VDS 2026, the international tech event organized by Startup Valencia, officially opened its ninth edition today at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, bringing together some of the most influential figures in the global tech industry. Across October 21 and 22, VDS connects high-potential startups and scaleups with investors, major corporations, tech leaders and institutions, creating new opportunities for business, investment and international collaboration.
This year’s edition brings together over 12,000 professionals from more than 120 countries, 3,000 startups and scaleups, more than 1,500 corporations, and 800 international investors representing over €300 billion in assets under management. Alongside this strong business presence, the agenda features more than 600 speakers, 46% of whom are international, over 200 sessions and nearly 100 hours of content across eight stages.
Under the theme “GENESIS. Origin of What’s Next,” VDS 2026 explores the forces driving the next wave of technological and business transformation. Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly embedded in business operations, advanced technologies are finding new industrial applications, and sectors such as defense, space, health and energy are undergoing changes that are opening up opportunities to build and scale global companies.
This evolution is also reflected in the profile of the participants. The ninth edition brings together representatives from 17 unicorns, more than 20 scaleups and over 50 venture capital and investment funds, while participating startups have collectively raised more than €26.75 billion. This international reach strengthens VDS’s role as a platform connecting innovation, capital and business decision-makers from Valencia.
VDS strengthens the international reach of Valencia’s tech industry
The opening ceremony combined music, technology and robotics in a production inspired by GENESIS. One of the standout moments was the appearance of a robot that welcomed the institutional representatives and gave a brief demonstration on the Main Stage ahead of the opening discussion.
The Main Stage brought together Susana Camarero, First Vice President and Regional Minister for Housing, Employment, Youth and Equality of the Valencian Regional Government; María José Catalá, Mayor of Valencia; Juan Luis Hortelano, President of Startup Valencia; and Nacho Mas, CEO of Startup Valencia and VDS.
During the discussion, Nacho Mas highlighted VDS’s evolution since its launch in 2018 into an international platform connecting talent, businesses, investment and technology. Against the backdrop of major changes across industries such as artificial intelligence, defense, health and energy, he emphasized the importance of turning those connections into tangible business opportunities: “We don’t want this to be just a place where people talk about what’s next. We want it to be a place where what’s next begins.”
María José Catalá highlighted the growth of Valencia’s innovation and technology industry, which has become internationally competitive and capable of generating businesses, employment and investment. The Mayor emphasized the City Council’s commitment to public-private collaboration, particularly through Valencia Innovation Capital, and its support for VDS as part of the city’s strategy to strengthen its global presence. “VDS was born in Valencia, but today it is an event for the whole country: Spain’s gateway to global talent, investment and technology,” she said.
The Mayor also highlighted the event’s economic contribution. According to a report by EY-Parthenon, VDS generated an economic impact of €26 million in Valencia in 2025, a 29% increase on the previous year, and contributed €11.6 million to GDP. The study also estimated a return of approximately 14 times the investment made in organizing the event.
First Vice President Susana Camarero focused her remarks on the opportunities that technological growth should create for people. In a labor market shaped by artificial intelligence and the transformation of professions, she stressed the importance of connecting education and business, promoting skilled employment and creating the conditions for young people to develop their professional careers in the Valencian Community.
Juan Luis Hortelano highlighted Valencia’s established tech industry and its ability to compete internationally, with VDS helping to expand its connections across Europe, Latin America and the United States. As an example of the impact of these relationships, he recalled entrepreneurs who first discovered Valencia through VDS while building their companies in San Francisco and later decided to relocate part of their business operations to the city. For the President of Startup Valencia, the event’s value should not be measured solely by attendance figures, but also by the investments, commercial agreements and projects that emerge from the connections made during VDS.
Carl Lewis brings lessons in leadership and peak performance to the Main Stage
One of the main highlights of the opening day was Carl Lewis, nine-time Olympic gold medalist and recipient of the World Athlete of the Century title, who took part in the session “The Gold Medal Mindset: Extreme Performance, Resilience, and Longevity in Leadership.”
Widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, the former American track and field star drew on his experience at the highest level of international sport to explore leadership, resilience, competitive mindset and sustained performance. His career offers a particularly relevant perspective for entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders navigating growth and decision-making in highly demanding environments.
The connection between talent, technology and personal development was also explored by Carmen Köhler, PhD in Physics and analog astronaut at the Austrian Space Forum, whose professional journey began in hairdressing before she pursued mathematics, physics and space exploration. In the conversation “From Hair Salon to Mars: Who Gets to Build the Future?”, alongside Begoña Vázquez Merayo, Founder of net4tec, Köhler discussed the importance of curiosity, career reinvention and diverse experiences as drivers of innovation.
Víctor Claver, former NBA player, world champion with Spain’s national basketball team and two-time Olympic medalist, also took part. The Valencian athlete shared his transition from professional basketball to investment and entrepreneurship, a new chapter in which he is involved in technology ventures and initiatives connecting elite sport with emerging business opportunities.
Artificial intelligence enters a new era of business and industrial adoption
Artificial intelligence has taken center stage on the opening day, with discussions moving beyond generative AI tools to explore the development of autonomous agents, their integration into business operations and the infrastructure needed to deploy these technologies at scale.
Among the international leaders attending VDS is Linda Hong Cheng, Founder and CEO of Abstract Atomic, whose work focuses on artificial intelligence applied to industrial environments and physical technologies, with applications in sectors such as advanced materials, semiconductors and emerging energy technologies. Also taking part is David Shim, Co-Founder and CEO of Read AI, a platform with more than five million monthly active users that develops systems capable of using information from meetings and communications to assist professionals in their daily work.
The relationship between artificial intelligence and business growth was also at the heart of a session featuring Chris Cunningham, Co-Founder of ClickUp, who explored how tech companies can combine emerging AI tools with distribution and business development strategies to turn digital reach into tangible commercial opportunities.
Through VDS AI, the event connects tech companies, entrepreneurs and investors with the challenges of a new era in which AI adoption is beginning to have a direct impact on productivity, workplace organization and business models.
Investment and global company growth: turning innovation into business
One of VDS’s main objectives is to ensure that connections between startups, corporations and investors lead to new commercial opportunities, collaboration agreements and business ventures with the potential to scale internationally.
The presence of more than 50 investment funds and firms, alongside leaders from companies including Spotify, LG Technology Ventures, Miro, Hostinger, Plug and Play, IBM, AstraZeneca and Rolls-Royce, reinforces this business focus and the event’s ability to connect capital, innovation and markets.
Among the day’s featured discussions is “Bridging the Innovation Gap: Scaling Between Asian and European Ecosystems,” featuring Dong-Su Kim, CEO of LG Technology Ventures, alongside Jorge Nieto, Founder and Executive Chairman of Crillon Capital Investment Partners. The session explored the differences between Asian and European ecosystems in areas such as investment speed, technology adoption and business scaling challenges, as well as opportunities to build connections between companies and investors across both markets.
This approach also extends to dedicated formats designed to encourage direct collaboration. The VDS Corporate Innovation Day by Area101 is taking place today, bringing together innovation and transformation leaders from major corporations to exchange experiences and address shared business challenges.
VDS Defense connects technology, industry and investment to accelerate European defense innovation
Defense, space and dual-use technologies are playing a particularly prominent role in this edition through VDS Defense, a European platform jointly driven by Spain and Finland that is holding its first major activation during VDS 2026.
The initiative aims to connect the 27 European Union member states and 14 strategic allies through a collaborative network bringing together armed forces, startups, major industrial corporations, specialized investors and institutions.
Its objective is to bridge the gap between technological development and operational deployment by facilitating the validation and adoption of solutions in areas such as drones and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, cyber defense, electronic warfare, tactical communications, logistics, space technologies and critical infrastructure protection.
In this context, VDS is hosting the Estonia Defense & Policy Lounge today, an invitation-only gathering designed to foster connections between international representatives from technology, innovation and defense policy.
This afternoon, Candace Johnson, Chair of the Advisory Board and Partner at Seraphim Space, will take to the Main Stage for “Space and Defense: The Pendulum Swings,” a session examining the evolution of space technologies, their civilian and military applications, and their role in strategic areas such as secure communications, Earth observation and technological sovereignty.
Port innovation and talent: turning emerging technologies into practical solutions
VDS 2026 is also hosting the fourth edition of the Port Entrepreneurship International Congress (PEIC), organized by Opentop, Fundación Valenciaport’s innovation hub. The congress brings together representatives from international ports, startups, investors and companies involved in transforming the maritime and logistics industries on the Agora Stage.
The institutional opening features Mar Chao, President of the Port Authority of Valencia, and Antonio Torregrosa, General Manager of Fundación Valenciaport, kicking off a day dedicated to port digitalization, sustainability and investment opportunities in emerging technological solutions. Among this year’s new features is PEIC Demo on the Lake, an experience bringing live demonstrations of port and maritime technologies developed by startups to the lake at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia.
The development of new skills and capabilities also takes center stage through VDS NextTalent, the talent platform promoted by Startup Valencia, with the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic University of Valencia as NextTalent Partners. Its program connects students and young professionals with universities, startups and corporations through training activities, employment opportunities and real-world business challenges.
Among today’s activities is The Challenge, a hackathon bringing together more than 50 participants to develop solutions to real innovation challenges. The winning team will be recognized tomorrow, October 22, during the event’s closing ceremony on the Main Stage.
VDS will conclude tomorrow with the Startup Competition final
Activities will continue throughout the afternoon with further sessions on artificial intelligence, investment, corporate innovation and strategic technologies, alongside side events designed to expand opportunities for collaboration among participants.
Valencia City Council will host an institutional reception at the Salón de Cristal, with Mayor María José Catalá and representatives from the international business, technology and investment communities expected to attend. Meanwhile, the VDS Afterwork, taking place in the Lake Area at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, will bring the VDS community together for an evening of networking and new professional connections.
The second and final day, October 22, will feature one of the event’s major highlights: the final of the VDS Startup Competition, bringing together 25 finalist startups selected from 1,560 applications across 87 countries. The finalists will compete before international investors and experts for the title of Best Startup of VDS 2026.
The agenda will continue with discussions on financing and scaling tech companies, artificial intelligence infrastructure, defense and cybersecurity, as well as the transformation of industries such as education, telecommunications and sport.
Among the featured speakers will be Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug and Play; César Azpilicueta, who will explore the relationship between elite sporting performance and emerging technologies; Vykintas Maknickas, CEO of Saily; and Dmytro Voloshyn, Co-Founder and CTO of Preply, who will examine the impact of artificial intelligence on learning.
With its ninth edition, VDS reinforces its position as an international platform connecting key players in the tech industry and turning those relationships into new opportunities for business, investment and company growth from Valencia.
Support from leading corporations and institutions
VDS 2026 is supported by major corporations, technology companies, and national and international institutions. Banco Santander participates as Diamond Sponsor, while Valencia Innovation Capital, an initiative of Valencia City Council, serves as Host Partner. The Valencian Regional Government joins as VDS Defense Partner, Plug and Play as VDS Competition Partner, and the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic University of Valencia as NextTalent Partners.
Among the Supporting Sponsors are the Republic of Estonia through its e-Residency program, 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 organizations contributing to the international reach of this ninth edition.
VDS 2026 also features the participation of companies connected to Startup Valencia through its 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 an institutional level, VDS 2026 continues to receive the support of its Institutional Partners, including Valencia City Council, Valencia Innovation Capital, the Valencian Regional Government, the University of Valencia, the Polytechnic University of Valencia, 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 institutions of the Spanish Government.
This collective support reinforces VDS’s role as a platform connecting the public and private sectors, fostering new opportunities for business, investment and international collaboration while strengthening Valencia’s position as a global tech innovation hub.
