StartArticlesWith a focus on technology and the environment, impact investing gains prominence...

With technology and the environment in the spotlight, impact investing takes center stage at Web Summit Qatar

As a major technology hub in the region, the Middle East continues to strengthen the technology sector – even as temperatures drop to 4 degrees Celsius. The Web Summit Qatar, which took place from February 23 to 26. The local version of this important innovation and startup event brought a record number, with 25,000 participants from all over the world, serving as a testament to the local effort to promote entrepreneurship.tech and, of course, bring people, investments and economic diversification to the region.

The content agenda did not differ from other editions of the Web Summit, focusing on the challenges of startups, investor interests, artificial intelligence, blockchainSaaS and B2B continued to be topics of discussion.The emphasis, of course, has shifted: in AI, for example, discussions have focused on local capabilities and sovereign AI. The impact topics in the content section, however, were disappointing, such as the meetupof impact investors that had only three participants: besides me, a Canadian venture builder, and a Swiss investor.

Among the startups exhibiting at Web Summit Qatar, a local company stood out, presenting a scalable solution for CO₂ capture using photobioreactor systems that cultivate algae, significantly reducing industrial emissions while improving air quality, and a Bosnian startup that created an innovative technology for recycling chemical waste with zero CO₂ emissions, transforming hazardous waste into reusable high-purity chemical materials, serving industries such as pharmaceuticals and electronics.

Interestingly, most of the startups selected for the semi-finals of the event’s pitch competition were impactful: a startup that developed an AI-powered temperature intelligence to provide hyper-local maps and smart analysis of urban heat data, offering a powerful solution for urban planning and environmental management; a fintech/edtech whose mission is to promote financial literacy among children and teenagers through experiences, games, and payment solutions using NFC wristbands; and another company that developed antimicrobial nanotechnology additives for “active packaging” that extend shelf life and reduce the need for preservatives and antibiotics in products – this, by the way, was the winning solution of the competition.

With this competition, the judging panel, composed of high-caliber investors from various parts of the world, sent a clear message: we want impact startups. In particular, for startups that have demonstrated the ability to combine impact, innovation, high technology, and scalability, there was no shortage of interest in Doha to discuss investments, partnerships, contracts, and proof of concepts.

The Qatari government itself and local companies were exceptionally open to discussing business; whereas in Brazil, decision-makers at large company booths at trade fairs are escorted and securing a spot in their schedule is a Herculean task, there was an impressive openness to sit down with C-level executives.Even outside of relaxation and networking events, there was no shortage of warm hospitality for foreigners with good business.

Thus, Web Summit Qatar 2025 served as a locus for investors – including impact investors – to identify opportunities in promising startups, and was, without a doubt, a privileged space for startups and founders with scalable and innovative businesses to seek partners.

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