Startups at WebSummit 2024
As regular readers of MadeMeThink know, I never miss a good pitch competition. So of course I attended the WebSummit pitches again this year and took a closer look at the Startup Expo.
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Startups at WebSummit 2024
In my last MadeMeThink issue, I shared impressions and content from WebSummit 2024 in Lisbon. In this issue, I would like to share a few interesting startups that caught my attention.
I have by no means seen all the startups at WebSummit (there are about 3000 companies exhibiting, 3/4 of which are startups in my estimation). The startups on the expo floor occupy small booths, which rotate daily. So each day of the three-day WebSummit brings a fresh batch of startups to discover - a real delight for attendees like me…
This is what the startup booths look like (I was one of the first in the hall, so that is why there are only a few founders at the booths in the pic).
The top ten startups have the opportunity to pitch on the Main Stage. Last year, the Brazilian AI legal tech startup Inspira took home the win.
As regular readers of MadeMeThink know, I never miss a good pitch contest (also check out Oslo Innovation Week pitches), so naturally, I attended the WebSummit pitches again this year.
The top 3 startups in this year's WebSummit Pitch Contest were Scoutz (“a Platform for College & Pro Sports Scouting & Recruiting”), GovGPT (“an AI Powered Vest for public safety”) and Intuitivo (“a digital assessment platform for teachers, focused on improving the assessment process in schools.”), which won the pitch contest.
In addition to the pitch contest, I also saw a few interesting startups at the expo. The startup Tyrp, for example, which aggregates various travel providers on its platform and uses AI to create interesting travel offers. For example, you enter that you want to travel from your home airport on a weekend in January to somewhere in Europe and Tryp makes suggestions at really very attractive prices. Have a look at it, I like it and I'll give it a try.
What I appreciate about Tryp and other startups at the WebSummit is how they leverage new technologies to compete in established industries.
AI, in particular, presents a wealth of opportunities. Five years ago, it seemed unlikely to me that Google would face a serious challenger, yet with the rise of GPT and similar AI players, the landscape is shifting, and Google is feeling the heat.
It makes me wonder: how will AI force other established players to adapt, and how will it transform consumer behavior and purchasing processes?
Who will contest Amazon's market share? AI agents certainly have potential here. Alibaba launched Accio, a “personal sourcing agent”, at the WebSummit. The presentation video was a little better than my personal experience with Accio, but if you take this approach further, it is already conceivable how new AI solutions can be used to put pressure on the established players.
You can watch the Accio spot (starts at min 9:10) - or the full talk by Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com—here:
Well, well... as I glance at the clock, it’s just shy of midnight on this Friday as I write these lines and I therefore have to wrap things up. But before I finish, I would like to highlight a few more startups that particularly caught my eye…
Comudel was among the top 10 startups at the pitching event. They position themselves as the “Operating System for your Business,” handling administrative tasks like taxes, accounting, invoices, and payments. That sounds quite intriguing to me. For years, I’ve wondered when someone would take on the challenge of replacing accountants in the SME space. With AI, this now seems to be possible...
“Nuke from Orbit” caught my attention simply because of its name, which aligns perfectly with its solution - very well chosen 😅
At RentYourMac, the name says it all, and the description (“A Mac for everyone”) is clear and concise. I appreciate it when I can immediately grasp what a service is all about. As a longtime Apple enthusiast, that tagline immediately resonated with me, so if you want to rent your own Mac in the Cloud, check it out…
I also had a nice conversation with the founder of RentYourMac, and during our talk, I found out that he spent his childhood vacations just around the corner from me, in Bregenz - and once again I was surprised how small this world is!
Last but not least, there was even a startup that developed a smart anchor at WebSummit, for all the captains among my readers... and if you still haven’t had enough, there’s a database of Web Summit startups where you can search for all the startups e.g. from your country that exhibited at the Web Summit (see below for Austria). But that's it for now, need to catch some sleep... over and out.
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Disclaimer: The thoughts published in this publication are my personal opinion and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation for any type of action. I am not a financial expert. The startups, organizations or corporates highlighted in this publication have caught my interest. This mention is not an endorsement or recommendation to engage with them. Readers should always do their own research. I registered at the WebSummit as a media representative, was accepted and received a free entry ticket without any strings attached.