VDS has announced the 100 startups selected to advance in its international competition, chosen from 1,560 applications submitted from 87 countries.
The ninth edition of the VDS Startup Competition has therefore reached a new participation record. The number of applications has increased by 25% compared with 2025, when 1,246 entries were received from 84 countries.
Alongside Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany and Estonia rank among the main countries of origin of the projects submitted. These figures further strengthen the competition’s international reach and its ability to attract entrepreneurial talent from different markets and technology ecosystems.
Software and artificial intelligence lead applications
The participating startups operate in some of the technology fields with the greatest potential to drive economic and social transformation. Software and SaaS solutions account for 38.9% of applications, while 32.8% of the startups work with artificial intelligence and machine learning. Deeptech projects also have a strong presence, representing 8.9% of applications, followed by hardware at 7%.
By sector, healthtech leads the applications with 12.7%, followed by ClimateTech & Sustainability and edtech, both at 7.3%. Other strongly represented sectors include Mobility & Logistics at 5.7%, Construction & PropTech at 5.4%, and scientific innovation and deeptech at 5.1%.
The competition also maintains a strong focus on supporting early-stage companies. Pre-seed startups account for 44% of applications, while 20.7% are at the seed stage. In addition, 30.1% of the projects submitted have not yet received external funding.
“Growing from 1,246 to 1,560 applications in just one year demonstrates the increasing interest among startups in accessing platforms where they can connect directly with investors, corporations and international growth opportunities,” explains Nacho Mas, CEO of Startup Valencia and VDS.
“The Top 100 brings together projects from a wide range of sectors and markets, but they all share a combination of technological capabilities, scalability and international ambition. Our goal is for VDS to become a connection point capable of accelerating their growth and turning innovation into tangible business and investment opportunities,” he adds.
A Top 100 selected in collaboration with Plug and Play
The 100 startups were chosen following an evaluation process carried out in collaboration with Plug and Play, a partner of the VDS Startup Competition and one of the world’s leading open innovation and startup investment platforms.
The evaluation considered factors including the level of innovation, scalability potential, strength of the business model, technological and commercial viability, and the ability to generate an impact in strategic sectors.
Following the announcement of the Top 100, the competition will continue with the selection of the 50 semifinalists. From this group, 25 finalist projects will be chosen to present their solutions on the Main Stage at VDS 2026, taking place on October 21 and 22 at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia.
The finalists will have the opportunity to present their projects to an audience of more than 12,000 professionals from over 120 countries, 800 international investors managing more than €300 billion in assets and 1,500 corporations.
The startup named ‘Best Startup of VDS 2026’ will receive a visibility and growth package that includes participation in the VDS 2027 content programme, exposure in international media and exclusive opportunities to connect with investors and business leaders. It will also join Santander X 100, the global community connecting leading startups with capital, corporations and international opportunities.
The awards programme also includes €150,000 in Microsoft Azure credits for the winning startups. In addition, eligible semifinalists may be considered for the VDS Investment Award, an initiative that may provide access to an evaluation process for a potential investment of up to €100,000, subject to due diligence, internal approval and negotiation of the final terms.
The startups selected for the Top 100
The Top 100 includes projects operating across health, artificial intelligence, sustainability, energy, mobility, education, cybersecurity, biotechnology, industry, finance and emerging technologies.
Health and longevity
AIRWAY SHIELD, Colibri Biomed, Danae Urogenomics, Heecap, Heuristik, Horus ML, IBIONS, KIUR Healthcare, Loomee Health, Magnetic Tape SL, Mentelem, Nanogrow Biotech, ROBOPEDICS, Sycai Medical, Temotiva Innovación Lab and Truecold (Spain); Business Intelligence Meeting LTD, Circe and iCook (United Kingdom); 10mg Health Innovation (Nigeria); BioClé (Argentina); Evie Health (Estonia); Lampsy Health (Portugal); and Moonlight AI (Switzerland).
Climate, sustainability and energy
AURO AI, Cyclo, Escena 4.0, GRAVITY WAVE, MicelioData and Ravenwits (Spain); BioBright and Walker Subsea (United Kingdom); AInwater (Chile); Antscape (Estonia); Aura System (Italy); Bearhug (Australia); Biowerkz (Germany); Climasel (Azerbaijan); Climate Technology Solutions (Nigeria); Manie (Portugal); Ocean Oasis (Norway); and Wastli (United States).
Deeptech, artificial intelligence and scientific innovation
edgeContinuum, Miramoon Pharma, Olorama Technology, Pack2Earth, Panssari and tranSkriptorium AI (Spain); OWASmooth (Slovakia); Salesdep AI (Ukraine); and Together Alone Ventures (Estonia).
Software, productivity and cybersecurity
Bouncer Digital, CISEC, Niubiq, Tinkery and Twintual (Spain); Opsphere (Spain); OpenBox AI (United States); and Runo (India).
Mobility, logistics and smart cities
Eaship, LetMePark and Mettis AI (Spain); Büyütech (Türkiye); Famel (Portugal); and ZIM Connections (United Kingdom).
Education, talent and the future of work
MENTOOR and Nubo Learning (Spain); Guru AI (United Kingdom); Edtech4life – Griky (Colombia); Learny AI (Estonia); Virtual Story (Georgia); kju.ai (Netherlands); and Pitch Avatar (Austria).
Fintech, Web3, retail and e-commerce
BALANZIA and LOVI.ai (Spain); CryptoMate and WiseCX (Argentina); Spendbase (United States); WeGravel (United States); DotAsia (Malaysia); Talent Hero Ventures (Singapore); and Wallib (Colombia).
Construction, PropTech and industry
Compartir Espacios, FindNido, Foot Analytics and SISMOS (Spain); Mugenio (Germany); and Hamlet (Australia).
Defence, aerospace and hardware
EWEAR Innovation and ZYON Helmets (Spain); Skite Solar (France); and Xplora (Italy).
Media, community, fashion and consumer
Divelife and MINICOOL (Spain); Bridgit, Goxi and HALA (Italy); Deaf AI (Canada); Honestli (Greece); and OXYPOME (Türkiye).
