Ottawa-based <a href="https://plantaform.com/">Plantaform</a> took the stage as the winner of the <a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/sessions/qat26/1f01e307-6844-449e-8d00-f5a0dda9cd93/pitch-final/">PITCH startup competition</a> at Web Summit Qatar 2026, an event that brought together over 30,274 attendees, 1,637 startups, and 931 investors from 127 countries &#8211; and one with a track record of turning participation into serious funding.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Read more about Web Summit Qatar startups raised $205 million in funding since 2025 <a href="https://websummit-dot-yamm-track.appspot.com/2At7SPsSW7JhwVvsCdUb6BLxEpoUmJlZzA_OLi3O74b-5ky8onAGfvtbom7hjjMHeckTgRsAa3-hXmnDUx2lXEezVdbuY-OCWeTRWpRTuxDFgfSkZFR4kQMqJbvmvoxyoDU0OpjHO2OZMYIm-ppl_nLnpPHJv0w7csXew3NIRNN5ofmdjxZ-5EkPnIh9KBiG7vKJjq9DutXtMlbOOTFOGCnfkoxIuF2_zysfXSTZH7sLUzxD_7KePESXd">here</a>;</li>
</ul>



Plantaform is an agtech startup building smart, connected indoor gardens that let people grow fresh, organic herbs, greens, and vegetables at home year-round. Its systems replace soil with fogponics, a mist-based method that delivers water and nutrients directly to plant roots as an ultrasonic fog. The technology uses significantly less water, speeds up plant growth, and makes it possible to produce nutrient-rich food indoors in any climate or season, with minimal effort.



&#8220;In a year, we see Plantaform&#8217;s smart indoor gardens becoming a common household appliance across the GCC, while also scaling our fogponics technology into commercial greenhouses designed to grow food efficiently in desert environments&#8221;, revealed PITCH winner Alberto Aguilar, co-founder and CEO of Plantaform.



&#8220;Conversations with investors and operators have been very hands-on and focused on real deployment and impact, which has been incredibly energising&#8221;, he added, talking about his experience at Web Summit Qatar.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="706" src="https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/uYmvt50A-55077719731_dd3dc12f77_k-1024x706.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-99348" srcset="https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/uYmvt50A-55077719731_dd3dc12f77_k-300x207.jpg 300w, https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/uYmvt50A-55077719731_dd3dc12f77_k-1024x706.jpg 1024w, https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/uYmvt50A-55077719731_dd3dc12f77_k-768x530.jpg 768w, https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/uYmvt50A-55077719731_dd3dc12f77_k-1536x1059.jpg 1536w, https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/uYmvt50A-55077719731_dd3dc12f77_k-1200x827.jpg 1200w, https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/uYmvt50A-55077719731_dd3dc12f77_k-1400x965.jpg 1400w, https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/uYmvt50A-55077719731_dd3dc12f77_k.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Vancouver-based <a href="https://gluxkind.com/">GlüxKind</a>, a robotics startup reimagining the baby stroller with AI-powered safety, and Dubai-based <a href="https://www.andagainandagain.com/">&amp;Again</a>, a fashion tech startup building the region&#8217;s first social marketplace for pre-loved and slow fashion, finished as runners-up. It’s the second time GlüxKind presents its project on a Web Summit stage, after debuting in the Web Summit Vancouver PITCH competition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pitch-as-a-launchpad-for-global-attention">PITCH as a launchpad for global attention</h2>



Past winners at Web Summit Qatar include <a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/blog/news/nanotech-startup-metalchemy-wins-web-summit-qatar-pitch-competition-to-solve-food-waste-crisis/">Metalchemy</a> (UK), on a mission to fight food waste by extending the shelf life of perishable food with a silver nanoparticle suspension, and US-based gaming company <a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/blog/press-releases/pitch-jusour-winner-breshna-gaming-development/">Breshna</a>, whose mission is to empower users to create, share, and monetise their own video games without prior coding or game-design knowledge.



Thousands of startups enlisted in Web Summit&#8217;s startup programmes in Doha, Vancouver, Rio, and Lisbon to compete for the PITCH prize over the three-day event. Winners gain global media attention and credibility with investors. The numbers back it up.&nbsp;



Since Web Summit Qatar 2025, close to 70 startups that attended the event through its Startup Programme have collectively raised $205 million in funding. The pattern is clear: startups that attend Web Summit Qatar go on to attract significant capital.



Web Summit Qatar&#8217;s PITCH winner announcement wraps up a four-day event that brought 427 speakers, 180 meetups, and 841 international media to Doha. Read all about Web Summit’s Qatar key figures <a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/blog/news/global-capital-gathers-in-doha-as-web-summit-qatar-hits-record-scale/">here</a>.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/55072603224_047137b4e3_c.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-99337" srcset="https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/nsnUVvyw-55072603224_047137b4e3_c-300x200.jpg 300w, https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/55072603224_047137b4e3_c-768x513.jpg 768w, https://qatar.websummit.com/wp-media/2026/02/55072603224_047137b4e3_c.jpg 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure>



Some of the most favourited talks at Web Summit Qatar 2026 include:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li class="has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a612302ea9fff28043f2a36241e6ed83"><a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/sessions/qat26/1498dd57-2acd-4534-8c29-417b9308946f/building-the-platform-big-tech-won-t/">Building the platform big tech wont</a></li>



<li class="has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b302d8b63fc35b83505abec3fd3e157e"><a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/sessions/qat26/f5bc00b0-fa97-4e7e-8eb7-014bcd418931/human-first-re-centering-ethics-in-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence/">Human first: Re-centering ethics in the age of artificial intelligence</a></li>



<li class="has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b5bfe796dcc49d10d55e970c30d792fb"><a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/sessions/qat26/9b24b7a0-ce64-43e4-92a2-aae20b6507b3/investing-in-culture-museums-creative-industries-and-the-knowledge-economy/">Investing in culture: Museums, creative industries and the knowledge economy</a></li>



<li class="has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d5bf1bfcd3468f4a86a65674584a7c57"><a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/sessions/qat26/1b651aa1-afc7-4165-8018-4c009558dd1a/breaking-the-sound-barrier-the-voice-agent-era/">Breaking the sound barrier: The voice agent era</a></li>



<li class="has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b84cf2f5adc465795bed4b3cccb4b1b2"><a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/sessions/qat26/d6532407-78de-4553-8b27-9de902f8132c/how-tech-can-help-palestine/">How tech can help Palestine</a></li>



<li class="has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-243949f384133f78d864d5569049dd60"><a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/sessions/qat26/d85cc531-162b-4919-a6af-6da227eefd08/what-s-next-for-vc-in-mena/">What&#8217;s next for VC in MENA?</a></li>



<li class="has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-348072506638dcbaffa8e30f6e9f1efb"><a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/sessions/qat26/e8ea2885-1db0-491a-956b-1d4fad8466a0/the-new-age-of-content-co-creating-with-ai/">The new age of content: Co-creating with AI</a></li>



<li class="has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3f3cb95c14f1d981976ba178e0fb0799"><a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/sessions/qat26/b24098ed-8d37-4cbf-8bb7-242bad3364ba/the-end-of-capitalism-and-what-comes-next/">The end of capitalism and what comes next</a></li>
</ul>



Top meetups at Web Summit Qatar 2026 include:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Qatar meetup;</li>



<li>Fintech professionals meetup with Phi Wallet;</li>



<li>Meet and Greet: IBM Ventures;</li>



<li>&nbsp;Startups scaling from Qatar (hosted by @Qatar)</li>



<li>First Timers at Web Summit Qatar;</li>



<li>AI x Education: Shaping tomorrow&#8217;s leaders;</li>



<li>Doha locals meetup;</li>



<li>Women in tech: Founders &amp; CEOs meetup.</li>
</ul>

Plantaform, startup growing plants without soil, wins PITCH

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

Web Summit Qatar’s Creator Programme: Class of 2026