The final post in Trust Insight’s trilogy on Web Summit Rio 2025.
If the previous text we released about Web Summit Rio 2025 immersed us in the present of technology, this third and final part of our journey projects us toward the future of business and innovation, unveiling the trends and transformations that will shape what lies ahead.
The evolution of fintechs, the colossal demands of Brazil’s digital infrastructure, and the intrinsic potential of network-based business models emerged as the central themes.
The talk “The Promise and Peril of Fintech”, featuring Mark Lenhard (CEO of Zepz), Lucinda Shen (Fintech Reporter at AXIOS), and Fernando Miranda (CEO of Neon), offered a panorama of both the global and Brazilian fintech markets, highlighting differences in maturity and scale. While fintechs have consolidated themselves as a core focus of venture capital and boosted financial inclusion in developing countries like Brazil, artificial intelligence now rises as the next disruptive wave, promising hyper-personalization, cost optimization, and broader financial inclusion.
Discussions around stablecoins and cryptocurrencies — particularly their transformative potential for lower-income populations — combined with the regulatory openness seen in initiatives like the DREX sandbox, paint a future of financial systems that are both accessible and technologically advanced. Resilience and adaptability — the shift from the bleeding edge to the leading edge — seem to be the guiding mantras for fintechs seeking to thrive in tomorrow’s market.
To sustain these advances, the infrastructure powering this revolution is becoming crucial. The talk “How Data Centers Are Redesigning the Electrical Infrastructure”, led by Paulo Cunha, Country Director of AWS Brazil, shed light on the challenges and solutions involved in feeding this enormous appetite for energy.
Billion-dollar investments in data centers across Brazil, the relentless pursuit of energy efficiency through specialized processors and mini smart grids, and the growing focus on sustainability — with ambitious carbon neutrality goals and investment in renewable sources — sketch a future where digital and energy infrastructures are deeply intertwined.
AWS also highlighted the ICMS tax instability, the need for continuous investment in local talent development to sustain sector growth, and advances in cooling strategies — transitioning toward hybrid systems and intelligent water reuse and purification — as key challenges for long-term operational efficiency and sustainability in Brazil. The emergence of edge computing, positioned not only as a solution to latency but also as a path to energy savings, points to a more distributed and efficient data architecture.
Finally, the panel “The Network Effect”, with insights from Diego Barreto (CEO of iFood), Federico Vega (Founder & CEO of Frete.com), and Gustavo Brigatto (Founder of Startups.com.br), reinforced the exponential power of network-based business models. Identifying the inflection point where growth becomes self-sustaining and recognizing the importance of local knowledge for platform success suggest a future where connectivity and value aggregation across fragmented industries will become invaluable assets.
Web Summit Rio 2025 served as a tech reality check: AI is no longer a promise — it’s already reshaping the now of business, influencing everything from how brands connect with audiences to the food we eat. The message is clear: brand strategy and seamless user experience (UX) are no longer differentiators — they’re the bare minimum for survival.
And the future holds even more: fintechs reinventing money at light speed, energy-hungry data centers redrawing the global economic map, and AI freely integrated into everyday life.
For technology companies, management consultancies, and the financial market seeking insights into the latest trends in AI and business strategy, Trust Insight stands as a solid partner to help navigate the present and build the future powered by these transformative technologies.