Web Summit 2025: Highlights from Lisbon’s Biggest Tech Playground
- The Glüf Team
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Here's how it went!
What a week! The team just got back from Web Summit 2025 in (not-so) sunny Lisbon, and honestly, we’re still buzzing.
If you’ve never been, imagine tens of thousands of founders, investors, dreamers, and creators - all in one place, powered by (terrible) coffee, startup energy, and a shared love of building the future.
Web Summit is the first international event the Glüf team has attended, and boy did we jump straight into the deep end. Between our exhibition stand, podcast recordings, product showcase, and nonstop networking, we barely had time to breathe. But wow, was it worth it.
Here’s a quick recap of the highlights - and a peek behind the scenes of our wild week in Lisbon.
Exhibition Day: Showing Off
As an ALPHA (aka teeny-tiny) startup, we were thrilled to have the chance to exhibit Glüf for a day at Web Summit. It was our big moment to show off what we’ve been building to the huge, buzzing crowd.
From the moment the doors opened, our stand turned into a mini whirlwind of conversations. We spoke to people from every corner of the world - founders, foodies, investors, and curious tech wanderers - and one message came through loud and clear: gluten-free dining out is hard. Really hard.
The best part? We weren’t alone. We met fellow founders who totally got it - not just the gluten-free struggle, but the startup grind too. Everyone was swapping stories, giving advice, and genuinely encouraging!
What’s great about Web Summit’s startup exhibitions is that everyone’s on a level playing field. No fancy booths or flashy gimmicks - just you, your team, a simple wooden stand, and your product. It’s raw, honest, and simple.
We ran live demos of Glüf, chatted non-stop, and collected some incredibly valuable feedback from the community. By the end of the day, our voices were gone, our feet were aching - but our notebooks were full of insights and ideas we can’t wait to explore.
Podcasting: Our First Time Behind the Mic
We went podcasting on Europe's Podcast! This was both Nicola and Harry’s first-ever podcast appearance, which means they mostly winged it (albeit very well).
It turned out to be the perfect chance to share a bit more about Glüf’s journey, why we’re building it, and what we’d learned from our whirlwind day at Web Summit.
It was incredible to have such a calm conversation, right in the middle of the biggest tech event in Europe. We can’t wait for you to hear the conversation once the podcast episode goes live!
We're hungry to participate on more podcasts, so if you have one, get in touch!
The Showcase: Two Minutes. One Mic.
At Web Summit, the startup showcases are intense: you get just two minutes to pitch your product. No judges. No slides. No dramatic walk-on music. No turtlenecks. Just you, a mic, and a crowd waiting to be impressed.
What's the worst that can happen?
Harry took to the stage to deliver our message about why gluten-free dining needs to be taken seriously and how Glüf is changing the game by making dining out safer, easier, and stress-free for coeliacs and those with gluten-free needs.
Claps all around from the audience!
Networking: The Introverts Nightmare
Over the 3 day event, we spoke to hundreds of people from across the globe. All willing to share their insights to support Glüf in it's journey to help the gluten-free community.
One of the biggest highlights was meeting with mentors who gave us invaluable advice on how to grow Glüf to ensure we are providing value to our wonderful users.
We also picked up hints and tips from Web Summit veterans, who somehow manage to survive the chaos year after year, mostly by bringing snacks (obviously ours were gluten-free).
Speaking with fellow founders on similar journeys was equally inspiring. There’s something comforting about hearing someone else say, “Oh yeah, we’ve made that mistake too.” Instant therapy.
We also hit up Q&A sessions with some big-brand heroes - the kind of people whose talks you screenshot and quote. Their insights sparked new ideas, fresh motivation, and a whole lot of “wow, okay, we need to try that.”
Nicola also won some Loop earplugs. Big win!
Conclusion
We arrived at Web Summit 2025 with a neat little list of expectations. Those expectations almost lasted a whole day. By Tuesday afternoon, the schedule had exploded, our plans had shapeshifted, and we realised Web Summit is the kind of event you need to adapt to.
And honestly? We loved it.
The truth is, we only scratched the surface of what the event had to offer. But even from that tiny slice, we walked away with more insights, ideas, and inspiration than we ever expected. Our priorities shifted. Our vision sharpened. And our excitement - somehow - grew even bigger.
Every one of us left Lisbon feeling more passionate about the brand we’re building. We know we’re still right at the beginning of this journey, but with the support of the community and whole lot of hard work, Glüf will become the brand that coeliacs and gluten-free diners love and trust.
Thank you to everyone who chatted with us, supported us, and believed in what we’re creating.
And until next time…
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