Web Summit x Crunchbase report 2025: AI takes top spot as startups raise $715.5M after Web Summit

Today, Web Summit, the world’s leading technology events company, in partnership with Crunchbase, released the Web Summit x Crunchbase 2025 Funding Report,  an annual analysis of how funding moves across the global startup ecosystem after companies participate in Web Summit.

The report, powered by Crunchbase’s startups data analytics platform, which combines private company data with usage insights from more than 80 million users, highlights how  participating in Web Summit could increase funding activity, particularly among early-stage startups. 

The complete Web Summit x Crunchbase 2025 Funding Report, with industry breakdowns and startup case studies, can be viewed here.

Key highlights: 

• Nearly 200 startups raised funding post-event: Nearly 200 startups from Web Summit’s 2024 Startup Programme secured post-event investment, with total funding reaching $715.5 million.
  
• AI leads the charge: AI & machine learning startups received the most funding in the Web Summit 2024 Startup Programme, raising $334.6 million, up 360% from the previous year.
  
• New entries into this year’s top-funded industries: Healthtech & wellness, energy & utilities, e-commerce and retail, telecommunications & IT, and education.
  
• Beyond AI, SaaS, fintech, sustainability and cleantech, healthtech and wellness, energy, advertising and marketing, E-commerce and retail, telecommunications & IT, and education complete the top 10 industries to receive funding.
  
• Since Web Summit 2024, 332 companies that attended, including startups, speakers, and partners, collectively raised $128.8 billion, marking a significant increase from 2023’s $60.6 billion.