🚦 BRAINR at Web Summit 2024: An Inspiring Summary of a Busy Journey
The Web Summit 2024 was a whirlwind of experiences, emotions, and opportunities for BRAINR. As an ambitious startup, we decided to face this adventure with the objective of increasing our visibility, strengthening the brand and presenting to the world our role as the Digital brain of food factories. Here's a structured and vibrant account of our experience:
Day 1: Start at Full Speed
We left Leiria even before dawn, with the last adjustments made and the PowerPoints sent the day before. The destination? The big stages of the Web Summit. We arrived in Lisbon to face an overwhelming crowd, which for brief moments made us doubt whether we would even be able to enter the venue.
Thanks to the agility of the organization and the support of Startup Portugal, we were able to readjust the time for our first pitch.
The First Pitch: Overcoming the Challenge
On stage, we quickly realized that our audience was comprised of a general audience, with few representatives from manufacturing or the food sector. Even so, we see the moment as an opportunity to reinforce our message and highlight the vision of our MONTH/MOM.
Despite minor technical setbacks - slides that did not advance and a stage that made it difficult to see the screen - the pitch went naturally, the result of a lot of practice. Energy was high, and we concluded with a sense of mission accomplished.
The Second Pitch: Real-Time Adaptation
The second pitch, this time on stage 9, brought an unexpected setback: the wrong version of the presentation was uploaded, even after requests to update it. Ricardo Roque, with great presence of mind, acknowledged the error, explained the situation to the judges and followed up with the available presentation. Although less aligned with the rehearsed narrative, the pitch raised very pertinent questions about ARR, integrations, and partnerships — a clear sign of genuine interest.
Stand Interactions and Media Presence
For the rest of the day, we settled at the Startup Portugal stand, taking advantage of the visibility provided by the press. Our message attracted attention, and we were interviewed by RTP1 and by technology magazines. As we know, television is still one of the platforms that generates the most trust and impact - a victory for BRAINR.
We also had interesting conversations with venture capital funds interested in a potential investment round.
Still, the news that we would not advance to the next phase of the competition brought us back to reality. Next challenge!
There was still time for one last photo of Rui Batista and Ricardo Roque, before leaving for Leiria.
Day 2: Focus on Community and Partnerships
On the second day, we moved to the Beta zone stand, dedicated to manufacturing and SaaS. With the intense pace of the event, we were visited by potential technological and commercial partners, as well as investors curious about our work.
Among the highlights, two promising leads stood out: one in the area of fishing and the other with an institutional partner from the Azores, with great relevance to innovation in the sector.
We also took the opportunity to explore the ecosystem around us, visiting institutional stands related to the food industry and watching some inspiring talks about AI, technology and SaaS.
Mission Accomplished
At the end of the day, we put away the equipment and left Lisbon with a sense of accomplishment. Participating in the Web Summit isn't just about leads or competitions; it's about strengthen community spirit, reinforce the brand, and gather valuable insights to grow.
We came out with new contacts, fresh ideas and, above all, with the certainty that BRAINR is on the right path. We found inspiration in unexpected conversations, reunions, and opportunities to exchange experiences.
Bring on the next Web Summit — we'll be ready for another adventure!
