"Human by Design": South Summit Brazil 2026 shapes the debate on the role of people in the age of AI

South Summit Brazil 2026, the leading meeting of the entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem in Latin America, co-organized by IE University and the Government of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, inaugurated its fifth edition this week in the city of Porto Alegre, in Brazil. The event brings together more than 500 global leaders, including 11 founders of unicorns, 23 of scaleups and representatives of 130 investment funds, who will participate as speakers with the aim of connecting the entrepreneurial ecosystem with global innovation and addressing the role of people in the age of AI.

This fifth edition comes at a time of greater maturity of the Latin American ecosystem, marked by greater investment discipline, a growing concentration of capital and a greater weight of companies capable of demonstrating real traction. In 2025, venture capital in Latin America reached 4,126 million dollars, with Brazil as the main destination for regional investment, concentrating 2,032 million —52.9% of the total—. Together with Mexico, both countries accounted for 78.5% of all investment in the region, reinforcing Brazil's role as one of the major hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship globally.

And within Brazil, Porto Alegre stands out especially as one of its key innovation hubs. In this sense, María Benjumea, president and founder of South Summit, highlighted during the opening ceremony that "this is the fifth South Summit in Porto Alegre, a meeting that reflects the strength of an ecosystem of innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration that grows every year and attracts more people from all over the world. It is essential to take advantage of this space to generate connections and consolidate Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and Latin America as global benchmarks in entrepreneurship." In addition, Benjumea underlined the role of the city and assured that "it stands as a global benchmark, where talent, entrepreneurship and public-private collaboration not only come together, but also drive a real transformation with an impact on the economy and people's lives."

A vision shared   by Santiago Íñiguez de Onzoño, Executive President of IE University, who focused on the elements that make this ecosystem unique and the strength of its collaborative model: "What distinguishes it is its ability to build a solid ecosystem, based on collaboration between institutions, companies and talent. It is not easy to find this conjunction of forces, nor the commitment of the business fabric, which is key to generating value, employment and opportunities in society".

Innovation with Purpose: From Local Impact to Global Connection

This approach also places people at the center of technological development, as José Renato Hopf, president of South Summit Brazil, recalled when referring to the motto of this edition: "with Human by Design we want to place people at the center of innovation and remember that technology only makes sense when it contributes to improving people's lives." In a context marked by the disruption of Artificial Intelligence and the accelerated advancement of technology, #SouthSummitBrazil26 reinforces its commitment to a model that prioritises the real impact on society. The meeting is thus consolidated as a key space to address the challenges of this new era and promote solutions that respond to people's real needs, with technology as a tool at the service of well-being.

The commitment to an innovation ecosystem with a real impact on society was also present in the institutional interventions. In this regard, Sebastião Melo, Mayor of Porto Alegre, underlined the importance of extending innovation to all citizens and stated that "innovation and education are decisive factors in improving life in cities. Today we see how innovation extends to different neighborhoods and communities, and offers opportunities for young people to give them an outlet with entrepreneurship as a base.”

At the same time, the international dimension of South Summit Brazil and Porto Alegre and Rio Grande do Sul was once again evident in the words of Juan José Güemes, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development and President of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at IE University, who stressed that "it has been five years since founders, investors and leaders come from all over the world and leave with new ideas, partners and projects: from Porto Alegre to the world. It is a vision that we have shared at IE University for decades, because we believe that entrepreneurship has no borders and that large ecosystems are what connect talent on a global scale."