ALAS Joins Forces with Web Summit to Position Brazil as Latin America’s Innovation Hub
ALAS partners with Web Summit Rio 2026 to bring the largest Latin American startup delegation and boost regional innovation.
The Latin American Startup Alliance (ALAS) has announced a strategic partnership with Web Summit to bring the largest Latin American startup delegation ever assembled to Web Summit Rio 2026, positioning Brazil as a key hub for innovation, collaboration, and global connectivity.
A regional effort to connect Latin America with global opportunities
The initiative seeks to strengthen ties between startups, investors, corporates, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders from across Latin America and beyond. By consolidating a strong regional presence, the partnership aims to showcase the region as a unified and strategic innovation player on the global stage.
Guilherme Carames, Deputy Country Manager at Web Summit Rio, highlighted the significance of the collaboration:
“Web Summit has always been about breaking down barriers between the people building the future and the people backing them. Web Summit Rio extends that mission across Latin America and opens doors to the world.”
He added that the partnership with ALAS will allow the region’s most promising founders to connect with international investors and peers, reinforcing Rio de Janeiro’s role as a central hub for innovation in Latin America.
Casa ALAS: a hub for networking and collaboration
As part of the agreement, ALAS will host Casa ALAS, a dedicated space designed to bring together key players from the Latin American innovation ecosystem.
The program will begin on June 5, 2026, ahead of the official event agenda, and will include curated activities such as:
- Talks and panel discussions
- Networking breakfasts
- Executive lunches
- Happy hours
Throughout the week, selected startups from across the region will receive free exhibition spaces, enabling them to present their solutions to global investors and corporations attending the event.
Casa ALAS will serve as a central meeting point for founders, venture capital funds, and policymakers, while also welcoming representatives from countries outside the region that maintain technical cooperation agreements with the alliance.
Strengthening collaboration beyond the main event
Following the official conference, ALAS will host a special after-event on June 12, bringing together national and international leaders to share insights, reflections, and strategic perspectives from the week’s discussions.
During the activities, the organization will also announce new strategic initiatives aimed at accelerating innovation and investment across Latin America. These projects are being developed in collaboration with global ecosystem organizations such as Startup Genome.
A long-term vision for Latin America’s innovation ecosystem
Junior Rodrigues, President of ALAS, described the partnership as a milestone for the region:
“This partnership with Web Summit represents a historic milestone for the Latin American innovation ecosystem. Our goal is to ensure that Latin America arrives in Rio not as isolated markets, but as a connected and strategic region.”
He emphasized that the initiative goes beyond a single event, forming part of a broader vision to establish Rio de Janeiro as the annual meeting point for the region’s leading startups, investors, and innovation leaders.
“Our ambition is clear: to make Rio the place where the future of innovation in Latin America is discussed, built, and accelerated every year.”
A platform to amplify regional impact
Through this partnership, ALAS reinforces its role as a platform that connects startups, investors, institutions, and governments. The initiative aims to increase international visibility, strengthen collaboration, and accelerate the growth of innovation ecosystems across Latin America.
