saw a 16% increase in AI-related presence this time around. Bots truly drew the crowds also with more humanoid laundry sorting robots and submersibles than the conference has ever seen before. Just one of those laundry bots was Digit by Agility Robotics.
WebSummit 2024
The 72kg robot wowed the crowds on stage alongside Agility CEO Peggy Johnson, who claimed their bots are going to reshape the entire manufacturing industry. Speaking about Digit on stage, Johnson said, “It will make life easier for human workers…what we’re focussed on is augmenting humans.” Addressing whether robots may eventually replace people, she answered, “Typically, this is part of their job, not their entire job, but it can throw out knees, and it’s dirty, repetitive, mind-numbing work.”
The core differentiator in this year’s event wasn’t just the vibe, but rather the strong emphasis on robotics and AI and, as mentioned previously, the introduction of the new meetup function. Over 250 get-togethers were organised through WebSummit’s proprietary Summit Engine software, meaning attendees could follow a map through the app and connect at the assigned gathering point.
Addressing these meetups and more while steering away from everything and anything political, Paddy Cosgrave addressed the press cautiously in a private conference at the back of the MEO Arena, Lisbon. There, his press personnel managed to circumvent questions from Irish media, who were hungry to know more about the conference and Cosgraves’ current relationships with sponsors and trade delegates.
As opposed to being controversial, this year, Cosgrave spoke positively about adding the meetups function and delegated WhatsApp groups for the various tech verticals and people from different countries. “One of the changes over the last year has been meetups. We have made them an integral part of the experience for attendees and the WhatsApp groups,” he noted, addressing questions over what made the 2024 event different from 2023. He was also asked what keeps drawing the tech conference back to Lisbon. “Over the last nine years Lisbon has transformed amazingly and it’s great to play a small part in that. There’s a new Government here and I’m looking forward to getting to know them. I hope we can stay in Lisbon forever.”
When asked if WebSummit would expand its horizons any further, Cosgrave added, “I have met with a number of Ministers, and it would be amazing to bring it to Africa.”
Although bluechip companies Meta, IBM and Google were among the many tech giants to pull out of the conference in 2023, some made a comeback, with Meta and IBM returning as sponsors of the 2024 event. Overall, this year’s WebSummit had adopted a newer, fresher approach to widen its appeal. Positive comments from startups and VCs cemented my observations that the conference is slowly (but surely) clawing back its reputation as one of Europe’s leading tech conferences.
