VDS has announced the winner of the Best Startup of VDS 2026 award. Nanogrow, a startup developing nanobody-based therapies to treat cancer and immune-related diseases, has been named this year’s winner.
This year’s ceremony also recognized Saeed Amidi, Founder & CEO of Plug and Play, who received the City of Valencia Award, and José Carmena, a senior scientist and pioneer in neurotechnology, whose work advances brain-computer interfaces and explores the impact of these technologies on society, with the VDS Honorary Award.
The awards were announced during the VDS 2026 closing ceremony, attended by Juan Luis Hortelano, President of Startup Valencia, and Nacho Mas, CEO of Startup Valencia and VDS; Teresa Riesgo, Secretary General for Innovation at the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities; Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction; Carolina Rodríguez, CEO of Enisa; Jaime Peris, Special Commissioner for Reindustrialization at the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism; Ana Carrau, Founder & CEO of The Impact Project; and Alberto Gutiérrez, CEO of Aquaservice.
Additional awards included the NextTalent Challenge Award, presented to Prisma Clima, while Mitiga Solutions was named the winner of the Startups x Climate category. Mentelem also took home the Pitch Battle award.
VDS Startup Competition 2026
As the winner, Nanogrow receives $2,000 in Miro credits and €150,000 in Microsoft Azure credits. The startup also gains international visibility, access to the VDS content program and opportunities to connect with leading investors and industry experts. In addition, Nanogrow joins Santander X 100, a global community connecting high-potential startups with investment, collaboration and international expansion opportunities.
The winner was selected by a distinguished international jury comprising Desirée Alayza, Global BD Director at Bcombinator; Pedro Ribeiro Santos, Managing Partner at Armilar; Iryna Krepchuk, Investment Manager at Trind Ventures; Christopher Klink, Partner at Antler; Fernando Lelo de Larrea, Founding Partner at Rumbo Ventures; Lily Joo, Venture Partner at VentureFriends; Kim Diocampo, Founding Partner at 10K Ventures; Celeste Reglá, Investment Associate at LUMO Labs; Joao Monteiro, Investor at Plug and Play; and Tomás Marchão Marques, Investor at Indico Capital.
The 25 finalists, selected from 1,560 applications across 87 countries, represented some of the sectors driving technological innovation worldwide. Artificial intelligence, healthcare, biotechnology, sustainability, the circular economy, water management, smart mobility, robotics, advanced materials, critical infrastructure and connectivity were all represented, reflecting a shared focus on applying technology to real-world societal and economic challenges.
The evaluation process for the VDS Startup Competition was led by Plug and Play, the competition’s strategic partner and one of the world’s leading open innovation and startup investment platforms. The assessment criteria included the degree of innovation, scalability, market opportunity, growth potential and impact of each solution.
