The eighth version of VDS introduced the worldwide tech group collectively within the Metropolis of Arts and Sciences, turning Valencia into the focus of European innovation. Over two days, the occasion gathered greater than 12,000 founders, traders, and enterprise leaders from 120 international locations underneath the theme “Collaborate Immediately. Remodel Tomorrow.” Organised by Startup Valencia, VDS 2025 showcased how collaboration, goal, and expertise can drive optimistic impression throughout industries and borders.

A record-breaking gathering of world innovators

This yr’s summit set a brand new milestone for worldwide participation, with 45% of attendees coming from overseas, a 41% enhance in comparison with 2024. Greater than 3,000 startups, 1,500 firms, and 800 traders managing over €300 billion in belongings joined a program that featured 600 audio system throughout seven themed phases. From DeepTech and AI to sustainability, well being, and house innovation, the periods explored how Europe can lead the following decade of technological progress.

Innovation with a human coronary heart

The 2025 version was impressed by the solidarity proven after Storm DANA, which hit Valencia in 2024. Reflecting on how the native tech group responded with initiatives equivalent to DANA Assist and Undertake a College, Juan Luis Hortelano, President of Startup Valencia, stated the expertise proved that innovation may be each resilient and compassionate.

This human-first perspective was current all through the occasion. Scientist and entrepreneur Pilar Mateo offered “Ladies Paint Too”, an initiative encouraging ladies to remodel challenges into creativity. Range, inclusion, and sustainability have been recurring themes, with greater than one-third of audio system being ladies and plenty of periods devoted to social and environmental progress.

World voices and daring concepts

VDS 2025 hosted a unprecedented combine of world innovators and cultural figures. Actor and investor Kelly Rutherford spoke about aligning goal and enterprise, whereas former England captain Sol Campbell shared insights on management and resilience. Longevity researcher Aubrey de Gray mentioned advances in rejuvenation science, and Minh Le, creator of Counter-Strike, mirrored on the evolution of gaming and digital creativity.

Unicorn founders from Creditas, Glovo, Distant, letgo, Mews, Exoticca, Qonto, and ElevenLabs joined leaders from Reserving.com, Adyen, and Simply Eat Takeaway.com for instance Europe’s capability to construct and scale globally related startups. Gillian Tans (Reserving.com), Sacha Michaud (Glovo), and Enrique Linares (letgo, Plus Companions) supplied sensible insights into what it takes to develop from early stage to international scale. Ana Peleteiro (Preply) explored how synthetic intelligence is remodeling training via a “human first, AI-enabled” method.

AI, DeepTech and smarter scaling

Synthetic intelligence was one of many central themes of the summit. Christian Teichmann (Burda Principal Investments) and Iñaki Berenguer (LifeX Ventures, Coverwallet) examined how AI is reshaping funding, healthcare, and innovation infrastructure. Blockchain, cybersecurity, and defence have been additionally in focus, highlighting Europe’s rising affect throughout rising applied sciences.

Scalability Day, organised by Adigital and EsTech with the assist of ICEX, introduced collectively worldwide founders and traders to share classes on sustainable progress. The occasion highlighted 22 European scaleups attaining annual progress above 20%, underlining the maturity and ambition of Europe’s tech ecosystem.

Valencia’s rising tech momentum

Through the opening ceremony, Mayor Mª José Catalá introduced that the Metropolis Council will proceed supporting VDS for 2 extra years, calling the summit a defining second in Valencia’s rise as a European tech capital. The renewed partnership between Startup Valencia and Estonia’s e-Residency programme additional deepened cross-border cooperation throughout Europe’s digital ecosystems.

The Valencian Startup Observatory 2025 report confirmed this momentum. The area now counts 1,689 lively startups, up 11.3% yr on yr, with €160 million raised in 2025, a 66% enhance over 2024. Greater than 70% of Valencian startups secured funding this yr, solidifying the town’s fame as one among Europe’s fastest-growing entrepreneurial communities.

Celebrating excellence and impression

Innovation and collaboration took centre stage on the VDS Worldwide Startup Competitors, the place Spacebackend from Luxembourg and Zibra AI from Ukraine have been named winners within the Early and Progress Stage classes. Particular recognition went to Marina de Empresas for its post-DANA restoration venture “Alcem-se,” to Espai Aero CV for advancing aerospace innovation, and to Iñaki Berenguer, who obtained the VDS 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award for his international entrepreneurial impression.

Institutional and company backing

VDS 2025 was backed by Banco Santander as the principle sponsor, Valencia Innovation Capital because the host companion, and the e-Residency of Estonia because the partnering nation. A broad alliance of companions, together with Wayra Telefónica, EY, Fundación LAB, CaixaBank DayOne, PowerCo, Volkswagen Group Companies, IBM, OVHcloud, Cellular World Capital, Bit2Me, Adigital, EsTech, Opentop (Valenciaport), and MAPFRE, performed a significant position within the occasion’s success. Key expertise companions equivalent to Microsoft, Amazon, Google for Startups, and HubSpot for Startups additional amplified the summit’s worldwide attain. Institutional supporters, together with Spain’s Ministry of Trade and Tourism, the Generalitat Valenciana, ICEX, CDTI, ENISA, Renfe, and several other main universities, bolstered VDS’s standing as a European benchmark for innovation and expertise.

Europe’s collaborative spirit on show

Closing the summit, Spain’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, highlighted how shared effort drives progress: “VDS reveals what occurs when Europe’s innovators work collectively: we speed up concepts that make the world higher.” From renewed partnerships and report participation to tangible progress in sustainability and inclusion, VDS 2025 as soon as once more demonstrated that Europe’s way forward for innovation is collaborative – and Valencia is main the way in which.