Your First Web Summit: Is it worth attending if you're not an AI Startup?

Web Summit 2024 update: For the second year in a row, the major focus at the Web Summit was (you can guess) AI. Many AI startups were present, and the main stage in the MEO arena also devoted a large part of the four-day conference to talking about AI.

I mean, I can understand that artificial intelligence has introduced new trends and made some processes easier. But is machine learning really revolutionizing the industry?

If you ask me, not so much. AI is more like a polished tool rather than a game-changer in most industries. Sure, we’ve seen some cool AI-powered applications, from smarter analytics to more efficient workflows. But many of these advancements are improvements, not radical disruptions.

If you think I am being just a hater, there is an official Web Summit funding report to back up my perspective.

Web Summit funding trends: Where an AI startup is standing?

If we’re talking funding trends, AI startups while still drawing significant investment, aren’t exactly leading the pack.

In fact, if you look closely at the bigger funding trends, the most lucrative and transformative industries aren’t AI—they’re cleantech and fintech.

Why is that?

Well, AI might be smoking mirrors, but it’s more of a tool that “enhances” existing processes rather than reinventing the wheel.

Meanwhile, sectors like cleantech and fintech are dealing with real-world problems: climate change, financial inclusion, and global sustainability, that need urgent, scalable solutions. Investors are putting their money where the impact is most tangible, and that’s in these high-stakes, global challenges.

So yes I admit, all of us were deceived by the Hans Niemann vs AI chess party, but if you ask me, that was more like when some huge music superstars had their Superbowl performance- an entertaining break before you go back to watching the game.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that AI technologies are useless, I claim that AI tools are more like plugins that can improve user experience, or help with automatic and repetitive tasks rather than revolutionary discovery.

Why do I think so?

Just being at Web Summit for four days most AI startup ideas were connected to:

streamlining data analysis
automating mundane tasks
improving customer service with chatbots
predictive analytics or steps within the software
Generative AI solutions for producing text, images, videos, or other forms of data

Oh, okay, and playing chess with the chess grandmaster.

So, is the Web Summit worth attending without being an AI startup?

Absolutely, with no doubt, for sure, YES!

AI might dominate the conversations, and get the biggest hype, but it’s not the only game in town.

If your startup doesn't directly involve AI, there are still valuable takeaways from Web Summit, especially if you're involved in industries like fintech, cleantech, or SaaS, where AI is being integrated as a supportive tool.

How to prepare your startup for Web Summit as a first-timer?

So before I tell you how was it for BCMS to attend the Web Summit 2024, I will help all newcomers by writing tips based on BCMS last year's Web Summit experience.

Before diving into preparations, it’s important to understand the key programs designed for startups at the Web Summit. The program includes several key components designed to support and highlight startups:

ALPHA and BETA programs: These programs are tailored for early-stage and more developed startups. Participating startups get exhibition space, access to workshops, and networking opportunities with investors and other industry leaders.
PITCH competition: This competition is a major highlight, where selected startups present their business ideas on stage to a panel of judges and an audience of investors and media. The competition is open to startups that are part of the ALPHA and BETA programs and have received less than €5 million in funding.
Startup showcase: This event allows startups to present their solutions to industry challenges in quickfire presentations. It offers significant brand exposure and the opportunity to attract investment and media attention.
Mentor hours and masterclasses: These sessions provide startups with direct access to industry experts and seasoned entrepreneurs who offer guidance on various aspects of business development and scaling.

As a first-timer, your startup will be in the ALPHA program (most likely) so here’s what you can expect:

Exhibition space: You will have a stand to showcase your startup to attendees, investors, and media.
Your startup will be eligible to apply for the PITCH competition.
Participation in the Startup Showcase, which involves presenting your company’s solutions to industry-specific challenges in quickfire presentations.
Ideal opportunities to expand the network with potential partners and investors.

For more information and to apply for the ALPHA program, you can visit the Web Summit startup program page.

Tips for getting the most of Web Summit as a startup

Every year the number of startups participating in this conference grows. Last time a record was broken with the presence of more than 2.5k startups.

First tip: Lower your expectations because, with so much competition, the chances of investors investing in your startup are very low.

Don't think about things you can't influence, but rather focus on your organization and on the messages you want to convey while presenting your product.

Here are some useful tips you can use to prepare for your performance:

Install the event app

Web Summit app is your security blanket. You can follow all the information, keep up with the event timetable, and chat and schedule meetings with other participants.

Plan your booth

Forget about preparing a show and smoking mirrors, organizers have strict rules when it comes to your booth. Things like custom-printed boards for your stand, pop-up banners, and other large marketing materials are not allowed. All participants get the same look of the stand.

So what you can bring to your booth:

Display screens (but it must be 27 inches or smaller).
Product demo (make it interesting and interactive so visitors can see your product performance).
Marketing materials such as business cards, brochures, one-pagers, and so on.
Ensure you have enough crew to cover the booth and attend sessions.
Tech toys like VR or smart robots are allowed.
Consider wearing matching shirts that have your company logo and name.

Think about your slogan

Since you have limited customization at your booth, you need a slogan that encapsulates your startup’s mission, values, or unique selling proposition. Don’t use buzzwords and don’t be afraid to be simple and direct. Our slogan was:

“BCMS: API-based CMS for developers and their clients”

Pack smart

Organizators will provide you with free WiFi and power outlets but since there are more than 70k attendees there might be a chance to have internet speed issues. Since private hotspots and network tethering are strictly prohibited as they interfere with the wifi network you should prepare yourself with:

Offline access to your materials
Bring chargers, portable batteries, and adapters

Prepare your pitch

As with the slogan, it is important what kind of information you want to convey to the visitors of your booth. Don't sell, try to explain to them what solution to their problem your product or service brings. So for the best practices:

Prepare a concise pitch.
Create different versions for various audiences (investors, potential customers, partners).
Be honest and forget about selling techniques.

Attend key sessions

Remember this, quality over quantity. With so many sessions and speakers, focus on those most relevant to your field or product.

Don’t forget about Night Summit

Less official meetings but still useful for networking and meeting possible collaborators. Every night there is a party at emblematic spots of Portugal's capital.

Besides networking, you can present your team company by by participating in various activities during the party, from karaoke to board games, and other interesting challenges. I need to admit, that the BCMS team had a lot of fun and winnings too.

What did BCMS prepare for Portugal this year?

This year we were coming to present all the news and new features related to our product BCMS-headless CMS. (spoiler alert, AI integration wasn’t included)

So, what’s new with BCMS?

New dashboard design and improved workflows

Brand new dashboard design will make content management and content workflows between content creators and dev more intuitive and independent.

We've focused on making the all-new BCMS more intuitive and scalable while keeping you unstoppable as a developer.

Here's a summary of the stuff we’ll ship:

Input flexibility: Allows for more customization of content.
A faster media management system that makes it easier to navigate and find files.
Editing with ease: Your writing and editing process will be smooth and productive.
Teamwork inside BCMS is easier than ever with new tools making teamwork easy and fun.

We wanted to try all these innovations so our first client was BCMS 😎 and they wanted a new, fast, and scalable website so we built it.

BCMS new website

BCMS Frontend integrations

We promote BCMS versability trough making free code starters and showing our audience for how many different projects they can use BCMS and on the other side showing developers that they can integrate BCMS with their fav tech stack.

We are planning to show this in the MEO arena too, by showcasing 24 free code starters for major industry frameworks Nuxt, NextJS, and Gatsby.

These code starters are open-source, responsive, styled with TailwindCSS, and yes, they're free.

But we will have more surprises:

Before I start writing the final words, I want to leave some statistics from our Web Summit experience:

2023 was our first year at Web Summit, and here’s what we gained:

Investor meetings: We booked four with high-quality leads.
User growth: Our user base increased by 1,400%, from 100 to nearly 1,500.
Product expansion: We launched 40 free code starters for major frameworks, like Nuxt, Next.js, and Gatsby, to show our product’s flexibility.

This year, we returned to showcase our latest product developments and answer the question: “Why isn’t BCMS AI-driven?”

Our response? We prioritize practical, user-focused innovation. While we’re open to AI’s potential, our main goal is building a better CMS.

Get ready for Web Summit 2025 (pro tips)

I hope you learned a lot about Web Summit from this article. For the end, I will leave some pro tips and useful links, so if you are planning to visit Lisbon next year, you can be prepared.

#1: Big takeaway: don’t consider AI startups as a competition.

Instead, focus on the problem-solving aspect of your product. If you can frame your startup’s story around impact rather than technology, you’ll resonate with investors and potential clients alike.

#2: Book meetings early

With thousands of attendees (70,000+), meeting slots fill up fast. Start reaching out a few weeks before the event to secure meetings with key contacts, and use the event app to confirm last-minute meetings.

#3: Have a clear CTA

Make it easy for people to follow up after their initial interaction with you. Whether it’s a signup link, an affiliate program, a calendar invite for a follow-up meeting, or a QR code to access a demo, provide a clear next step.

#4: Get informed

Meet speakers: Find out who are the headliners, and what they are going to talk about, and plan your visiting schedule
Meet the startups: Use these startup databases to start networking and make connections with companies that already have this kind of experience.

#5: Enjoy

Remind you that you need to take advantage of the opportunity to be a tourist when you are already in one of the most beautiful locations on the Iberian peninsula.

#6: We would like to meet you

Don’t be shy. We like to meet all smart and innovative people and their products. Who knows? We might find that the next big trend isn’t AI, it could be something you’re already building joined with our headless CMS.

See you at Web Summit 2025!