The internationalization of Valencia’s innovative ecosystem is a reality. The region is establishing itself as a leading hub in Southern Europe, attracting investment and international projects while its startups scale and break into new countries.
Data from the 2023 Valencian Community Startup Observatory Report highlight the international reach of Valencia’s technological ecosystem, noting that over half of the Valencian startups, specifically 50.36%, have international market reach. This internationalization is also evident in the profile of professionals who annually visit VDS or participate in its competition. In fact, the last edition of the international tech event gathered over 12,000 attendees from 91 different countries, and the VDS Startup Competition received more than 600 applications from 48 different countries.
This international visibility and interest have been further enhanced in recent months with visits from international delegations eager to learn about the Valencian ecosystem and how it is articulated and energized by Startup Valencia.
On January 26, a delegation from Puebla, Mexico, visited Las Naves, where, guided by ecosystem representatives, they explored all the opportunities offered by the Valencian technological ecosystem and how it increasingly attracts major corporations from around the world. Representing Startup Valencia were Nacho Mas and Karina Virrueta, CEO and Head of Innovation Ecosystem, respectively.
In February, we gathered the largest global community of young impact entrepreneurs, Sigma Squared Society. Through a collaboration between Startup Valencia, the Valencia City Council, and with participation from Nacho Mas, CEO of Startup Valencia, Emily Mengod, Startup Relations Manager, and Krloos Rivera, International Ecosystem Builder, we organized a meeting between a group of representatives from this community and over 50 individuals from the Valencian innovative and technological ecosystem.
During our participation in 4YFN at the Valencia Innovation Capital booth, we welcomed a delegation from the Netherlands led by Prince Constantijn van Orange. The meeting was an opportunity to establish relations for future collaborations between both ecosystems, with Nacho Mas, CEO, Patricia Pastor, VDS Chairman, and Krloos Rivera, International Ecosystem Builder from Startup Valencia taking part.
On February 29, we received a visit from a group of entrepreneurs and business leaders led by the General Consulate of the Republic of Argentina, who, as part of their trade mission in Spain, were interested in learning about Valencia’s startup ecosystem and its potential for entrepreneurship. Participating from Startup Valencia were Juan Luis Hortelano, President, and Nacho Mas, CEO.
To create synergies between innovative ecosystems, the quarter’s schedule of international visits concluded with a meeting between Karina Virrueta, Head of Innovation Ecosystem, and Marta Gironés, Account Executive at Startup Valencia, with Andrea Meyers and Justine Winterburn, International Expansion Adviser and Head of International Expansion at the British Embassy in Madrid.
The scaling of the Valencian startup ecosystem is unstoppable, and the interest it arouses in countries from various parts of the globe is proof of this. International visibility that is reinforced with the projection of VDS and the prestige of the startups and entrepreneurs from the Valencian Community.
