Author: Art Ryan

At Web Summit Qatar 2025, AI continues to dominate discussions across industries. Among the leaders shaping the future of AI-powered customer engagement is Chris Ezekiel, Founder and CEO of Creative Virtual. With over 21 years of experience in conversational AI, Ezekiel offers a unique perspective on balancing innovation with trust, compliance, and customer experience. Creative Virtual: A Pioneer in Conversational AI Creative Virtual is a leading chatbot and conversational AI company, delivering enterprise-grade solutions to major organizations such as HSBC. Unlike many companies that focus solely on the latest AI trends, Creative Virtual maintains a measured approach that prioritizes consistency,…

At Web Summit Qatar 2025, cities from around the world are showcasing their contributions to the global innovation landscape. Among them is Lisbon, represented by Margarida Figueiredo, General Director for Economy and Innovation of the city of Lisbon. With a strong focus on supporting startups, fostering innovation, and creating international business opportunities, Lisbon continues to position itself as one of Europe’s top entrepreneurial hubs. Lisbon’s Mission at Web Summit Qatar Lisbon’s presence at Web Summit Qatar underscores its commitment to international collaboration. “We are here to promote our city and the startups that we bring with us,” Figueiredo explained. “We…

At Web Summit Qatar 2025, Loyan Farah, CEO of Dibsy, is making waves in the fintech sector. His Qatar-based payment solutions company is transforming the way businesses process transactions, offering a streamlined alternative to traditional payment gateways. Comparable to Stripe in the US or Checkout.com in the UK, Dibsy is rapidly becoming the go-to solution for businesses in the Middle East looking for secure, efficient, and developer-friendly payment processing. Redefining the Payment Landscape Dibsy was founded with a clear mission: to simplify online payments for businesses and developers. “We cater to developers—that’s our secret sauce,” Farah shared. “From day one,…

At Web Summit Qatar 2025, groundbreaking innovations in artificial intelligence and assistive technology are being showcased, and one of the most impactful solutions comes from Ahmed El Abed, Co-Founder & CEO of Be My Sense Corp. A student at the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDSD), El Abed is pioneering AI-driven solutions that bridge communication gaps for the deaf community. His startup, Be My Sense Corp, is revolutionizing sign language translation through AI-powered mobile applications and digital integrations. Revolutionizing Communication for the Deaf The mission of Be My Sense Corp is to foster inclusive communication for deaf individuals…

As Web Summit Qatar 2025 brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers, Qatar is showcasing its commitment to attracting investment and fostering a thriving startup ecosystem. At the heart of these efforts is Hamad Al-Naimi, Strategy Manager at Invest Qatar, who plays a key role in coordinating the country’s startup initiatives under the umbrella of Startup Qatar. His mission: to position Qatar as a global destination for investment and economic diversification. Startup Qatar: A Centralized Approach to Growth At the summit, Al-Naimi emphasized the role of Startup Qatar in aggregating and promoting all startup support programs in the country. “We are…

As Web Summit Qatar 2025 unfolds, thought leaders, innovators, and government representatives are showcasing the country’s commitment to fostering digital transformation and economic growth. Among the key figures at the event is Noor Al Malki, Head of Digital Economy Development at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) in Qatar. Al Malki is leading efforts to empower startups, drive technological innovation, and accelerate Qatar’s position as a digital economy hub. Building a Thriving Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Qatar’s MCIT has been actively engaged in strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem through a variety of strategic programs. According to Al Malki, the Ministry’s focus…

At Web Summit Qatar 2025, global leaders, investors, and innovators gathered to explore the evolving landscape of business, trade, and technology. Among them was Sir Conor Burns, former UK Member of Parliament and Trade Minister, now serving on the Advisory Board of Stirlingshire Investments. Burns shared his insights on the dynamic business environment in Qatar, the region’s rapid economic growth, and the importance of collaboration and investment in the future of innovation. Qatar’s Open-For-Business Approach Reflecting on the summit, Burns emphasized the energy and ambition he witnessed on the ground. “This is a vibrant gathering of innovators, creators, and financial…

At Web Summit Qatar 2025, groundbreaking innovations in AI, blockchain, and digital art took center stage. Among the visionaries shaping this transformation was Berk Bayri, Supervisor of Marketing Design & Multimedia at Paribu. Representing Paribu Labs and its AI-supported product, Paribu ArtGAN, Bayri introduced a seamless intersection of generative AI and blockchain technology, demonstrating how art creation is evolving in the digital age. Bridging AI and Blockchain with Paribu ArtGAN Paribu ArtGAN is an AI-powered tool designed to revolutionize digital art creation. By integrating AI with blockchain technology, the platform allows users to generate unique, AI-assisted artworks, which can then…

The Web Summit Qatar 2025 brought together some of the brightest minds in technology, business, and innovation. Among them was Hazem El Zayat, Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at Memac Ogilvy, responsible for driving customer experience, CRM, marketing consulting, and data capabilities across the MENA region. In an insightful discussion, El Zayat shed light on emerging trends, the impact of AI, and the rapid transformation of the region’s digital landscape. Harnessing the Power of AI and Data One of the central themes dominating discussions at Web Summit Qatar was the role of artificial intelligence in reshaping industries. According to El Zayat,…

Australian manufacturing efficiency software company OFS has launched Mayvn AI, an artificial intelligence platform designed to improve productivity and strengthen communication between manufacturing executives and operational teams. The Australian-designed and engineered software provides real-time information and insights on what’s happening operationally in manufacturing facilities. This can include issues that are currently delaying production right through the preparation of a business case for capital investment and the associated return on investment (ROI). Mayvn AI has been trialled with major Australian and global manufacturers, including iconic U.S. confectionery manufacturer, Tootsie Roll Industries (NYSE: TR), which has been able to reduce certain data-related procedures by more…

Inflection AI, in collaboration with leading AI analyst firm GAI Insights, has released a new report that details the costs vs. benefits of different AI deployment strategies for enterprises. The study reveals that relying solely on cloud-based AI inference can lead to higher costs, IP security risks, and vendor lock-in; while companies that bring inference in-house instead of buying from a provider gain significant financial and strategic advantages that compound as AI initiatives scale. The report forecasts that GenAI workloads will drive up compute costs by 89% from 2023 to 2025, and each AI agent deployed will require 300,000 to…

Swiss software start-up Unique has secured $30 million in a Series A funding round to further enhance its platform, which helps financial institutions integrate and deploy agentic AI solutions. The round was led by CommerzVentures and DN Capital, and supported by VI Partners and Pictet Group, both of who previously participated in Unique’s $12 million seed round closed three years ago. The company now claims to have raised approximately $53 million since its founding in 2021. The funding will be used to “significantly boost our global expansion efforts and enhance our ability to deploy agentic solutions for our clients”, according to CEO…

Every financial institution makes high-stakes risk decisions, such as who gets approved for a loan, which transactions are flagged for fraud, and how compliance risks are managed. However, most banks and fintechs still rely on rigid, black-box systems or manual workflows that are slow, costly, and difficult to improve. As a result, AI adoption in financial services remains broken. Born in Berlin and now headquartered in New York, Taktile aims to give fintech companies and banks full control over AI-powered decisions. The category-defining decision automation platform recently raised $54M in a Series B round to continue empowering teams at fintech…

Tencent Holdings Ltd. became the latest tech company to unveil or enhance an AI model intended to eclipse DeepSeek, joining a spate of rollouts since the startup’s emergence energized the US-China technology race. The Hunyuan Turbo S artificial intelligence model is designed to respond as instantly as possible, distinguishing itself from the deep reasoning approach of DeepSeek’s eponymous chatbot. The deployment cost has also fallen sharply, Tencent said on its official WeChat channel. From OpenAI to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., major industry players on both sides of the Pacific have in just the past month rolled out AI models at…

BlueSignum, the innovator behind DailyBean, is set to launch its latest breakthrough in mental wellness at MWC 2025. Lime AI is designed to provide personalized insights and guidance in stressful situations anytime, anywhere. Backed by professional psychological research and cutting-edge AI technology, Lime AI is here to redefine how we manage stress in our daily lives. The Stress Session: Your Personal Strategy for ReliefStress is an unavoidable part of life, but managing it effectively can feel overwhelming. Lime AI offers a groundbreaking feature to help: the Stress Session. Rather than bottling up their feelings, users can talk freely with Lime AI…

When OpenAI started giving private demonstrations of its new GPT-4 technology in late 2022, its skills shocked even the most experienced A.I. researchers. It could answer questions, write poetry and generate computer code in ways that seemed far ahead of its time. More than two years later, OpenAI has released its successor: GPT-4.5. The new technology signifies the end of an era. OpenAI said GPT-4.5 would be the last version of its chatbot system that did not do “chain-of-thought reasoning.” After this release, OpenAI’s technology may, like a human, spend a significant amount of time thinking about a question before answering,…

Venture capital investors once claimed that FinTech was eating the world, but now it appears that artificial intelligence (AI) is eating FinTech. That, at least, was the message shared Thursday (Feb. 27) from the executives of financial management app Expensify during the company’s fourth quarter and full year 2024 earnings call. The Portland-based and self-described payments super app reported significant strides in financial performance, strategic debt reduction and deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within its operations. While Expensify missed Wall St. consensus estimates for the quarter, its stock was up high single digits in after-hours trading as of reporting. The company generated $23.9…

Oxford Economics is pleased to announce a £2 million investment in The Data City, a UK based cutting-edge real-time company classification platform. Based on a post-money valuation of £19 million, the investment will accelerate The Data City’s international expansion, enhance its AI-powered technology, and support the development of new markets—particularly through its planned US joint venture with Oxford Economics. The partnership underscores the growing demand for more dynamic and accurate business intelligence, said Adrian Cooper, CEO of Oxford Economics. “Our clients need data that reflects the economy as it is today—not how it was classified in 2007,” Cooper said. “The…

Meta Platforms (META) plans to release a standalone Meta AI app that could compete with offerings from rivals like OpenAI and Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google, according to a report from CNBC Thursday.1 The app is expected to launch in the second quarter, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. Meta AI is currently available via web browser, and through existing Meta apps Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.2 Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Meta’s earnings call in January, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Meta AI “is going to be one of the most transformative products that we’ve made” and could reach…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making inroads into the travel industry as most consumers now expect seamless travel experiences, and the industry is taking notice. Kayak CEO Steve Hafner told PYMNTS that the company plans to launch AI agents this year to help travelers with everything from trip searching to checkout. “One thing Kayak hasn’t done as well as search is booking,” Hafner said. “We’ve had to hand people off to airline or hotel websites or online travel agencies to complete the booking. “With agentic AI, we can actually facilitate that without the consumer ever having to leave the Kayak experience,” he added. AI agents are bots…