AI Salon Rio de Janeiro #9
Inside Rio AI City: The Megaproject Aiming to Power LatAm’s AI
Energy? Check.
Talent? Check.
What about infrastructure?
While the world worries about being dependent on AI models built in the U.S. or China, few stop to think about infrastructure dependency.
Maybe it’s not as sexy.
Well...it wasn’t, until a data center decided to call itself Rio AI City.
This $65 billion global-scale project has a carioca address and is set to become the largest data center hub in Latin America.
In our last AI Salon Rio of 2025, we host the man behind this vision — Alessandro Lombardi. He joins us to tell the story of Rio’s biggest tech bet yet.
AGENDA
18:30 | Check-in & Networking
19:00 | Welcome Remarks
19:10 | Startup Demo Session
Three AI startups will show their vision and innovations:
Aero Labs; founder Daniel Moraes
GCore; Sr Partnership Manager Dante da Silva
Coder Ivy; founder André Cariús
19:20 | Learn About NVIDIA's Inception Program
NVIDIA’s Inception program is one of the most influential support networks in the global AI ecosystem. For many early-stage companies, this is their entry ticket into the global deeptech community. And it’s not just for startups. Investors are part of it. VCs gain early access to the next big things. To tell us all about it, Andrei Golfeto, NVIDIA’s Inception Community Manager, joins us in Rio.
19:30 | Inside Rio AI City: The Megaproject Aiming to Power LatAm’s AI
Powered by 100% renewable energy, Rio AI City is a strategic step toward consolidating Brazil as a global leader in sustainable digital infrastructure. So, why Rio? How is the project unfolding? And what does it mean for those building the next generation of AI right here?
Alessandro Lombardi; CEO at Elea Data Centers [building Rio AI City]
Also, meet our host: Luana Helsinger (ex-private equity turned AI creator, between Silicon Valley & Rio).
20:30 | Networking with Beer & Snacks
There wouldn’t be food, drinks, or functioning Wi-Fi without them:
AWS Startups: supporting 280,000+ startups worldwide, AWS helps founders bring their world-changing ideas to life—whether they’re building an MVP or scaling towards an IPO. Learn more at AWS Startups.
Rocketseat: a coding school that brings together the largest developer community in Latin America, with 600,000+ developers. RockSeat offers a complete platform for continuous learning in programming, with training paths for professionals at every level and stage of their careers.
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.
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