Web Summit 2026: China’s robots and the busiest Thursday yet

A collage showing Web Summit branding, a speaker wearing a “FREE” sweater, and a white humanoid robot gesturing on stage.

Paddy Cosgrave estimates that Chinese companies make about 98% of the humanoid robots installed around the world. At his press briefing in Lisbon, he also described how crews rebuilt the Web Summit site in under 2 days after the storm. These are my notes on what he said, and on what the robotics figures could mean for Europe.

WebSummit CEO Highlights Meetups and Innovation at Record-Breaking 2024 Event

Paddy Cosgrave sits at a press conference table with two microphones, wearing glasses and a maroon sweater. The background displays the "Web Summit" logo repeatedly.

Web Summit 2024: Record Attendance, Innovation, and Global Impact
Web Summit 2024, held in Lisbon, set new records with over 71,000 attendees from 153 countries. CEO Paddy Cosgrave highlighted the event’s growing emphasis on curated meetups, AI-powered tools, and its role in transforming Lisbon into a global tech hub. The event also celebrated progress in gender equity while showcasing groundbreaking startups like PITCH winner Intuitivo. With discussions on expansion into Africa and Asia, Web Summit continues to shape the future of technology and innovation.