Startup Valencia and e-Residency, the Estonian government’s program for global entrepreneurs, in collaboration with the city councils of Valencia and Tallinn, have announced the launch of the ‘Valencia DANA Project’. This global initiative seeks startups with innovative solutions to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, such as the one that struck Valencia in October 2024.
The official presentation took place today at the Valencia Innovation Capital stand at 4YFN25, the entrepreneurship event associated with MWC25 Barcelona.
The project aims to identify and support startups developing disruptive solutions in areas such as emergency management, climate resilience, smart infrastructure, and urban sustainability. In a context of growing concern over the impact of climate change, Valencia DANA Project positions itself as a key platform for the creation and validation of technologies that can be applied in urban environments worldwide.
One of the fundamental pillars of the initiative is the organization of a high-impact hackathon, which will take place in Tallinn (Estonia) from May 20 to 21, coinciding with Latitude59, one of Northern Europe’s most influential tech conferences. Over three days, startups, entrepreneurs, tech experts, and local authorities will collaborate to develop solutions that enable cities to anticipate and effectively respond to extreme weather events.
The winning startups of the hackathon will have the opportunity to implement their solutions in Valencia between June and October 2025, with support from local institutions and the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. This testing period will assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposals in a real environment, with the potential to scale the applications globally. The project will select three finalist startups, each receiving financial support of €15,000 to test their innovative and technological solutions within Valencia’s sandbox, as well as coverage for travel and accommodation costs during their visits to the city.
Additionally, the winning team will have the opportunity to present their project at the eighth edition of VDS on October 22-23. This international tech event, which has brought together startups, corporations, and investors from around the world since 2018, will provide winners with an exceptional platform to showcase their innovative solutions before a global audience of over 12,000 attendees from 120 countries.
“The tech sector has demonstrated its ability to innovate, collaborate, and deliver transformative solutions in times of adversity,” says Nacho Mas, CEO of Startup Valencia and VDS. “With this initiative, we reinforce our commitment to innovation and sustainability, promoting the development of technological solutions that help cities adapt and respond to the challenges of climate change,” he explains.
For Paula Llobet, Councilor for Innovation at Valencia City Council, “this project is a unique opportunity to establish Valencia as a benchmark in innovation and sustainability.” “With our Valencia Innovation Capital strategy, we are betting on technology as a key tool to enhance the resilience of our cities in the face of climate change challenges,” she states.
Margot Roose, Deputy Mayor of Tallinn, declares: “This collaboration showcases the power of cities coming together to tackle the urgent challenges posed by extreme weather events. By leveraging innovation and international cooperation, we can develop solutions that not only protect our urban environments but also set a global benchmark for resilience and disaster preparedness. Tallinn is proud to host this hackathon and make a significant contribution to the future of urban emergency management.”
Liina Vahtras, Managing Director of e-Residency, affirms: “This hackathon represents the potential of borderless international cooperation. From Estonia, we open the doors of our digital nation to entrepreneurs from around the world so they can develop scalable solutions with a tangible impact on society—such as mitigating natural disasters caused by climate change. We are excited to see how these ideas, conceived in Tallinn—one of Europe’s most dynamic startup ecosystems—will take shape in Valencia and find real-world applications in urban environments on a global scale.”
Registrations to participate in Valencia DANA Project are open until April 30 clicking here.
