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As the Web Summit Qatar drew to a close, conversations showed no signs of slowing.
From startups and artists to policymakers and engineers, the summit brought together different worlds around a shared question: how technology is shaping daily life.
That focus is reflected in the numbers. Since Web Summit Qatar 2025, 69 startups from the summit’s Startup Programme have raised a combined $205 million (€173.6m).
AI and machine learning led the way, accounting for $125 million (€105.8m) of that total. Data and analytics followed with $41 million (€34.7m), and fintech raised $26 million (€22m), highlighting where investor attention is heading.
Robots for learning
On the floor, robotics startups offered a glimpse into how AI is moving closer to everyday routines. Yavuzalp Özcan from NCT Robotics said his company is building robots designed to support children.
“We make those robots as a friend for the children. They can use them to do their homework and create more efficiency for themselves,” he said, explaining how educational content can be integrated directly into the robots.
Across stages and booths, one message kept coming back: technology is no longer abstract. It is increasingly personal and built into ordinary devices.
Chips power AI
Max Mirgoli, EVP and Chief Global Development and Venturing Officer at imec, pointed to semiconductors as the foundation behind this shift. “If you open up your phone, if you open up any appliance these days, you will see chips,” he said.
Mirgoli highlighted how quickly technology has evolved. “If you look at just ten years ago, your phone could only do calling. Today it gives you the weather, your Google, your email.
It checks your stock for you,” he said, adding that “semiconductors have been the driving force behind the renaissance in computing and communication,” and now play a key role in enabling AI.
Funding reach
The scale of the summit was also reflected in the wider funding picture. Companies attending Web Summit Qatar, including startups, speakers and partners, have raised more than $28 billion (€23.7bn) over the past year.
Those present collectively represent over $463 billion (€392bn) in lifetime funding, according to publicly available data.
As Web Summit Qatar came to a close, the mix of robotics, AI and deep tech made one thing clear. Innovation is not a future concept. It is already shaping how people live, work and create.