Startups based in Rio de Janeiro interested in expanding their international presence and building connections with the European market will have the opportunity to join Rio de Janeiro’s delegation at Web Summit Lisbon 2026. Invest.Rio, the city’s investment attraction and promotion agency, and Maravalley have launched a call for applications to select ten Rio-based startups to take part in the Lisbon Mission 2026, which will take place from November 8 to 12 in Lisbon.
Held for the second consecutive year, the mission aims to connect companies and entrepreneurs from Rio de Janeiro with international investors, partners, and ecosystems, expanding the global reach of Rio’s innovation ecosystem, creating business opportunities, and strengthening the city’s position as one of Latin America’s leading hubs for technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
The launch of the call for applications brought together representatives of the innovation ecosystem, startups, companies, and institutions involved in technology and entrepreneurship at Maravalley.
“The participation of Rio de Janeiro in Web Summit Lisbon is a unique opportunity to showcase the talent and creativity of our innovation ecosystem on the global stage. Our goal is to attract increasing investment while connecting Rio-based companies with leading international trends, investors, and partners, consolidating Rio as a hub for technology, entrepreneurship, and new business opportunities,” says Sidney Levy, President of Invest.Rio.
A journey of connection with the international market
The selected startups will take part in a program that includes access to Web Summit, pre-departure training, mentoring, technical visits, and meetings with investors. One of the initiative’s highlights is that, in this edition, startups will have the opportunity to showcase their solutions at the Invest.Rio booth.
According to Daniel Barros, CEO of Maravalley, Lisbon offers characteristics that make it a particularly strategic destination for Rio-based companies looking to establish or strengthen their connections with the European market.
“Lisbon is an inspiring example for Rio, and our connection goes far beyond language and culture. Today, Web Summit serves as a bridge between these ecosystems, and there is still significant untapped business potential. That is precisely what we aim to foster through these missions: creating the conditions for Rio-based startups to turn these connections into relationships, market access, and concrete business opportunities,” says Daniel.
The mission is also part of a broader internationalization agenda. In addition to creating opportunities for Rio-based startups to connect with other markets, the strategy seeks to leverage these international relationships to identify companies interested in entering the Brazilian market and connect them with Rio de Janeiro’s ecosystem.
“We are building this internationalization agenda as a two-way street. We want to create more and more opportunities for Rio-based startups, especially those within the Maravalley ecosystem, to establish connections and develop business outside Brazil. At the same time, we want to use these missions to identify international startups and companies that see Rio as a gateway to the country. Maravalley can support these companies through the soft-landing process, connecting them with our ecosystem, partners, and the opportunities available here,” explains the CEO.
Applications Open
The call for applications outlines the participation requirements, selection criteria, required documentation, and initiative timeline. Interested startups can find all the information at:
https://www.maravalley.rio/programas/web-summit-lisboa-2026
The ten companies will be selected by a committee composed of Invest.Rio, Maravalley, and partners, with the aim of identifying businesses with strong potential for innovation, growth, and international expansion.