Web Summit 2026: Why the Future of Business Will Be Shaped in the Age of Agentic AI

Every November, the gathering of more than 70,000 people from the tech industry at Parque das Nações in Lisbon raises the same questions: beyond the colossal logistics and the hype, what truly remains of these four days of excitement?

If Web Summit remains an unmissable event, it is above all because of its ability to reveal the industry’s early signals. What takes shape in the corridors of FIL or on the stages of the MEO Arena often foreshadows the strategic decisions that will surface in executive boardrooms six months later.

This year, for the first time, the Swiftask team will be travelling to Lisbon. The goal is not merely to make an appearance, but to decipher a major technological shift that directly affects business productivity and organisational structures.

Founded in Dublin in 2009 with just 150 attendees at its first edition, before moving to Portugal in 2016, Web Summit has established itself as Europe’s leading major technology gathering.

Behind the Scenes of a Giant Barometer of Global Tech

More than 70,000

2,300 startups

900 speakers

1,200 investors

For the 2026 edition, the scale remains impressive:

However, the event’s fundamental value does not lie in its sheer scale. Unlike a conventional trade show, Web Summit operates as a powerful industry barometer. For four days, founders, decision-makers, regulators, and engineers compare their visions in real time, helping to recalibrate market priorities.

For nearly three years, the debate surrounding artificial intelligence has focused on the raw performance of large language models (LLMs): writing capabilities, image-generation speed, and the size of context windows.
Today, this emerging phase is giving way to a more profound transformation: the transition to agentic AI.

The Major Shift from Generative Models to Autonomous Agents

The objective is no longer simply to have an interface capable of querying a knowledge base or drafting a concise text. The focus is now on deploying autonomous systems that can execute operations, interact with software APIs, and manage end-to-end business workflows. This marks a shift from a conversational assistance tool to a true execution-oriented virtual teammate.

This transition also brings significant operational challenges. On the AI Summit stage, the issue will be addressed head-on: while autonomous agents represent the new operational frontier, many companies still struggle to define a framework for integrating them:

Barriers to adoption and uncertainty around return on investment.

Security, governance, and data privacy challenges.

Technical complexity of deploying these architectures in production without breaking the operational chain.

The central question at this gathering will therefore not be what AI is capable of writing, but rather how to create the conditions needed to integrate fleets of agents into the core of an organisation’s critical processes.

The tension between proprietary systems accessed through APIs and sovereign open-source models will be a central theme of the AI Summit. This debate extends far beyond purely technical considerations: it determines the degree of control an organisation truly has over the infrastructure that underpins its strategic data.

Open Models vs. Black Boxes

During the session dedicated to technological sovereignty—featuring, in particular, Samar Abbas, co-founder of Temporal—the focus will be on execution infrastructure. For European companies, ensuring the integrity of their processes requires full control over where operations are hosted and processed.

Sovereignty Through the Execution Layer

The presence of Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, will make it possible to address regulatory compliance not as a legal obstacle, but as a foundational constraint from the earliest stages of AI architecture design.

The European Regulatory Framework

Talks by figures such as Tao Zhang (Manus AI), Michele Catasta (Replit), and Mike Cannon-Brookes (Atlassian) will offer an overview of current practices. Comparing their real-world experiences will help identify the use cases that are genuinely viable in practice.

Lessons Learned from Industry Builders

Key Strategic Themes to Watch in the Programme
Among the hundreds of scheduled sessions, four major themes will particularly capture our attention:

As a provider of a platform that enables businesses to deploy AI agents within their operational workflows, we felt it was essential to be in Lisbon for Web Summit 2026.

Web Summit: “The Place to Be”

IA'm READY 2026

On the occasion of the 2nd edition of IA'm READY on September 24 in Nantes, Swiftask is partnering with regional ecosystem stakeholders to discuss AI agent governance, use case selection, and mastering business deployments.

The premier event for putting AI into action in business

Just a year ago, most discussions about artificial intelligence revolved around discovering its potential. In 2026, the landscape has clearly shifted. The question is no longer whether AI will impact the professional world, but how to integrate it with method, relevance, and sustainability into businesses.

The new chapter of AI in organizations

It is with this ambition that the second edition of IA'm READY opens, organized by MEDEF Loire-Atlantique on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at Nantes Atlantique School of Design. Designed as a business-to-business sharing space, the event brings together the region's economic stakeholders around practical workshops, real-world feedback, and concrete discussions.

One of the most persistent misconceptions is that AI remains reserved for large corporations equipped with vast data teams. On the ground, the reality for SMEs and mid-sized companies shows that project success depends less on the volume of resources than on the method used.

Successfully adopting AI without unnecessary complexity

Trying to transform everything from day one frequently leads to stagnation. The organizations that progress the fastest are those that target an initial need that is specific, measurable, and directly useful to business teams. Today, the challenge lies much more in the ability of teams (marketing, HR, operations, support) to adopt these tools on a daily basis, without technical barriers.

Deploying AI on a larger scale requires an essential condition: maintaining control. When an AI agent or automation integrates into strategic processes, the pursuit of speed must not come at the expense of reliability and transparency.
A simple indicator helps assess project maturity: the ability of teams to explain why and how a system arrived at a given result.

Maintaining control of AI as use cases multiply

It is precisely to address these challenges that Gaël Brisson, President of Swiftask, will speak at 9:30 AM (Salle Prouvé) during the panel discussion “AI: A Source of Quality and Performance,” alongside other industry leaders (Frennly / Copylot, Lonestone, CrossData, JEMS). An opportunity to bring together perspectives on AI agent governance, risk management, and the criteria for a controlled deployment.

Does the use case address an identified operational problem rather than a simple desire to test a technology?

Business utility

Do the generated results remain verifiable and understandable by users?

Process mastery

Do the selected tools enable direct adoption by employees without constant technical dependency?

Team autonomy

Before launching or accelerating an artificial intelligence project, three questions help clarify its roadmap:

Beyond the conferences, the day is designed to foster informal networking and experience sharing. Throughout the day, the Swiftask team will be present at the AI Village (B2B AI Startup Hub), alongside their hub partners (Olosuite, Cogity, Qiplim, QRFul, and Hexachip).

At the heart of the ecosystem: a time for discussion at the AI Village

Join Swiftask at the Salon de la Data et de l'IA on Sept 22, 2026 in Nantes. Discover how to make AI accessible, secure, and impactful for all your teams.

Swiftask at Salon de la Data & IA 2026 | Business AI

"Salon de la Data et de l’IA": Swiftask at the heart of the business AI debate

There is one question that keeps coming up in office hallways, regardless of the industry: is artificial intelligence truly for us, or is it strictly for technical teams?
The “Salon de la Data et de l'IA”, taking place on September 22 at the Cité des Congrès in Nantes, provides a very clear answer through its event lineup alone.
For its 11th edition, the event will gather over 2,000 professionals across 60 conferences, workshops, and demonstrations. It has been spearheaded for several years by recognized industry leaders, spearheaded by Wavestone, Talan, and KPC.

AI in business: The question shaping the entire debate

Looking at the key themes featured—GenAI, DataOps, cybersecurity, sovereignty, governance, Smart City—it quickly becomes clear that the topic has moved far beyond technical circles.
GenAI, to take the most striking example, simply refers to AI capable of generating content—text, images, code—from a written instruction, known as a prompt. Today, it allows a communications officer to draft an article, a sales rep to prepare for a meeting, or an HR team to summarize interviews. No software development skills are needed to unlock real value.
Data sovereignty, another core theme on the agenda, addresses a growing concern: knowing where data is hosted, who can access it, and whether there is a dependency on foreign providers to run internal tools. It is an issue that now matters as much to large corporations as it does to SMEs and local governments.
As for governance and AI literacy, they are arguably the most critical foundations moving forward. Before focusing on performance, organizations must first ensure their teams understand what they are interacting with and establish clear guidelines around usage.

Behind the jargon, highly practical use cases

What sets this event apart is that it doesn't limit the conversation to data scientists or CIOs. Decision-makers, technical experts, and business users alike are all targeted by the program, because data and AI are no longer confined to a single department. They are cross-cutting topics impacting operations, customer support, marketing, human resources, and finance.
The main challenge is no longer about racing to acquire the most powerful or newest model, but about an organization's ability to make these tools genuinely usable for its people. A high-performing AI delivers zero impact if it remains out of reach for those who could leverage it every day.

What really holds AI adoption back

For any company looking to move forward seriously on these topics, three questions consistently arise: do teams need technical skills to use the available AI tools? Is data hosted and governed securely? Is there a way to test practical use cases without a massive investment before considering a full rollout?
These are the exact questions we regularly hear from our clients across all industries. They also drive our work at Swiftask, as a Nantes-based company committed to these challenges: enabling every team, without technical prerequisites, to make data and AI practical levers rather than topics reserved for a select few.

Where to start, concretely

The Salon de la Data et de l'IA is more than just a gathering for experts. It is a space where the future of how companies adopt these technologies is actively being shaped. All signs point to the real advantage going not to the most technologically advanced businesses, but to those that make these tools accessible to their entire workforce.
We will be attending on September 22 at the Cité des Congrès in Nantes. Come meet us to discuss your business needs and your questions on integrating AI effectively into your organization.
The event is free and accessible remotely for those who cannot travel. Don't forget to register.

We'll be there—and we'd love to connect

Forum Atlanpole recap: Spotlighting innovation in Western France

Hosted at the CCI Pays de la Loire, the Forum Atlanpole is the flagship gathering for regional innovators, bringing together SMEs, startups, researchers, and industrial leaders. The event focuses on sovereignty, reindustrialization, and, most importantly, practical solutions for local businesses.

Joining the event was a natural choice for Swiftask. Our team attended to share insights and connect directly with attendees.
While AI is on everyone's mind, bridging the gap between theory and everyday operations remains a challenge. Our goal throughout the day was to demonstrate how agentic AI can streamline workflows and boost business performance without compromising data security.

Matthieu Lardillet’s masterclass
Our CEO took the stage with a clear message: AI should go far beyond simple Q&A. He demonstrated how organizations can deploy autonomous agents capable of executing complex tasks end-to-end.

Event highlights

Live demos with Gaël Brisson
Our President brought his laptop to showcase the platform live across real-world business scenarios—giving attendees a firsthand look at Swiftask in action.

Missed the masterclass or didn't get a chance to stop by our booth? You can still connect with us online.

Let's keep the conversation going

No need to settle on a single AI provider. Teams can seamlessly switch between Mistral, Claude, GPT-4, and Gemini depending on the task at hand.

Multi-LLM flexibility

Employees can build and manage their own AI assistants in just a few clicks, with no technical skills required.

No-code accessibility

All data is hosted in Europe and fully compliant with GDPR regulations, ensuring complete governance for organizations.

Complete data control

Key benefits for businesses

Swiftask at the Heart of VivaTech’s 10th Anniversary

From June 17 to 20, 2026, the Swiftask team traveled to Paris to celebrate the 10th edition of VivaTech, Europe’s must-attend event for tech innovation. Among the 180,000 visitors, 15,000 startups, and numerous major companies from around the world, we were present at our cloud provider Scaleway’s booth to share our vision of an AI platform designed in France and hosted in Europe.

Throughout these four days, we had the pleasure of engaging with dozens of companies, decision-makers, and curious visitors eager to discover how to combine the power of AI with ease of use within an organization.

Today, most teams already use AI on a daily basis, but often in a fragmented way and without a clear framework. Our mission at VivaTech was to demonstrate that it is possible to give employees access to the best of AI while maintaining full control over data, usage, and consumption through advanced governance.

Why Did We Attend VivaTech?

Access all leading models (Claude, GPT, Mistral, Gemini) in one place and switch between them seamlessly in a single click based on your needs.

A Multi-LLM Platform Without Vendor Lock-In

Effortlessly manage team access permissions, establish clear usage limits, and maintain complete oversight with full audit trails.

Enterprise-grade governance

Automate time-consuming tasks—from meeting summaries to document creation—without writing a single line of code.

Ready-to-use no-code AI agents

Connect your AI agents directly to the software ecosystem your teams already use every day.

Seamless integration with your tools

What You Could Discover at Our Booth

The journey continues online!
Want to see how Swiftask can simplify workflows and secure your team's day-to-day operations?

Meet Swiftask at TECH ALTERNATIVES NANTES on September 18, 2026. A European AI platform with full governance and no lock-in to US tech giants.

Swiftask at TECH ALTERNATIVES NANTES 2026 | European AI

Swiftask at TECH ALTERNATIVES NANTES: The European-Made, Governed AI Platform

Swiftask is taking part in TECH ALTERNATIVES NANTES, the Nantes event dedicated to alternative digital solutions, organized as part of Nantes Digital Week and the “Je choisis la French Tech” initiative. 

A full day to discover concrete alternatives to the major American platforms, alongside around fifteen players from the local and regional tech ecosystem: Clever Cloud, ADN Ouest, Free Pro, Octopize, Tranquil IT and many others.

Swiftask showcases its AI solution without reliance on U.S. technology

Your teams are already using AI, often without any framework: ChatGPT, Copilot, and other tools circulate without visibility or governance. Swiftask offers you an alternative made in Europe and hosted in France, on the servers of our cloud provider, Scaleway. 

Our solution combines a complete agentic platform, advanced AI governance, and access to over 80 LLM versions, so you're no longer dependent on an American AI giant.

Why come meet us?

Deploy a fleet of AI agents connected to your tools and your data, no code required

Stay in control: full traceability, quota management, built-in governance

Choose the best AI model for each task, with no dependency on a single provider

Stay compliant: GDPR, hosting in Europe, ISO 27001

On our showroom stand, you'll discover how to:

Conferences, panel discussions, and experience-sharing sessions on digital strategic autonomy. A showroom allows for direct exchanges with exhibitors throughout the day.

Today's program

Build a cold email agent fleet.

Presented by Stanislas, CTO of Swiftask, this webinar will show you how to scale your sales prospecting using a fleet of specialized agents. Learn how to qualify leads, personalize messages, and automate follow-ups to maximize your results.

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Scale their sales prospecting, automate repetitive tasks, enhance campaign personalization, and leverage the full potential of AI agents.

This webinar is designed for all sales, marketing, and growth teams looking to :

Don't miss this session to discover a new way to run your cold email campaigns with AI.

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Discover how to deploy a fleet of specialized agents to orchestrate your cold email campaigns end-to-end.

Agent fleet

Learn how to identify relevant prospects faster and focus your efforts on high-value leads.

Leads qualification

Discover how to generate hyper-personalized messages for every profile to drive higher engagement and better results.

Personalizing messages

Set up smart follow-up sequences to nurture your prospects without unnecessary manual effort.

Automated Follow-ups

Centralize and automatically enrich your CRM data to enhance the quality of your prospecting database.