Highlights 

• Community Partners: This year, Web Summit will actively support over 30 community initiatives, collaborating with partners, grassroots organizations, networks, and nonprofits that make a genuine difference across diverse communities and sectors. 

• Community Meetups: The Community Space will host 30 dedicated meetups! From women’s network group and black innovators mixers to young founders acccelarators and environmental ngos meetups—a vibrant schedule designed to connect diverse communities. 

• Celebrating a Decade of Women in Tech: 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of our women in tech programme! We've seen significant participation growth since 2015 and are celebrating this year with curated meetups, a dedicated networking space and tailored online content for all our women attendees. 

• INSPIRE Programme: We're thrilled to host over 8,000 students! This includes students from over 200 schools across every corner of Portugal making the journey to Lisbon this November. 

• University Students Engagement: Through partnerships with leading university incubators and student-led organizations across Europe, 200 students will receive complimentary access and a curated Web Summit experience, offering a valuable opportunity to connect with peers and kickstart their careers. 

1. Community Partners 

All of our events are defined by our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Our community programme is an integral part of that. Our programme allows us to partner with grassroots organisations, networks, community builders and nonprofits to bring in new ideas and provide representation for traditionally marginalised and underrepresented communities

This year alone, Web Summit will actively support over 30 community initiatives by working with partners, making a genuine difference across different communities and sectors. 

Additionally, four partners were selected for IMPACT, getting the chance to host a Masterclass or a Booth on the exhibition floor: 

• Sigma Labs 

• The Lisbon Project 

• Women Leaders Circle 

• Tech Connect Africa 

Our efforts specifically focus on non-profit organisations and small-scale SMEs, and we collaborate to ensure each partner has the necessary tools to create an impact at Web Summit. 

2. Women in tech

2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the women in tech group. Web Summit is committed to improving gender equality in the tech industry, starting with our events. We believe in supporting the growth of an ecosystem where more women entrepreneurs are innovating and leading industries.

Since launching the Women in Tech programme in 2015, Web Summit has seen a significant increase in women’s participation. 

So what are we preparing for our women attendees? 

• Women in tech meetup space: access to the women in tech meetup space to network and get to know fellow women in tech;

• Curated meetups range from industry-based meetups such as Women Founders in AI Meetup, FemTech Meetup, and Women in Marketing Meetup to identity-based meetups like Portuguese women in tech, Latinas in tech, or Ukrainian women in tech. 

• Tailored online content: attendees can access tailored insights and resources via the women in tech LinkedIn group, serving as an essential guide to navigating the best of Web Summit

• (pre-event) Discounts: Exclusive discount of 85% on a pair of tickets.

WIT Ambassadors

Our women in tech ambassadors will have many opportunities to engage with various initiatives at the event! They will also be asked to create engaging content on their social media about the activities they are participating in, and we will be following and reposting some of the best content! 

3. Student Engagement

INSPIRE

We're excited to host over 8,000 students, both national and international, at Web Summit 2025. Students from all corners of Portugal are making the journey to Lisbon this November. 

We like to think of Web Summit as the meeting point for today's and tomorrow's leaders. We want to ensure that tomorrow's leaders join us, today. Through the INSPIRE programme, students gain complimentary access to learn from industry leaders speaking on Centre Stage on one day of their choosing. 

Over 200 schools across Portugal are set to attend Web Summit, eager to hear from global tech leaders and emerging industry voices.

University Engagement

We partnered with leading university incubators and student-led organisations across Europe. This collaboration aims to engage with some of the most talented and active student groups from Portugal, the UK and Ireland, Spain, France, and Finland.

These 200 students will travel to Lisbon for a unique Web Summit experience. They have been granted complimentary access to the event and will participate in curated student meetups, offering them a valuable opportunity to connect with their peers.