'Web Summit Qatar records 140% rise in participating local startups'

The second edition of Web Summit Qatar, which concludes today, has experienced an impressive surge in participation from various startups across the country, Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Cosgrave noted that Web Summit Qatar 2025 welcomed 228 Doha-based startups, marking a staggering 140% increase compared to the 95 companies that took part in last year’s inaugural edition.

Addressing a question from Gulf Times, Cosgrave emphasised that the increase in the participation of domestic startups reflects the region’s burgeoning entrepreneurial landscape and shines the spotlight on the growing interest and investment in tech and innovation among local businesses.

The Web Summit top executive also lauded Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor al-Thani, director of the Government Communications Office and chairman of the Web Summit Permanent Organising Committee, for ensuring the success of the event since its Qatar debut in 2024.

Cosgrave noted that this year’s summit attracted 723 investors and 1,520 startups representing 90 countries. In total, 228 of these startups are Qatar-based, while 85% are from the rest of the world. He also said over 47% of participating startups are women-founded, reflecting a 51% growth from last year.

“Some of the top themes include the Middle East’s emergence as a major tech hub fuelled by strategic investments in a whole range of different areas. There’s a lot of talks of financial inequality in the future of fintech, while generative AI has been dominating topics across almost all stages,” Cosgrave said.

He noted that since its inaugural event, Web Summit Qatar has witnessed remarkable success stories, specifically among Qatari startups, many of whom had the opportunity to network with key industry figures.

These interactions were instrumental in facilitating their growth and expansion into new and larger markets around the world, Cosgrave pointed out, adding that Qatar’s entrepreneurial landscape is thriving, marked by innovation and collaboration.