Web Summit 2021: 7 must-sees from this year’s in-person edition
Web Summit is back in Lisbon from November 1.-4. These are 7 key events not to miss from the one of best technology conferences on the planet.
The tech world is coming together from November 1-4 in Lisbon. Sunny Portugal welcomes founders and CEOs of tech companies, fast-growing startups, policymakers, and heads of state once again.
What is the Web Summit?
One of the most renowned technology conferences on the planet, it is an epicentre of innovation, growth, and endless opportunities. This year’s in particular, following a virtual edition in 2020, will be the broadest ever, with over 20 topics ranging from tech, robotics, health and music.
https://vimeo.com/575757948
Over 4 days, between November 1st and 4th, participants will hear from leading figures but also take part in activities – masterclasses, Q&A and even Night Summits. After all, networking is just as important as discussion tech and decoding the future when it comes to the Web Summit.
2021 Edition FOMO? Check out our Must-Attend Selection
This year, Tim Berners-Lee, “Father” of the World Wide Web, Nick Clegg, VP of Global Affairs & Communications at Facebook and Werner Vogels, CTO of Amazon, are some of the key speakers. The full list includes the most influential voices in the world of technology, but also sports, music and social movements.
These are the major highlights for investors and founders coming to Web Summit 2021.
(1) FACEBOOK AND INNOVATION IN EUROPE
Why: to get Facebook’s take on Europe
When: Tuesday, Nov 2th from 10:00 to 10:20
Who: Nick Clegg, VP of Global Affairs & Communications at Facebook
Where: centre stage
Web Summit starts with a bang, right on day one. Nick Clegg, former UK deputy prime minister and current VP of global affairs at Facebook, has been invited to share his vision on how Facebook is putting Europe at the heart of its plans for responsible innovation.
But what makes this event especially relevant is its timing. In fact, Facebook has recently announced the creation of 10k jobs in Europe as part of a $50m investment. But Clegg’s appearance at the Web Summit comes just after a whistleblowing scandal that placed Facebook in the spotlight for its privacy rights policies, promoting misinformation and impact on the mental health of its users. So what exactly is brewing inside the social media giant? Those attending will get a chance of hearing it from Clegg himself. Side note: Frances Haugen, the whistleblower, will also be speaking at the Web Summit.
(2) EUROPEAN TECH IS ON FIRE–IN A GOOD WAY!
Why: to figure out where to invest in Europe
When: Tuesday, Nov 2th from 10:45 to 11:05
Who: Reshma Sohoni (Managing Partner at Seedcamp), Robin Wauters (Editor-in-chief Tech.eu) and Jan Hammer (General Partner Index Ventures)
Where: centre stage
Just a few minutes after Facebook’s Nick Clegg wraps up and in the same place, Reshma Sohoni (Seedcamp), Robin Wauters (Tech.eu) and Jan Hammer (Index Ventures) kick off a vitally important talk for those looking to invest in Europe.
Again, timing matters. The European tech scene is growing faster than almost anywhere else in the world, as venture capital carried on investing into the region. The tech ecosystem has expanded to almost $1 trillion in combined value, up five-fold from 2016. In this session, we'll hear from two of the region's leading VCs on whether the pace of growth will hold, or if it should be a cause for concern.
(3) STATE OF THE UNION: VC TRENDS IN 2021
Why: to lift the veil on VC trends
When: Tuesday, Nov 2th from 10:50 to 11:00
Who: Nizar Tarhuni, Senior Director of Institutional Research & Editorial at PitchBook
Where: Venture
PitchBook provides data, research and technology covering private capital markets, including venture capital, private equity and M&A transactions. They collect, process and comment on critical data regarding the start-up ecosystem, such as this:
VC CAPITAL RAISED IN 2021 CLOSE TO $100M - Source: Pitchbook
With all this aggregated knowledge in the bag, it will be interesting to hear what PitchBook's Nizar Tarhuni inputs are on the global venture capital landscape for 2021 and beyond. In the address, investors and founders can hear Tarhuni’s take on the key trends that will shape the coming years.
(4) CATALYSING THE NEXT ERA OF THE WEB: A CALL TO ACTION
Why: to hear about the future of data from a living legend
When: Thursday, Nov 4th
Who: Sir Tim Berners-Lee aka the inventor of the internet
Where: centre stage
Since inventing the world wide web in 1989, Sir Tim Berners-Lee has seen his creation grow into one of the greatest engines for social and economic progress in history. But one crucial part of the web did not go as planned: the use of data.
In this session, Sir Tim will be joined by John Bruce, CEO and co-founder of Sir Tim’s first commercial venture, Inrupt. With their new enterprise, Sir Tim and John Bruce have developed a technology for organizing data, applications, and identities on the web. They hope it will enable richer choices for people, organizations and app developers by building on existing web standards.
Together, they'll show how governments and businesses are already mobilizing around the potential of this new technology and will call on leaders around the globe to help build the foundation for the next era of socio-economic prosperity on the web.
(5) COWORKING THURSDAYS - WEB SUMMIT SPECIAL EDITION
Why: to really experience Lisbon’s innovation scene like a local
Who: Coworking Thurdays, IDEA Spaces, 351 Startup Community and Made of Lisboa
Where: IDEA Spaces Saldanha
When: Nov. 5th
You absolutely need to know about a local grassroots movement: 351 Startup Community. Moderated by volunteers from the startup scene, the community has become a reference when it comes to collaboration, tips sharing and getting to know what happens in Lisbon’s tech scene. Some of the moderators of the community are also the organizers of “Coworking Thursdays”, an initiative that has brought hundreds of digital nomads and local startuppers to a different cowork every Thursday, for the past 2 years.
The special edition, in partnership with IDEA Spaces, will take place on Friday, Nov 5th, and will have a coworking day and a happy hour for people to work and mingle like a local.
(6) THE EVOLUTION OF THE DEVELOPER EXPERIENCE
Why: to hear the future of the Cloud from the man shaping it
When: Wednesday, Nov 3th 10:10 - 10:30
Who: Dr Werner Vogels, CTO Amazon
Where: FULLSTK
The future of AI, Machine Learning and Cloud Developing are the major topics of Dr Werner Vogels’ address. In this session, Amazon’s CTO will share how the cloud is evolving to meet the needs and skills of developers. From durable abstractions to sustainable development practices, Werner will share how developers are impacting shaping the future of the cloud.
(7) COCKTAILS AND NO BAD CONVERSATIONS
Why: to get in a networking mood
When: Wednesday, Nov 1th from 19:00
Who: everyone
Where: FLAT (Calçada Ribeiro Santos 37 1º andar).
On a slightly lighter note, “Cocktails and No Bad Conversations” is the event to go for networking… and great cocktails. Although officially geared towards customer experience practitioners, the chilled atmosphere and variety of attendees mark this out as one of the best places to kick off Web Summit. Register here.
Bridge In is coming to the Web Summit
MEET US @ THE WEB SUMMIT ON NOV. 3, AT STAND N. A 442 (PAVILION 3, ALPHA 4)
Our team has been working non-stop to bring you some interesting news: we are about to launch our software for distributed companies.
How do you compliantly hire in another Country? When does it become convenient to open a subsidiary? How to seamlessly integrate the finances, teams, deadlines, etc. of all your local subsidiaries or branches into an all-in-one business software?
BRIDGE IN is building the solution: an opinionated Company-As-A-Service platform vertically integrated into each country regulations.
Our product will allow you to automate 80% of your business management related tasks, from employing a global workforce to running a subsidiary through self-service app and RPA. It reduces risks, increases predictability, efficiency and compliance by standardising a series of manual processes:
Subsidiary creation and management
Employee onboarding, and payroll, benefits and expense management
Aggregated view of all subsidiaries financial forecast and cash flow needs
Global legal and tax compliance through an audited platform
If you want to know more, visit us at our stand, or reach out any time!
