South Summit Brazil 2025 is officially launched

The ceremony also included a symbolic act of signing a contract between South Summit and the state government – Photo: Vitor Rosa / Secom

The event, which will take place on April 9, 10 and 11, will focus on climate resilience and announce the first confirmed speakers

South Summit Brazil, one of the main international and Latin American events focused on the innovation and business ecosystem, is already preparing for its fourth edition in the country. On October 30, the official launch was held in Porto Alegre, with the participation of the Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite; the Vice-Governor, Gabriel Souza; the Mayor of Porto Alegre, Sebastião Melo; and the President of South Summit Brazil, José Renato Hopf.

Climate resilience will be one of the priority themes of this edition, which will once again turn the world’s eyes to Rio Grande do Sul, acting as one of the vectors of innovation and reconstruction of the state after the country’s greatest climate tragedy. “Sustainability, climate change, ESG and impact have always been cross-cutting themes in everything we discussed at South Summit Brazil. We will continue our purpose of being a meeting point for the ecosystem and for generating business, joining forces and discussing actions that bring about effective change,” stated José Renato Hopf.

On the occasion, the organization also announced the first speakers confirmed for 2025. Among them are climate resilience and urban reconstruction specialist Thaddeus Pawlowski, Director of the Center for Resilient Cities and Landscapes at Columbia University and one of those responsible for rebuilding New York after Hurricane Sandy; award-winning British social entrepreneur and founder of Sustainable Cities Global (SCG), Saeeda Ahmed; Pedro Mac Dowell, Founder and CEO of QITech, the first Brazilian fintech participating in the South Summit Brazil startup competition to achieve unicorn status; “shark” Cristina Arcangeli, CEO of Group Arcangeli; Grazi Mendes, LATAM Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Thoughtworks; Guibert Englebienne, Co-Founder and President of Globant LATAM, among others.

Warehouses at Cais Mauá undergo repairs

South Summit Brazil 2025 will follow the same format as its last edition, occupying four warehouses at Cais Mauá, totaling 38,000 m² of usable area to accommodate an estimated 24,000 people.

Due to the flood that impacted Porto Alegre in May, the warehouses will need to undergo repairs so that they can receive the public with all the necessary safety and infrastructure. The flooding of the Guaíba River left damage to the floor, which will need to be redone in some parts, as well as the sewage system and the guardrail, which will be reinstalled. In addition, the warehouses will undergo a major cleaning and some doors that were displaced by the force of the water will be put back in place.

“We will need to make very significant interventions, although they will not compromise the structural issues of the space in any way. The warehouse building is fully preserved, but we will have to invest in some items that were damaged by the flood. Cais Mauá is the birthplace of South Summit Brazil and embodies the spirit of the event. We will work to restore it and return the active space to the city, ready to host other activities,” added Hopf.

In addition to restoring the Cais, South Summit has been working on different fronts in an attempt to reestablish the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, which was severely affected by the severe flooding. In partnership with Instituto Caldeira, the event organizers donated 25 scholarships to the Invest Match development program. According to Maria Benjumea, founder and president of South Summit, the program also provides mentoring and allows startups from Rio Grande do Sul to prepare for their search for capital from investors with the help of the greatest experts in the field. “It is an honor to support our beloved ecosystem at such a difficult time, as we are very aware of the difficulties that have been faced in recent months. Therefore, it is essential for the South Summit that startups from Rio Grande do Sul can be part of this important initiative by Instituto Caldeira, in collaboration with Badesul and BRDE”, concluded Benjumea.

Startup Competition continues to receive applications

The Startup Competition, one of the pillars of the event and which had the participation of more than 2,000 startups in 2024, remains open for applications until December 20. Entrepreneurs interested in participating in the competition that brings together startups from Brazil and abroad can register their applications for free on the official website.