VDS2023 announces the Top 50 of its competition

Valencia Digital Summit 2023, the international tech event taking place on the 26th and 27th of October at the City of Arts and Sciences, has announced the Top 50 of its international startup competition. This initiative, in collaboration with Plug and Play, aims to discover the most disruptive startups worldwide with exceptional potential for building a better future.

Out of the selected startups, 71% originate from outside our borders, with only 14 Spanish startups making the cut. The countries with the highest representation among the finalists are the United States at 12%, followed by the United Kingdom and France, each with 8%. Additionally, 6% of the finalists come from Latin America.

In terms of technologies, the majority of the startups operate in Artificial Intelligence (26.1%), followed by Big Data (13.9%), Blockchain (8.7%), and Cloud Computing (8.4%).

When it comes to sectors, most of the finalists are involved in software development (20.66%), followed by Fintech/Insurtech (9.09%), Health/Wellness and Medtech (8.26%), Enterprise/Business (6.61%), Cleantech/Energy and Sustainability (6.61%), Mobile Phone/Apps (4.96%) and Industry 4.0 (4.96%).

Nearly half of these startups are in the seed stage (46%), and over one-third of the finalists are led by women.

The Top 50

Adaptiv Me. A French technology startup with its roots in India, Adaptiv is a career intelligence and microlearning platform driven by generative AI. It empowers young individuals to achieve their career goals and bridge the skills gap.

Autoscriber. Originating from the Netherlands, this startup focuses on the Health and Wellbeing sector, utilising Artificial Intelligence to assist medical professionals in automating the process of medical note-taking.
Beauty Hunter. Based in Portugal, Beauty Hunter is a personal search engine for beauty products. By leveraging AI, it analyses the ingredients of each product and recommends the most suitable treatments for individual skin types.
Beynex. A mobile brain health solution designed and created by neurologists, that enables individuals to enhance their brain health through personalised games and exercises.
Bounsel. An all-in-one document management software that streamlines the entire lifecycle of contracts, reducing the stress factor. A Valencian company, it emerged as the winner of Startup Valencia Pitch Day 2021.
Bridgewise. Israel-based startup helping users enhance their equity analysis. Through real-time generative technology and AI, this startup enables investors to make well-informed decisions with increased confidence.
Bumerania Robotics. This startup combines social robotics and Artificial Intelligence to enhance people’s quality of life. Their intelligent robots, capable of interacting with the environment, earned them the accolade of Best Startup by the network of Valencian Science Parks.
Cafler. With operations in Barcelona, Paris and London, this startup launched a marketplace for on-demand car maintenance services. Their platform connects users with professional drivers who can assist with various car-related activities, such as taking the car to the garage or arranging for servicing.
CoCircular. Comprehensive solutions for the circular management of construction waste. With a mission to prevent waste from ending up in landfills, they offer value to developers, construction companies, architectural firms, engineering firms, and institutions.
Digiphy. US tech startup that merges QR codes and mobile landing pages to create innovative marketing channels. Their platform enables effective communication, data collection, and sales growth with customers.
EBHealth3. A Spanish startup specialising in marketing non-invasive devices aimed at improving the health and quality of life of its users through tracking and control.
eBombo. Hailing from Mexico, this is a platform that facilitates online experiences and virtual events to foster a positive work environment and company culture.
Ender Turing. Call centre performance management software, originating from Estonia, designed to enhance quality control, agent coaching, and customer satisfaction.
Entropica Labs. A Singapore-based company building the enabling software layer to enable fault-tolerant error correction on quantum computers.
eTEU. UK platform that allows you to manage your documentation workflow from a single interface.
Fisify. An app that envisions the future of physiotherapy. Powered by Artificial Intelligence, their personalised platform offers advanced treatments for musculoskeletal pain, now available for individuals and businesses alike.
Gelectric. Dutch startup specialising in providing sustainable electrical modernisation solutions for older vessels, focusing on sustainability.
Glucovibes. Personalised digital solution that measures your body’s glucose levels to optimise physical and intellectual performance and helps monitor the impact of nutrition on your metabolic system.
GreyscaleAI. Integrated, cloud-based, AI-powered Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions that revolutionise food safety and quality, and aim to transform the entire supply chain.
Imageryst. An Spanish tech company leveraging machine learning and Artificial Intelligence to process drone and satellite imagery, as well as to deliver geospatial information directly to its app.
Legitify. An Irish startup facilitating the remote notarisation of documents, simplifying transactions through an online notary service.
LIUX. Spain’s visionary sustainable mobility brand poised to revolutionise the industry. Their cars address the needs of both people and our planet, utilising cutting-edge materials never before employed in car manufacturing.
Lokalité. A startup dedicated to analysing the entire life cycle of food in order to improve its sustainability rating. Their standardised methodology enables precise measurement of the quantifiable environmental impact of products or services.
Magic. An API that redirects warehouse returns to new buyers, reducing the need for repackaging and minimising emissions.
Microgenesis. A startup which has developed an effective and non-invasive pregnancy test with the aid of Big Data. By analysing the patient’s microbiome profile and reproductive potential, they offer natural interventions to boost fertility.
MUU App Nutrition. An app that enables the precise balancing of animal diets, based in Argentina.
ni2o. An Oxford University spin-off founded by an international team of entrepreneurs, technologists and experienced neuroscientists that has developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) capable of addressing the most pressing and costly medical challenges.
Ohealth (Online Health Company). An app that provides quick access to healthcare services. Users can book appointments for tests, have online consultations with doctors, and even make purchases from pharmacies.
Oinride Oy. Finnish startup specialising in mobile robotics for harsh environments. Their innovative solution focuses on remote-controlled robots, ensuring operator safety, improving productivity, and reducing costs in hazardous settings.
Persiskin. A Spanish startup manufacturing vegan leather and innovative natural fabrics derived from persimmon.
Pigro.ai. An advanced search engine with omni-channel support seamlessly integrated with other platforms. It delivers highly accurate search results through the use of AI and self-learning algorithms.
Quantic Brains. A Spanish startup that has developed a 3D character generator for films and video games based on Artificial Intelligence.
Roiward.io. A platform that allows you to create, launch and manage incentive campaigns and gift cards with complete control.
Sarus. A French startup providing a robust privacy layer for analytics and AI. With Sarus, data professionals can query sensitive data without direct access, ensuring all results are protected
Smart Kiwi. An innovative startup that accurately predicts demand for shared mobility fleets through advanced machine learning and algorithms. It allows for optimal operational decisions that reduce costs while increasing ridership.
SmartStamp. A Swiss identification and authentication company specialising in the art world, which uses AI to analyse and record the characteristics of artwork through a single photo.
Spendbase. A Ukrainian software solution designed to minimise company budgets. By eliminating inactive subscriptions and securing exclusive discounts, Spendbase ensures cost optimization without bank commissions.
Togal.AI. Startup specialising in pre-construction technology that automates the detection, measurement, comparison, and labelling of spaces and features within architectural drawings and renderings.
Uelz. An online payment and collection platform based in Valencia, catering specifically to tech firms. The company won the Best Startup Award at South Summit 2023.
Uitrial. A specialised tool focused on the gaming world that offers detailed insights into users and their behaviour within each game, enabling a deeper understanding of the audience profile.
Unea. A German software solution designed to optimise retail and media strategies by providing valuable insights and tools to boost user performance.
Unibaio. A US startup specialising in the development of nano-vehicles based on natural compounds. Their sustainable approach, aligned with the principles of the circular economy, improves the performance of agro-inputs.
Vidext. A Spanish tech startup that enables the creation of high-quality professional videos through Artificial Intelligence, while reducing production costs and time.
Vita Wallet. A web and mobile wallet platform that allows its users to make international payments to individuals and businesses in over 35 different countries.
VoiceMe. A Milan-based startup that has developed a platform allowing its customers to transform their voice into their identity, payment system, or signature through their proprietary self-adaptive process based on predictive AI models.
WeavAir. A business intelligence software company headquartered in Singapore that assists organisations in achieving their sustainability goals. Their platform measures, reports, and verifies greenhouse gas emissions, enabling a more effective energy transition.
Welii. A French software solution allowing finance and IT teams to secure the best prices for all SaaS tools.
xNova. A Market intelligence software solution for exporting companies based on real-time information collected about customers in international markets.
ZIM Connections. Originating from the United Kingdom, this startup operates as a marketplace for buying and selling eSIM data plans across more than 120 countries.
2050 Materials. A Cypriot startup offering a centralised platform that enables the comparison of building materials at any stage of a project, saving designers time and money.

A distinguished jury

The jury responsible for selecting these 50 finalists, out of over 600 applications received, comprised a highly esteemed group of professionals in the national innovation ecosystem. The members of the jury included Sandra Valero, Dealflow Manager at Marina de Empresas; Luis Llorens, Principal of Plug and Play; Santiago Vivas, Early Stage Investor at Plug and Play; Ángel Buigues, BStartup Advisor at Banco Sabadell; Rafael Martín, Head of VC Investment at Gohub Ventures in Madrid; Virginia Sánchez, from the Board of Directors of Startup Valencia; and Karina Virrueta, Head of Innovation Ecosystem at Startup Valencia.

In the next phase, a new international jury will select the 10 finalists for the VDS2023 Competition. The panel will consist of Gioia Cerbelli, VP at GPBullhound; Patricia Camarero, Investor at Octopus Ventures; Víctor Navarro, Principal of Yellow VC; Jordi Iserte, Investment Director at Advinta; Francisco Pinto, Executive Director at Bynd VC; Javier Megias, Managing Partner at Plug and Play; and Alejandra Menéndez, Chief International Officer at Startup Valencia.

On the 27th of October, just before the closing ceremony of VDS2023, this distinguished panel of high-level investors and leaders from international corporations will be tasked with selecting the two winners of the sixth edition of VDS: Best Seed Startup and Best Growth Startup.

The winning startups will be awarded with various prizes, among which is exclusive exhibition space at the 2024 edition of Valencia Digital Summit. They will also benefit from valuable networking opportunities and business promotion facilitated by this renowned international event. The competition will also increase the visibility of the other startups selected by the jury.