Startups participating in Web Summit Qatar 2025 have collectively raised $205 million in funding, highlighting the growing impact of the Middle East’s largest technology event on global startup financing.
According to data released by Web Summit on Wednesday, 69 startups from the event’s Startup Programme secured funding rounds following their participation, reinforcing the event’s role as a catalyst for investor-founder connections.
The figures show that artificial intelligence and machine learning dominated fundraising, attracting $125 million, followed by data and analytics with $41 million, and fintech and financial services with $26 million.
When including all companies involved in Web Summit Qatar 2025—startups, speakers, and partners—total funding raised over the past year exceeds $28 billion. In addition, companies present at the event have raised more than $463 billion in lifetime funding, based on publicly available Crunchbase data.
“These numbers reflect what we see on the ground at every Web Summit event: when ambitious founders meet the right investors, deals happen,” said Margarida David, Web Summit Startup Manager.
“Over $205 million raised by startups from our Qatar programme alone is a powerful signal. It also shows that Qatar is rapidly emerging as a serious launchpad for global tech companies,” she added.
Web Summit Qatar has recorded 100 percent growth in attendance since its inaugural edition, increasing from 15,000 to over 30,000 participants in just two years. The 2025 edition welcomed 30,274 attendees, 1,637 startups, and 931 investors from 127 countries, underscoring Doha’s growing appeal as a global technology and investment hub.
During Web Summit Qatar 2025, His Excellency Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced the expansion of the Qatar Investment Authority’s $2 billion Fund of Funds Programme, alongside the introduction of a 10-year visa programme for international entrepreneurs.
The event’s broader economic impact is also significant. A report by Silverlode estimated that Web Summit Qatar generated approximately QAR 807 million (USD 216 million) in economic returns, with visitor spending exceeding QAR 303 million and more than 66,000 hotel nights booked. Meanwhile, the Qatar Financial Centre registered 566 firms through the event in 2025, up from 358 in 2024.
Among the startups raising the largest funding rounds after the event were Reka AI (USA), OroraTech (Germany), StockGro (India), Cognna (Saudi Arabia), and PayTic (Canada). Qatari startup Skystruct, an AI-powered construction management platform, raised over $500,000 following its participation.
“Web Summit Qatar 2025 materially helped accelerate our fundraise,” said Abdulaziz Alsubaiey, chairman and co-founder of Skystruct. “It provided direct investor access and high-quality introductions, while validating our momentum through meaningful conversations with investors and partners.”
Web Summit noted that the figures were compiled by cross-referencing attendee records with Crunchbase funding data, capturing funding rounds closed after the event.
Founded in 2009, Web Summit has grown into the world’s leading technology event series, hosting major conferences in Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, Vancouver, and Doha, and bringing together nearly one million participants worldwide over the years.
