Portugal is participating in the event for the second consecutive year with a delegation coordinated by Startup Portugal and supported by Lisbon City Council. The group includes startups from Lisbon, Porto and Leiria working across sectors such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, fintech, sustainable energy, logistics and environmental technology.

Artur Pereira, Web Summit’s country manager for Portugal and Brazil, said this year’s event saw strong growth compared to 2025, with more than 20,000 participants, nearly 1,200 startups and around 800 investors attending from around the world.

“We are here to continue promoting startups and the future of societies impacted by technology,” Pereira said, highlighting Vancouver’s strong position in gaming, virtual reality and visual effects.

Among the Portuguese companies attending is Nitrogen Sensing Solutions, which develops biosensors capable of monitoring compounds in water linked to environmental pollution. The company sees the event as an important first step towards entering the North American market, as stated by Noticias ao Minuto.

“We want to establish partnerships here in North America, starting with Canada, and make our first contacts with investors,” said CEO Marise Almeida.

CyberX is also part of the delegation, presenting ethical hacking and cyber threat intelligence solutions designed to help businesses anticipate cyberattacks and security risks. According to founder David Silva, the company’s focus in Vancouver is on “partnerships and internationalisation” rather than immediate investment.

Startup Portugal representatives highlighted that Portugal has increasingly positioned itself as a bridge between Europe and North America, with the country’s startup ecosystem continuing to grow over the last decade thanks to investment, incubators, universities and events like Web Summit.

Web Summit Vancouver 2026 runs until 14 May at the Vancouver Convention Centre and includes participants from more than 100 countries.