VDS 2026 has closed its Call for Speakers with more than 1,450 applications from 82 countries, the highest number received to date. The call surpasses the 1,100 proposals submitted for the previous edition from 78 countries, representing growth of nearly 32%.
The figures confirm the international interest in joining the program of the ninth edition of VDS, which will take place on October 21 and 22 in Valencia under the concept Origin of What’s Next.
Founders, executives, investors, technology experts and representatives of organizations from around the world have submitted proposals to share their experiences and explore the changes transforming the tech economy. The wide range of countries, professional profiles and areas of expertise provides the content team with an especially broad pool from which to select the conversations that will shape the next edition.
An increasingly international call
Spain accounts for 56.3% of applications, while the remaining 43.7% come from other markets. The countries with the strongest representation include Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal.
The participation of professionals from 82 countries reinforces the international reach of VDS and its role as a point of connection between the tech ecosystems of Europe, Latin America and the United States.
The call also stands out for the strong presence of decision-makers. CEOs represent 55.7% of all applications, followed by CTOs at 7.3%, CMOs at 6.1%, COOs at 4.9% and Managing Partners at 4.5%.
This mix points to a program shaped by the experience of those building, funding, managing and scaling technology companies.
Startups are the most represented group
Startups account for 43.1% of applications, ahead of professionals from large corporations, who represent 16.1%. They are followed by startup ecosystem organizations at 9.2%; investors, funds and business angels at 8.6%; accelerators and incubators at 3.7%; and universities and research centers at 2.3%.
The diversity of profiles reflects the composition of VDS itself, where startups, scaleups, corporations, investors, institutions and knowledge centers come together to generate business, investment and collaboration opportunities.
Women account for more than 33% of the applications received. This figure will form part of the overall assessment during the selection process, alongside geographic origin, professional experience, the quality of the proposals and the diversity of the fields represented.
Innovation, investment and Deep Tech among the leading topics
Innovation leads the areas with the highest number of applications, accounting for 16.1% of the total. It is followed by venture capital and investment at 8.9%, marketing and advertising at 7.2%, Deep Tech at 5.5%, and fintech and human resources at 4.9% each.
The figures highlight the interest in approaching technology from a business perspective and connecting it with issues such as access to capital, the creation of new business models, scalability, talent attraction and the application of advanced technologies.
Following the close of the call, the VDS content team will now begin assessing the more than 1,450 proposals received. The process will consider the candidates’ track records, the relevance of the topics, the strength of the proposed content and its alignment with the main areas of the upcoming edition.
Further speakers joining the VDS 2026 program will be announced over the coming weeks. The event will once again bring international leaders in technology, entrepreneurship and investment to Valencia.
The ninth edition of VDS will take place on Oct 21-22, 2026, at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. The event is expected to bring together more than 12,000 professionals from over 120 countries, 3,000 startups and scaleups, more than 1,500 corporations and 800 investors, representing more than €300 billion in assets under management.
