If 2022 was the year that marked the solid establishment of the Valencian Community as the third-largest startup ecosystem in Spain, “closing in on Madrid and Barcelona and distancing itself from other cities in the national entrepreneurship rankings”, in the words of Nacho Mas (CEO, Startup Valencia), in 2023 the challenge will be amplifying the value of the hub globally, consolidating its position on an international level. So today we are going to talk about valencian startups to keep an eye on this year.
Certainly the Valencian startup ecosystem has an ambitious plan for the year ahead. To highlight a few notable events:
In April, the Valencia-Miami connection will be strengthened with a delegation of Valencian startups visiting eMerge Americas, the flagship event of the US East Coast. So, this will be a prime opportunity to showcase Valencia’s potential, attract investors, and create opportunities for our startups in the world’s leading market for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Above all, Valencia Digital Summit will return on the 26th and 27th of October to the City of Arts and Sciences, which in 2022 welcomed over 12,000 attendees from more than 70 countries. This year’s event is expected to break even more records.
Towards the end of the year, La Terminal – a new 5,000 square metre innovation hub for startups and tech entrepreneurs – is set to open in La Marina de Valencia. This centre is expected to create around 500 jobs and host a variety of activities related to innovation.
So, with this solid foundation in place, “it’s time to take the Valencian startup ecosystem to the next level on the global stage”, as noted by Juan Luis Hortelano, President of Startup Valencia, in his recent article ‘Continuing to Reach Goals’.
To gauge the success of our ecosystem’s international expansion, the performance of Valencian startups this year will serve as a key indicator. In particular, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the growth and development of the 23 most promising Valencian startups of 2023, selected based on factors such as experience, investment volume, turnover, and sector momentum.
1. Tuvalum: Europe’s leading marketplace for refurbished bicycles.
2. SheetGo: A SaaS platform that streamlines monitoring and auditing processes by connecting and synchronising spreadsheet data.
3. Wenalyze: An InsurTech solution that facilitates customer risk assessment for insurers and banks through the integration of open-source data.
4. Streamloots: An innovative platform that delivers creative monetisation options for content creators and their supporters. Hear their captivating journey on one of the newest episodes of the Itnig podcast.
5. Internxt: A suite of cloud storage services that offers users greater security and privacy for their files.
6. Quibim: A MedTech solution that uses advanced image recognition technology to accelerate the diagnostic process and aid in early detection of potential illnesses.
7. ClimateTrade: A B2B platform providing efficient tools for measuring and reducing carbon footprint, enabling businesses to meet their climate action goals.
8. Sales Layer: A cloud-based product information management (PIM) tool designed to help companies and sales agents manage and organise their product catalogues. This Valencian startup attracted substantial investment in 2022, ranking as the second-highest funded in the region.
9. Bit2Me: The leading Spanish platform for the purchase and sale of crypto assets in Spain. Its CIO, David Ortega, is the latest featured entrepreneur on the Startup Valencia blog in an interview where he discusses how his software development company, Dekalabs, was acquired by Bit2Me.
10. Sesame: A startup specialising in digital solutions for the simplification of human resources processes. With 10 million euros raised in 2022, it was the third-highest funded Valencian startup of last year.
11. Zeleros: A startup innovating in the transport sector with a new high-speed system that is completely sustainable and based on the hyperloop concept.
12. AllRead: A OCR detection and reading software for ports and terminals, based on Deep Learning and Computer Vision.
13. Camillion: A video messaging app that connects remote teams and facilitates the execution and monitoring of tasks in private work environments. Camillion was the first Valencian startup to secure an investment round in 2023, worth $2 million.
14. Ziknes: A software capable of transforming industrial robots into 3D printers, going from a sketch to a functional part in any type of material.
15. Streamion: Ad server for streaming and VOD channels that integrates advertising into the streams, without the need for cuts, enabling a monetization channel for its creators.
16. Colibid: A marketplace connecting individuals seeking a mortgage with banks operating in Spain.
17. StadioPlus: A suite of digital solutions and products connecting the sports and eSport industry with the metaverse and NFTs.
18. Bounsel: An AI-powered collaborative contract management platform to automate document generation.
19. Uelz: A No-Code payment orchestration platform that manages multiple payment gateways and automates collections from one centralised location.
20. GoKoan: A competitive exam study tool that accompanies the user throughout the process towards their position.
21. Arkadia Space: A startup specialising in the manufacture of high-performance propulsion systems and engines for satellites and spacecraft, designed and produced with sustainable and highly scalable technology.
22. NAX Solutions: A platform for precision agriculture that enables personalised treatment of each crop with the help of satellite images and artificial intelligence.
23. PlayJoy Games: An app that makes a wide range of traditional games (parcheesi, dominoes, brisca…) available online.
Consequently, these 23 Valencian startups will stand out in 2023, but they will not be the only ones. According to the Startup Observatory of the Valencian Community developed by Startup Valencia, there are currently over 1,200 tech companies among the more than 1,500 registered entities in the ecosystem. You can see them all here.
