The second day of the 2019 Web Summit took place this Tuesday, November 5. Checking the last details of exhibition stands, aligning approach strategies, looking for potential partners, choosing which lectures to go to, or just starting the journey in the world’s largest tech conference, were the goals of many attendees.
The favourite morning spot was the Altice Arena, which hosts some of the most important moments. It’s not yet nine o’clock in the morning, and half the audience is full. Nuno Fonseca, Técnico alumnus, Co-founder and CEO of Sound Particles participated in the “Breakout Startups” panel and explained the disruptive idea behind this startup.
“Computer graphics are probably the biggest revolution that has happened in the industry in recent years”, pointed out the Técnico alumnus and CEO of Sound Particles. Using an audio demonstration, the entrepreneur showed the potential of 3D software, which “brings the power of computer graphics to sound” and it is already used in Hollywood, in movies like “Aquaman” and “Wonder Woman”.
Nuno Fonseca stressed that Sound Particles software “is not only aimed at movies and TV. Top video game design companies are using it to create epic sounds in their games”. “So, from Portugal to the rest of the world, I welcome you to the fantastic world of Sound Particles”, added the Técnico alumnus.
Four Técnico students – Inês Duarte (Applied Mathematics and Computation), Clara Marto (Mechanical Engineering), Catarina Custódio and Catarina Gomez (Industrial Engineering and Management) – are part of a project and want to pass an important message during these three days: to show what it’s like being a girl studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths), thus inspiring more girls to pursue STEM. They are promoting their project at Accenture exhibition stand and they want to make new contacts. Accenture is one of the project’s investors. “We want to reach companies that are interested in our projects and want to invest”, says Catarina Custódio. “We want to expand internationally, but we are still assessing options”, she adds. “The Web Summit is also a good way of meeting inspiring women”.
“The last time I was here I could only enter the Altice Arena and now I am extremely surprised by the dimension of this event. This is a completely different world. We meet really inspiring people here”, shared Lara Marto. “I can only say ‘wow’”, confesses Catarina Custódio. “We are studying engineering, but in the future we can do so many things. Being here makes us realise that”, stresses Lara Marto.
A poster at the entrance of the Web Summit says “Where the future goes to be born” and, in fact, the topics addressed during the day proved that: 5G, flying cars, Brexit, the importance of sports and, of course, technology.
