AI Salon Rio #12
Inside Invest.Rio: Building Latin America's Innovation Capital
If you think Rio got lucky with the Olympics, you haven't met the carioca who actually ran them. And we got even luckier, because now he is running Invest.Rio.
You probably didn't know Invest.Rio existed up until a few years ago. Then... you started hearing about:
1. Porto Maravalley.
2. Web Summit Rio.
3. Rio AI City.
4. Google's Moonshot Factory.
5. Galeão's international comeback (much needed): Routes Americas 2026 hosted in Rio (70+ airlines, 370 airports, in one room), new direct routes to Bolivia, expanded service to Canada, and GOL designating Galeão as its international hub.
Invest.Rio's mission is to position Rio as the innovation capital of Latin America. Muuuuuusic to what Gui and I are trying to build.
In this edition of AI Salon Rio, we are hosting: Sidney Levy, CEO of Invest.Rio. His resume reads a bit like a cheat code for how Rio gets big things done:
· CEO of the Rio 2016 Olympic Organizing Committee.
· 18 years running Valid SA, scaling it into a global digital identity player.
· Engineer, with a Master's from COPPE/UFRJ.
Join us to talk about how Invest.Rio actually works, how cariocas in innovation can help, what is the angle, and how do we bring Y Combinator to Rio?
AGENDA
18:30 | Check-in & Networking
19:00 | Welcome Remarks
19:10 | Startup Pitches:
HomoDeus AI; CFO Vitor Leo
Ventura AI; co-founder Clarice Rodriguez
Anthology; co-founder Marcelo Doin
19:20 | Meet the São Gonçalo Students Who Beat the World in Robotics
We.Bot, the robotics team from Colégio Odete São Paio, in São Gonçalo, just won 1st place in the world in Engineering Design at the First Lego League — one of the world’s largest student STEM competitions, spanning 15+ countries! They’ll show us what they built, how they built it, and why Rio’s next generation of engineers is already here.
19:30 | Inside Invest.Rio: Building Latin America's Innovation Capital
Sidney Levy; CEO at Invest.Rio
Also, meet our host: Luana Helsinger (ex-private equity turned AI creator, between Silicon Valley & Rio).
20:30 | Networking with Beer & Snacks
Founding Partners:
Visagio: a global consulting firm born in Rio de Janeiro and now with 1,000+ professionals worldwide, six offices, and 500+ projects delivered per year across 50+ countries. They are experts in solving complex technology challenges, with a strong focus on AI and analytics.
There wouldn’t be food, drinks, or functioning Wi-Fi without our incredible sponsors:
AWS Startups: supporting 280,000+ startups worldwide, AWS helps founders bring their world-changing ideas to life: from building an MVP to scaling towards an IPO. Learn more at AWS Startups.
Instituto 12: where business meets innovation in Rio. With striking architecture and a mission to accelerate Rio’s innovation ecosystem, Instituto 12 is a landmark for the city’s future.
Join Our Private Group on LinkedIn
AI Salon Rio is not an event, it's a movement. Join our private group here. Need to live in Rio de Janeiro to be part of it!
Interested in pitching at AI Salon Rio?
Please send us a short blurb about your startup.
Include a presentation to showcase your work.
Email: [email protected]