The innovative and technological entrepreneurship ecosystem in Valencia, represented by Startup Valencia, concludes the current year with record-breaking figures. Throughout 2023, the association has surpassed 400 members with the addition of over 50 new agents, including partners, and stakeholders, marking an annual growth of 14%.
Specifically, at the year-end, Startup Valencia has 350 associated startups, an increase of over 20% compared to the number of members in 2022. With partners and stakeholders, Startup Valencia now has over 60 affiliated entities supporting the dynamism of the innovative ecosystem. The association boasts an active community of over 35,000 individuals, a 47% increase from the previous year, thanks to the internationalization of VDS.
These growth figures complement those reported by the Startup Observatory of the Valencian Community by Startup Valencia, where the number of startups has increased by 16% compared to 2022, reaching 1,314, and ecosystem entities total 1,677, a 14% increase.
In terms of investment, the innovative and technological hub in Valencia has increased its volume by 44.6% in the first half of 2023, in contrast to the 48% declines recorded in Barcelona and Madrid. In total, Valencia has attracted €30 million in the first six months of the year, ranking as the third city in Spain for investment. Furthermore, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2023, which analyzes ecosystems worldwide, Valencia has climbed 22 positions in the global list of entrepreneurial cities since 2020, moving from 144th to 122nd.
This upward trend is also reflected in the figures generated at VDS, the international technological event organized annually by Startup Valencia at the City of Arts and Sciences. The sixth edition held last October managed to bring together more than 12,000 professionals from 91 different countries, setting records for international participation for the second consecutive year. The event also gathered 500 speakers, over 600 international investors with an investment portfolio of more than €8 billion, and 2,200 startups. Noteworthy is the growth in the number of corporations participating in VDS, reaching 967 this year, a 533% increase.
In this regard, during its recent annual members’ assembly held in conjunction with the Night of Startups, Startup Valencia identified international scaling as one of its objectives for 2024 to solidify the position of the Valencia technological hub as a reference in Southern Europe. Additionally, connections within the ecosystem will continue to be fostered by promoting the physical concentration of startups through hubs and advocating for public-private physical spaces to enhance the density of innovative projects, share knowledge, act as an icon, and become a center of innovation for the Valencian Community.
As Juan Luis Hortelano, president of Startup Valencia, explains, “Our ecosystem is already renowned internationally. It’s time to attract the best foreign entrepreneurs to our region to encourage investment and further establish VDS as one of the most important technological events in Europe.”
