Artificial intelligence is no longer limited to generating text, images or voices. The development of autonomous agents is paving the way for systems capable of executing tasks and operating within business processes, with implications for industry, employment and business models. To examine the impact of this evolution and the challenges of putting it into practice, VDS, the international technology event organized by Startup Valencia, presents VDS AI, an initiative that will bring together international technology leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and major corporations.
VDS 2026 will take place on October 21-22 at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. As part of the event, VDS AI will focus on the emerging capabilities of artificial intelligence, its integration into production processes and the opportunities it creates across different sectors, from operational automation and industrial applications to voice technologies and new ways of organizing work.
Although the capabilities of these systems are advancing rapidly, many organizations still face difficulties incorporating them into their operations. Ensuring reliable results, protecting data, integrating new tools into existing systems and identifying economically viable applications are among the challenges affecting adoption. For specialized startups, these issues are compounded by the need for funding, talent and access to customers to turn their developments into products capable of competing internationally.
Nacho Mas, CEO of Startup Valencia and VDS, highlights that “Artificial intelligence is transforming the rules of competitiveness across virtually every industry. The challenge is no longer simply to develop technology, but to ensure that companies can adopt it effectively, securely and with measurable impact. Through VDS, we want to help connect talent and innovation with investment and the real needs of industry, so that this technological revolution translates into economic growth and new opportunities.”
From autonomous agents to industrial artificial intelligence
One of the key figures at VDS AI will be David Villalón, Co-Founder and CEO of Valencia-based Maisa AI, a company specializing in the development of AI agents for businesses that closed a $25 million funding round in 2025. Its technology is designed to execute complex business processes through systems that allow results to be monitored and verified, a particularly relevant capability for organizations requiring high levels of accuracy, traceability and reliability.
David Villalón will take part in a conversation alongside Mickael Roger, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of PropHero, a company that applies artificial intelligence and data analytics to real estate investment. Moderated by Adam Hruska, Co-Founder of AI Summit Barcelona, the session will explore the evolution of generative AI towards systems capable of handling more complex tasks, as well as the challenges of integrating them into business operations where accuracy is essential.
Maisa AI will also be represented by Manuel Romero, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), who leads the company’s scientific strategy. His experience developing advanced AI models and architectures brings a technical perspective to one of the technology’s major challenges: overcoming the limitations of conventional generative models to develop systems capable of executing processes with stronger guarantees of control and traceability.
The application of artificial intelligence in industry will be another major focus of the program. Linda Hong Cheng, Founder and CEO of Abstract Atomic, will share her experience developing AI systems adapted to the physical world, with applications in highly complex industrial sectors. Her session will examine the potential of adaptive algorithms to improve manufacturing processes, energy and infrastructure, as well as the technical requirements these solutions must meet to operate in environments where accuracy and responsiveness are critical.
Voice AI, new products and the transformation of work
The evolution of artificial intelligence is also creating new ways to develop products and interact with technology. Marcos Valera, from the Go-to-Market team at ElevenLabs, will represent one of the leading international companies in voice AI. Its technology enables the generation of synthetic voices, the creation of multilingual content and the development of conversational agents, with applications in areas such as customer service, education and audiovisual production. The expansion of these tools is opening up new possibilities for automating interactions and developing services based on voice interfaces.
Another participating company will be Gamma, represented by Javier Cortés, Chief of Staff, whose platform uses artificial intelligence to simplify the creation of presentations, documents and visual content. Its approach demonstrates how generative AI is becoming part of everyday tasks for professionals and businesses, streamlining creation and communication processes that traditionally required different tools and specialized design skills. Cortés will bring the perspective of a company that has built its product around these emerging technological capabilities.
The transformation of technology companies themselves will also feature prominently through Giedrius Zakaitis, CEO of Hostinger, an international company specializing in digital services and web hosting. Zakaitis will share Hostinger’s experience in its evolution towards an AI-focused strategy and discuss how shorter development cycles, continuous experimentation and the ability to adapt to market needs are changing the way technology products are created and launched.
The integration of artificial intelligence into organizations is also changing workplace dynamics and collaboration between teams. Jaïr Halevi, Head of Startups at Miro and Head of Culture at Pygma, will examine how to make the most of increasingly autonomous tools without losing coordination between professionals, knowledge sharing or alignment with business objectives. The ability to perform tasks individually using artificial intelligence raises new questions about how teams should be organized and the role collaboration will play in the future of work.
These perspectives will be complemented by Álex Vidal, Founder of Mindmaker, whose participation will broaden the representation of professionals and companies involved in the development and application of new artificial intelligence technologies.
From technological development to building global companies
Beyond specific applications, VDS AI will also address the business challenges associated with developing new technologies. Creating advanced solutions is only one part of the journey: to grow, companies need to find customers, secure funding, enter new markets and build organizations capable of competing internationally.
This perspective will be represented by Miguel Santos, Founder and former CEO of Technisys, a banking technology company acquired by US-based SoFi in 2022 in a transaction initially announced at approximately $1.1 billion. His career, focused on developing technological infrastructure for financial institutions and expanding digital solutions internationally, provides an example of how a technology company can grow into a leader in its sector. His participation will bring firsthand experience of building a global business and applying innovation to an industry with demanding operational and regulatory requirements.
The different perspectives brought together at VDS AI will help address a question shared by startups, major corporations and investors: how to move from experimenting with artificial intelligence to using it routinely in business operations. The development of increasingly advanced models is expanding their potential applications, but successful adoption requires understanding the needs of each activity, adapting existing processes and establishing mechanisms to evaluate performance and results.
VDS AI aims to foster these connections by bringing those developing new artificial intelligence solutions closer to the companies, investors and technology partners capable of taking them to market. The initiative reinforces VDS’s role as a platform connecting startups, industry and international capital, with the goal of translating technological advances into new business projects and growth opportunities.
The dedicated VDS AI program is scheduled for October 21 on the Future Stage. Artificial intelligence will also feature prominently throughout VDS 2026, with sessions across different stages dedicated to autonomous agents, computing infrastructure, business transformation and the applications of this technology in strategic sectors.
Support from major 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, part of Valencia City Council, joins as Host Partner. The Generalitat Valenciana participates as VDS Defense Partner, Plug and Play as VDS Competition Partner, and the Universitat de València and Universitat Politècnica de València as NextTalent Partners.
Among the Supporting Sponsors are 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 organizations contributing to the international reach of this ninth edition.
This support is complemented by 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 the institutional level, VDS 2026 continues to receive support from its Institutional Partners, including Valencia City Council, Valencia Innovation Capital, the Generalitat Valenciana, the Universitat de València, the Universitat Politècnica de València, the Parc Científic de la Universitat de València, the Instituto Valenciano de Finanzas (IVF), the City of Arts and Sciences, CDTI, ENISA, Red.es, ICEX, Madrid Innovation and the Parque Científico de la Universidad Miguel Hernández, alongside Spanish Government institutions.
The collaboration of these organizations reinforces VDS’s role as a platform connecting the public and private sectors, fostering new business, investment and international collaboration opportunities while contributing to Valencia’s positioning as a global technology innovation hub.
