Global capital gathers in Doha as Web Summit Qatar hits record scale 

Web Summit Qatar opened on Sunday, February 1, with its biggest edition yet, drawing 30,274 attendees, 1,637 startups, and 931 investors from 127 countries to Doha’s Exhibition and Convention Centre. With record numbers of founders and funders on the ground, the event cements its place as the global platform connecting the Middle East to the world.

The event has grown 100% in attendance, from 15,000 to more than 30,000 people in just two years, reflecting the growing appetite of entrepreneurs and investors from around the world to explore the opportunities Web Summit Qatar and the region have to offer, and the desire to connect and form partnerships that will advance technology and their businesses.  

Opening night set the tone with His Excellency the Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, who highlighted Qatar’s ambition to position itself as a global hub for innovation, announcing Qatar Investment Authority’s expanded $2 billion Fund of Funds Programme, and the introduction of a 10-year visa programme for international entrepreneurs. 

His Excellency shared the stage with Issam Hijazi, CEO of UpScrolled. Launched just seven months ago, the social media platform has surged to the top of US app download charts as users seek social platforms built around transparency.

Also speaking on Opening Night was Mati Staniszewski, Co-Founder of ElevenLabs, who spoke about building human-like AI voice technology, and Midas List investor Larry Li, Founder and Managing Partner of Amino Capital, who unpacked the latest funding trends.

Key numbers :

• 30,274 attendees from 127 countries gather in Doha for Web Summit Qatar;
  
• 1,637 startups (85% international), up from 1,520 last year;
  
• 931 investors (29% increase YoY), as global capital turns its attention to the region. Top VCs on the ground include Amino Capital, Greycroft, and 500 Global;
  
• 22 government delegations, with Italy, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Switzerland, and the US making their Web Summit Qatar debut;
  
• 427 speakers will tackle today’s biggest topics, including AI, chip wars, tech geopolitics, quantum’s leap to commercial reality, and the creator economy, with 841 international members of the media covering it all;
  
• Global partners at the event include IBM, TikTok, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Snapchat, Huawei, McKinsey, Cisco, and Dell. Media partners include Al Jazeera, Euronews, Forbes, CNBC, Axios, and Dow Jones; 
  
• 180 meetups, powered by AI-driven recommendations, will connect attendees around shared interests, from scaling tech in emerging markets to AI in education, fintech, and closing the gender gap in tech; 
  
• Web Summit remains committed to closing the gender gap. 38% of startups at Web Summit Qatar have a female founder. This has risen from 31% in 2024 following last year’s focused drive for the Web Summit women in tech programme’s 10th anniversary. The programme, now entering its second decade, keeps pushing for parity with dedicated networking sessions and meetup spaces.

Speaking on opening night, Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave reflected on the event’s rapid growth:

“It feels like only yesterday that we launched Web Summit Qatar, and yet here we are two years later with the biggest, and more importantly, one of the most impactful technology events in the world”, Paddy Cosgrave said on stage.

Web Summit’s CEO highlighted the startup presence: “I cannot wait to meet some of the 1,600 startups exhibiting on our floor over the next three days. It’s a record number, and also an astonishingly globally diverse group: 85% of startups joining are from outside Qatar.”

Speaking about recent geopolitical changes, he added. “We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of investors attending this week, to almost 1,000. These investors recognise that the future of technology is no longer the preserve of Silicon Valley: the future of global technology has shifted. Some might fear this depth of change. I don’t: I believe the new world order, the multi-polar world we have entered, is the biggest global opportunity of several centuries.”

Paddy Cosgrave, Founder & CEO, Web Summit

Largest gathering of startups in the region

The Startup Programme sold out with 1,637 early to growth-stage technology companies set to exhibit on the Web Summit Qatar floor, showcasing their new technologies and meeting investors, potential partners and peers throughout the four-day event. 

Notably, 85% of startups are international, with 87 countries represented in the startups programme, cementing Web Summit Qatar’s role as the region’s most global startup stage. Startups will be flying in from every corner of the world, from Australia, Colombia, Poland, Spain, Nigeria, Albania, and the Philippines.  

Artificial intelligence remains the most represented industry, as AI continues to fuel the biggest conversations shaping the world, from healthcare and energy to creativity and space exploration, including the battle for compute and the geopolitics shaping AI’s future. Healthtech, fintech, software-as-a-service, and education round out the top sectors, signalling where the next wave of growth is headed.

Record investor eyes on Doha

Top investors are also sharing their take on what’s next. Speakers include Larry Li, Amino Capital Founder and 2025 Forbes Midas List honoree, Dana Settle, Greycroft co-founder who backed Bumble and Scopely. Eduardo Saverin, Facebook co-founder turned B Capital co-CEO, is now investing in the next wave.

Speakers and media

427 speakers will tackle today’s biggest topics across 14 tracks, including AI, chip wars, tech geopolitics, quantum’s leap to commercial reality, and the creator economy.

Speakers include Hasan Piker, Twitch streamer and political commentator reshaping how millions engage with news and politics; Cliff Obrecht, Co-founder and COO of Canva, now used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies; Etosha Cave, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Twelve, turning CO₂ into everyday products; and Yanis Varoufakis, economist and former Greek finance minister.

841 international members of the media are covering it all, including partners such as Al Jazeera, Euronews, Forbes, CNBC, Axios, and Dow Jones.

Issam Hijazi, Founder & CEO, Upscrolled

180 meetups help find new communities

Beyond the talks, meetings, and interviews, 180 meetups bring people together across the event. Powered by Web Summit’s AI recommender system, these curated gatherings connect attendees with the right communities, spark meaningful connections, and turn shared goals and ideas into collaborations shaping the future of tech.

At Web Summit Qatar, meetups span industries and interests, from IBM Ventures Meet and Greet, Fintech Startups Scaling from Qatar, and AI x Education: Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders, to more informal sessions like mini golf and giant Jenga.

Community-led meetups also bring people together around shared purpose, including the Accessible Tech Founders Meetup for those working towards a more accessible tech space, and the Neurodiverse & ADHD Meetup, a recurrent gathering across all Web Summit events focused on shared experiences and understanding. A dedicated Web Summit women in tech meetup space honours 10 years of the programme, dedicated to building networks and breaking barriers.

More than 60 meetups take place during Night Summit, the event’s evening programme, where conversations continue in a more relaxed social setting.

More community initiatives 

Web Summit works with networks, community builders, and nonprofits to bring new voices to its events and ensure underrepresented communities have a platform and presence. Through its IMPACT programme at Web Summit Qatar, three organisations will host masterclasses or exhibition booths: UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative; Gaza Sky Geeks, Palestine’s leading tech hub supporting digital skills and employment since 2011; and Tech Connect Africa, a global social enterprise connecting African tech leaders and founders across the continent and its diaspora.

Closing the gender gap remains a core initiative at Web Summit. Attendees in Qatar will have access to a dedicated women in tech meetup space, curated meetups across roles and sectors, and tailored content and resources through the Web Summit women in tech LinkedIn community.