At old docks that a century ago were a gateway to the world for the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, technology entrepreneurs now congregate once a year to show off what they hope will be the next big thing.
Since 2022, renovated warehouses along the Guaíba river have hosted a sister edition of Madrid’s South Summit conference. Over three days it pulls in some 20,000 attendees, including start-up founders, government representatives and investors.
As the city nurtures a growing list of new ventures, it has ambitions to become a regional centre for tech and innovation. But can it truly compete with other state capitals in Brazil that are more established?
Porto Alegre is the fifth-largest innovation centre in the country, according to research platform StartupBlink, which compiles a global ranking based on criteria including the number of start-ups, investments attracted and public policies.
Since 2022, Porto Alegre has hosted a sister edition of Madrid’s South Summit conference © Guilherme Leporace
