Startup Valencia and Banco Santander have renewed their collaboration agreement for VDS 2025. The bank returns as a Diamond Sponsor of the global tech event, which will hold its eighth edition on 22–23 October at Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences.
With this alliance, Santander—an expert in boosting startups, scaleups and entrepreneurial projects at every stage—reaffirms its commitment to talent, technological innovation and national entrepreneurship. Its participation will bring the bank’s projects and solutions closer to the more than 12,000 attendees from 120 countries that VDS expects to gather in Valencia this year.
This is the third consecutive year that Santander has chosen VDS to strengthen its presence in the region. In previous editions, it hosted its own spaces to showcase financial solutions and welcomed top-tier speakers such as Vala Afshar, Chief Digital Evangelist at Salesforce; Alejandro Mullor, WW Public Sector Digital Strategist, Tourism Lead at Microsoft; Guenia Gawendo, Director of Telefónica Ventures; and Daniel Nieto, Vice President – Global Government Affairs, Policy and Public Sector at Remote, among others.
VDS 2025 will also host, as in the last edition, the final and awards ceremony of the Santander X Spain Award | Startup & Scaleup 2025, a competition that recognises and supports Spain’s emerging and scaling tech companies, distributing up to €65,000 among the winners.
Javier Gallardo, territorial director of Banco Santander in the Valencian Community and Region of Murcia, stated: “It is a privilege to support and participate once again in an event that turns Valencia into a first-rate global tech hub and the world capital of innovation. At Santander we know that betting on innovation, entrepreneurship, business and talent means betting on progress, economic growth and more competitive, strong and sustainable societies in an ever-evolving socio-economic context.”
According to Juan Luis Hortelano, president of Startup Valencia, “having the continued backing of an institution like Santander shows how VDS has consolidated as an international benchmark. Their presence strengthens our ability to connect talent, investment and innovation in an open, collaborative environment.”
VDS 2025: technology, impact and collaboration
Under the concept ‘Symbiosis’, VDS 2025 will explore how collaboration between entrepreneurs, technology and innovation can generate transformative impact and address society’s main challenges. This vision emerged from the collective response to the floods that affected Valencia in October 2024, highlighting how human collaboration combined with technology can foster unity and accelerate recovery. The international tech event will showcase how innovation can make a difference when it is needed most.
VDS will also tackle the latest trends in deep tech and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, virtual and augmented reality, quantum computing, nanotechnology and photonics. Key topics this edition include: Smart Cities & Digital Infrastructure, Next-Gen Consumer Technologies, Talent & Future of Work, HealthTech & Longevity, Future of Energy & GreenTech, DeepTech & Scientific Innovation, Aerospace Industry, Defence & Cybersecurity.
