VDS has consolidated its position as one of Europe’s leading international technology events, closing its eighth edition with record-breaking figures. The summit brought together more than 12,000 global leaders, investors, and founders, turning Valencia into the world’s epicenter of technological innovation and entrepreneurship. Among attendees, 45% came from over 120 countries, marking a 41% increase compared to 2024 and setting a new participation record. In total, over 3,000 startups, 1,500 corporations, and 800 investors, managing assets exceeding €300 billion, took part in the event.
Under the theme “Collaborate Today. Transform Tomorrow”, the international tech event promoted collaboration as a key driver to tackle global challenges. More than 600 speakers addressed crucial topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, energy, health, and longevity.
As Juan Luis Hortelano, President of Startup Valencia, stated during the closing ceremony: “The symbiosis born from VDS 2025 will endure over time, as we are a global platform driving a better future.”
In the same spirit, Diana Morant, Spain’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, highlighted Valencia’s qualitative leap in the European ranking of highly innovative regions, thanks to the influence of VDS. The closing ceremony also featured Pilar Bernabé, Delegate of the Government of Spain; Jerónimo Mora, Regional Secretary for Innovation; Felipe Carrasco, Regional Secretary for Industry, Trade and Consumer Affairs; and Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation, Employment, and Entrepreneurship at Valencia City Council. It also served as the stage for the VDS International Startup Competition Awards. Spacebackend (Luxembourg) won in the Early Stage category, while Zibra AI (Ukraine) was crowned Growth Stage winner.
Additionally, recognitions were given to the main contributors of the Startup Valencia DANA Help and Adopta un Colegio initiatives: Daniel Perelló, Cristina Carrascosa, David Baratech, Pedro Trujillano, David Nieto, and Juan Luis Hortelano. The award for the most innovative initiative supporting DANA recovery went to Marina de Empresas for its project Alcem-se.
Espai Aero CV, the association of aerospace companies in the Valencian Community, was honored with the Aerospace Startup Award promoted by the Generalitat Valenciana, recognizing its contribution to the development and visibility of the aerospace sector nationally and internationally.Meanwhile, Iñaki Berenguer, Co-founder of Coverwallet and Managing Partner at LifeX Ventures, received the VDS Honorary Award.
The Hackathon The Challenge awards were also presented: Alzar-se won in Climate Tech, HP Bridge in Innovation, and Sentra AI in Cybersecurity.
Collaboration to tackle global technological challenges
Throughout the two-day event, the seven VDS stages hosted some of the world’s most influential voices in innovation and culture. Discussions focused on emerging technology trends, including Smart Cities & Digital Infrastructure, Next-Gen Consumer Tech, Talent & Future of Work, HealthTech & Longevity, Future of Energy & GreenTech, DeepTech & Scientific Innovation, Aerospace Industry, Cybersecurity & Defense.
Sustainability and diversity played a central role in the panels, emphasizing cooperation between startups, institutions, and corporations to develop solutions for climate and social challenges. The visibility of women in science and technology was also a highlight, led by Pilar Mateo, scientist, entrepreneur, and VP of Impact at Startup Valencia, who presented the initiative Woman Paint Too, encouraging women to transform adversity into action and invention into hope.
Scalability and startup growth were also key themes across the VDS 2025 content program. The event hosted the Scalability Day, organized by Adigital and EsTech with the support of ICEX (Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise). This eighth edition also welcomed the founders of eight global unicorns and 22 European scaleups growing at rates above 20% annually.
International figures such as Kelly Rutherford (Hollywood actress and investor), Sol Campbell (former captain of the English national football team), Aubrey de Grey (longevity visionary), Minh Le (creator of Counter-Strike), Gillian Tans (former CEO & Chairwoman of Booking.com), Enrique Linares (Co-founder of letgo and Partner at Plus Partners), and Sacha Michaud (Co-founder of Glovo) shared their experiences on stage.
Valencia: A growing international Tech Hub
VDS 2025 served as a platform to strengthen Valencia’s position as a global hub for technological innovation. During the inauguration, Mª José Catalá, Mayor of Valencia, announced the City Council’s renewed support for VDS for two more years, emphasizing that this international event positions Valencia ahead of Madrid and Barcelona.
During the summit, the Startup Observatory of the Valencian Community 2025 was presented at the Fundación LAB Box. Led by Startup Valencia with support from the Regional Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, the report revealed that the Valencian tech ecosystem reached 1,689 startups as of September 2025 —an 11.34% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Investment also grew significantly, with Valencian startups raising over €160 million in 2025. Moreover, 71% of startups received funding, representing a 66% increase from 2024. Attendees also learned about the results of the LAB 2025 Observatory for R&D&I, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, prepared by Fundación LAB and IVIE. The report confirmed continuous progress in innovation and technology indicators, though it also noted challenges compared to the national average.
Support from leading Corporations and Institutions
The eighth edition of VDS was supported by Banco Santander as main sponsor, Valencia Innovation Capital (City Council of Valencia) as hosting partner, and e-Residency (Government of Estonia) as sister country. Numerous tech companies, startups, and organizations joined as strategic partners, including Wayra Telefónica, EY, Fundación LAB, CaixaBank DayOne, PowerCo, Volkswagen Group Services, IBM, OVHcloud, Mobile World Capital, Bit2Me, Adigital, EsTech, Opentop (Valenciaport), and MAPFRE. Among the technology partners were Microsoft, Amazon, Google for Startups, and HubSpot for Startups.
VDS 2025 maintained the backing of key institutions that strengthen its role as an international benchmark in technology and innovation, such as the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism, the Generalitat Valenciana, the Valencian Institute of Finance (IVF), the City of Arts and Sciences, TechFabLab, University of Valencia (UV), Parc Científic de la Universitat de València (PCUV), Miguel Hernández University (UMH), Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), ENISA, CDTI, ICEX, Renfe, and the Autonomous City of Melilla.
All of them actively collaborate to reinforce Valencia’s position as a global hub for innovation and a central meeting point for ideas, talent, and technological solutions.
