Startups por el Clima, the nationwide initiative led by Enisa, Startup Valencia and VDS, brought together entrepreneurs, investors and technology industry representatives during the ninth edition of VDS to advance innovative solutions to major climate challenges. The programme showcased five selected startups developing technologies for risk prevention, climate change adaptation and sustainable resource management.
Held on October 21 and 22 at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, the international tech event provided a platform for Startups por el Clima to combine international discussions on clean technologies and impact investment, meetings with investors and innovation competitions. These activities helped connect technology projects with funding and business collaboration opportunities.
The initiative aims to mobilise Spain’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to address five priority challenges: Environmental Health and Urban Liveability, Wildfires, Energy and Storage, Climate-Adapted Agriculture, and Drought and Water Management.
Hosting the initiative in Valencia, one of the provinces hardest hit by the October 2024 floods, highlighted the need to advance technologies capable of anticipating extreme weather events, improving emergency response and strengthening regional resilience.
Mitiga Solutions Wins Startups x Climate
One of the programme’s highlights was the Startups x Climate Pitch Battle, held on Thursday, October 22, at the Innovation Stage. Five startups selected through the nationwide Startups por el Clima challenges presented their solutions to investors and representatives of the technology ecosystem. Each company addressed one of the five priority challenges.
The participating companies were Bamboo Energy (Catalonia), which develops an AI-powered platform to optimise energy management and flexibility; Enerlind (Valencian Community), specialising in photovoltaic windows and shutters that enable buildings to generate electricity; Mitiga Solutions (Catalonia), which uses artificial intelligence and scientific models to assess climate risks; PLANeT Biotech (Catalonia), focused on developing biostimulants to improve crop resilience under adverse climate conditions; and URAPHEX (Navarre), which develops technology to regenerate and reuse water in industrial processes without chemical treatment agents.
Mitiga Solutions was named the winner of Startups x Climate at VDS 2026. The company develops technological tools that enable businesses and institutions to assess their exposure to risks such as wildfires, floods, droughts and extreme temperatures, helping them plan prevention and adaptation measures.
Impact Investment and Clean Technologies Take Centre Stage at the International Forum
The Startups for Climate Forum also took place on Thursday, October 22, bringing together representatives from investment funds, businesses and specialised organisations to discuss how to accelerate the development and financing of climate technologies.
The programme explored the strategic role of clean technologies in artificial intelligence and industry during the session “From Davos to Valencia: Cleantech as Critical Infrastructure for AI & Industry”. Speakers included Bianca Dragomir, Director of Cleantech for Iberia, and Davide Cannarozzi, Managing Partner at Resilient Infratech Ventures, with Carolina Rodríguez, CEO of Enisa, moderating the discussion.
Impact investment was the focus of another discussion featuring Zoe Peden, Partner at Ananda VC, and Gonzalo Hinojosa, Managing Partner, Fund of Funds, at A.GAIN. The session was moderated by Martine Rooth, entrepreneur and President of Code-V, and explored funding opportunities for projects combining technological innovation, business growth and environmental and social impact.
The application of advanced technologies to industrial transformation also featured prominently in the panel “Frontier ClimateTech: Investing in AI, Circular Materials, and the Industrial Revolution”. Representatives from Ship2B Ventures, Planet A Ventures and Suma Capital, with moderation by Cleantech for Iberia, examined the potential of artificial intelligence, the circular economy and new materials to improve production efficiency and accelerate industrial decarbonisation.
The forum concluded with a session on diversity and inclusion in climate entrepreneurship, featuring Alina Klarner, Founding Partner at Impact Shakers, and Sorina Uleia, Founder and CEO of Recycllux, moderated by Oana Modorcea, Founder of SeedCue.com. The discussion highlighted the importance of broadening access to entrepreneurship and investment to support technological solutions with social and environmental impact.
More Than 60 Participants Join the NextTalent Challenge Climate Innovation Hackathon
Entrepreneurial talent also played a prominent role through the NextTalent Challenge Hackathon, a competition that brought together more than 60 participants working in multidisciplinary teams to develop solutions to climate adaptation challenges set by Enisa.
Throughout VDS, participants developed their proposals with guidance from mentors and professionals across the technology ecosystem.
The finalist teams presented their solutions on Thursday, October 22, during the NextTalent Challenge Pitches at the Future Stage, where a jury evaluated the proposals developed during the competition.
Prisma Clima was named the winner of the NextTalent Challenge. The award was presented during the VDS 2026 Closing Ceremony on the Main Stage, recognising the ability of young talent to develop innovative responses to climate challenges.
The initiative gave students and young professionals the opportunity to work on real-world challenges, encouraging teamwork and the development of technological solutions with practical potential.
Enisa Supports Funding for Climate Resilience Solutions
Startups por el Clima is part of a nationwide initiative designed to connect startups, investors, corporations, public authorities and knowledge institutions to accelerate the development of technologies addressing climate change.
In parallel, Enisa manages the Innovación por Clima programme, which finances business projects capable of strengthening prevention, preparedness and responses to challenges arising from emergencies and climate change. The programme provides participative loans ranging from €25,000 to €1.5 million.
Startups por el Clima also includes a National Climate Innovation Directory identifying and connecting startups, corporations, investors, accelerators and specialised institutions, creating new opportunities for collaboration and business development.
The initiative’s participation in VDS 2026 brought these objectives to an international gathering attended by more than 12,000 professionals from 120 countries, alongside 3,000 startups and scaleups, 1,500 corporations and 800 investor networks.
The ninth edition also recorded 6,444 one-to-one meetings and 23,951 business connections through its official platform, expanding opportunities for collaboration among international ecosystem stakeholders.
Support from Leading Corporations and Institutions
VDS 2026 received support from major corporations, technology companies and national and international institutions. Banco Santander participated as Diamond Sponsor, while Valencia Innovation Capital, part of the Valencia City Council, served as Host Partner. The Generalitat Valenciana joined as VDS Defense Partner, Plug and Play as VDS Competition Partner, and the University of Valencia and Universitat Politècnica de València as NextTalent Partners.
The Supporting Sponsors included Estonia’s e-Residency, Work in Estonia, Tallinn, Fundación LAB, CaixaBank DayOne, Malta Enterprise, OVHcloud Startup Program, IBM, Lãberit, Opentop by Valenciaport, BStartup by Banco Sabadell, EY, Burda Principal Investments, Suma Capital, PropHero, Wayra Telefónica, Aquaservice, MAPFRE, Microsoft, Temu, OMN Hub and RRHH Digital, among other companies and organisations that contributed to the ninth edition.
Additional support came from companies involved in Startup Valencia’s Corporate Innovation Club, including BStartup by Banco Sabadell, Wayra Telefónica, Plug and Play, HP, BBVA Spark, Marina de Empresas, Banco Santander, Innsomnia Group, CaixaBank DayOne, Naturgy, Sesame, Zinco and Santalucía Impulsa.
At the institutional level, VDS 2026 continued to receive support from its Institutional Partners, including the Valencia City Council, Valencia Innovation Capital, the Generalitat Valenciana, the University of Valencia, Universitat Politècnica de València, the University of Valencia Science Park, the Valencian Institute of Finance (IVF), the City of Arts and Sciences, CDTI, Enisa, Red.es, ICEX, Madrid Innovation and the Miguel Hernández University Science Park, alongside Spanish Government bodies.
The involvement of these organisations strengthens VDS as a platform connecting the public and private sectors, generating new opportunities for business, investment and international collaboration while reinforcing Valencia’s position as a global hub for technological innovation.
