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Invest.Rio and Maravalley organize a strategic mission to Lisbon to promote innovation and investment
Published on 18/09/2025 - 15:26 | Updated on 18/09/2025 - 16:20
Web Summit is one of the largest global gatherings of technology, innovation and business - Beth Santos/City of Rio Invest.Rio, the Rio de Janeiro City Hall's investment attraction and promotion agency, in partnership with Maravalley, the city's largest innovation hub, launched Mission Lisboa 18 this Thursday (September 9th). This initiative will bring a Rio de Janeiro delegation of executives, investors, and startups to the Portuguese capital during Web Summit Lisboa 2025, one of the largest global technology, innovation, and business gatherings. The goal is to connect Rio de Janeiro's innovation ecosystem with international hubs and cement the city's image as one of the most promising investment destinations in Latin America.
According to Sidney Levy, president of Invest.Rio, Rio de Janeiro is experiencing a unique moment of economic and technological transformation.
– Mission Lisbon 2025 is an opportunity to showcase our city's potential as an innovation hub to the world, while also expanding connections with strategic international partners.
The mission will bring together executives and investors, who will have access to an exclusive agenda during the conference, in addition to selecting up to ten Rio startups to participate in the event. The program is designed to create global connections that benefit Rio's innovation ecosystem, forge strategic partnerships, and facilitate business meetings.
In addition to tickets to Web Summit Lisbon, the delegation will also have access to business roundtables, meetings with international investors, visits to innovation hubs, and networking events. Executives will also be able to present Rio's strategic opportunities in the areas of technology, the creative economy, tourism, energy, and sustainability.
Startups selected for the program will receive Alpha or Beta tickets, with full access to the event, as well as a pre-trip training trail, specialized mentoring, access to the mission's partner network, a six-month residency at Maravalley after the mission, use of the Invest.Rio booth as a base, visits to local innovation environments, and international exposure in booths and pitch competitions.
To participate, startups must be formally established in Rio, operate in technology, innovation, or the creative economy, have solutions aligned with the Web Summit's Alpha or Beta profile, be available for the entire program, and be able to cover travel, lodging, and meals.
Registration will be open from September 18th to 30th, upon submission of a form with a pitch deck. The selection process will involve a documentary and technical review by a panel composed of representatives from Invest.Rio, Maravalley, and Web Summit itself, as well as interviews. The evaluation will include the degree of innovation and impact, market potential and scalability, technical feasibility, and the founders' experience. The final results will be announced by October 6th.
For Daniel Barros, CEO of Maravalley, the hub was created with the purpose of positioning Rio as a reference in technology and entrepreneurship.
This is the first of many international missions we're planning to connect our ecosystem and provide access to international clients and investors. During the mission, we'll also announce our softlanding program to prospect and attract companies that see Rio de Janeiro as a potential market.
Access official website of the Lisbon 2025 Mission.
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