Topics
modish
AI
Amazon
Image Credits:Web Summit
Apps
Biotech & Health
mood
Image Credits:Web Summit
Cloud Computing
Commerce
Crypto
Enterprise
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
contraption
gage
Government & Policy
computer hardware
Layoffs
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
Security
Social
Space
Startups
TikTok
Transportation
Venture
More from TechCrunch
event
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
Podcasts
Videos
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
get hold of Us
Paddy Cosgrave has stepped down as CEO of Web Summit , the 14 - year - one-time conference business that he co - founded and which has live on to host one of Europe ’s biggest annual tech events , along with four other event around the globe .
The conference organizers tell TechCrunch they will be appointing a new chief executive officer “ as presently as possible ” and that “ WWW Summit 2023 in Lisbon will go in advance as planned . ”
The move comes on the heel of a series of remarks from Cosgrave — in the wake of Hamas ’s October 7 tone-beginning on Israel , wherein 1,400 mostly civilians were kill and more than 4,000 were injured — that determine off achain of wild responsesfrom Israelis and more and more a broad swath of people throughout the engineering residential area .
Among them was David Marcus , the longtime fintech entrepreneur and Meta executive director , who last Sundaywrote on X : “ sadden by your badly - inform position . You could ’ve take a more nuanced one , condemn these heinousness and call for restraint . That would ’ve been satisfactory . You take to support terrorists . As such I ’ll never attend / patron / mouth at any of your event again . ”
Cosgrave appeared to walk back his command this preceding Monday , authorship , “ We are waste to see the terrible killings and the level of impeccant civilian casualties in Israel and Gaza . We doom the attacks by Hamas and extend our deepest sympathy to everyone who has lost loved ones . We trust for passive reconciliation . ” But he subsequently dig in his heels , tweeting before long afterward : “ To repeat : War crimes are war crimes even when entrust by ally & should be call out for what they are . I will not relent . ”
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
As pressure mounted , Cosgrave later excuse on entanglement Summit’ssite , piece of writing , “ I understand that what I suppose , the timing of what I said , and the way of life it has been presented has caused sound suffering to many . ”
But the hurt was seemingly done . In summation to a growing boycott of the event by prominent individuals , a phone number of corporates also began to dangle out of Web Summit , which kicks off its signature show in a little more than three workweek .
Yesterday , Alphabet and Meta said that they were pulling out of the computer programme ; before them , Intel , Siemens and Stripe announce they were also dropping out of the effect .
Last year , Web Summit attracted more than 70,000 attendees over three days .
