The seventh edition of VDS continues its growth trend and again breaks international attendance records this year. VDS2024 has increased its international participation by 65%, reaching 35% of international attendees. Out of the 12,000 professionals attending, more than 4,000 are from abroad.
For another consecutive year, this international tech event has increased the number of foreign visitors, growing from 80 nationalities in 2022 to 91 in 2023, and now to 110 countries this year. Moreover, 52% of the speakers on the main stages are from abroad.
VDS solidifies itself as a global platform for innovation and technology. The annual event, organized by Startup Valencia, takes place today and tomorrow at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, bringing together over 700 investors, 1,500 corporations, and more than 2,500 startups.
Regarding the conference program, over 600 people are participating across the event’s 7 stages. Leaders from prestigious multinational companies, experts, and tech gurus are analyzing how the current tech revolution is positively impacting society, under the theme “Embracing Evolution: Invest in the Leaders of Tomorrow,” through the voices of the most prominent leaders in the global innovation ecosystem.
As Juan Luis Hortelano, President of Startup Valencia, highlighted, VDS has once again demonstrated its ability to attract top tech leaders and international investment funds to the Valencian Community. “This international event is unique in establishing professional relationships and high-level connections. Every year, VDS achieves greater economic and social impact, thanks to the concentration of international talent, investment capacity, and the world’s best startups in Valencia, turning the city into the epicenter of the global tech ecosystem,” he noted.
Prominent Focus on Artificial Intelligence
This edition of VDS has taken on the challenge of examining the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence in the innovative and tech ecosystem. It has gathered key leaders driving this transformation to address the market needs arising from this technology, which is revolutionizing every aspect of development, integration, application, and investment. One of the main speakers on this topic was Randi Zuckerberg. The Founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media and HUG spoke about the pros and cons of the widespread use of AI and provided a comprehensive guide on leveraging AI tools to propel both individuals and companies into the future.
Discussions on AI were present across all stages. For instance, in the Workshop Room, practical sessions were held, such as a talk by José Carmona, Google’s Security and Compliance Specialist, on attacks on AI models and practical strategies for building robust cloud defenses.
Internationalization of the Ecosystem
Another major theme of today’s sessions was the international expansion of startups. With a focus on the American market, investors and entrepreneurs shared key insights for successfully scaling startups. For example, in the roundtable “Soft Landing: How to Scale into the Americas,” participants explored Miami’s strategic role as a tech gateway to the United States. In this context, Thomas Holl, founder of Babbel, shared his company’s journey from its origins in Europe to becoming a leader in the US language learning market.
The perspective on investment was also addressed in the panel “Boosting Investment in Latin America and Europe,” where the discussion focused on trends and investment opportunities in Latin America and Europe.
Official Opening Ceremony
The Mayor of Valencia, Mª José Catalá; the Regional Minister of Finance, Economy, and Public Administration, Ruth Merino; and Juan Ramón Adsuara, Deputy for European Funds, E-Government, and Innovation of the Provincial Council of Valencia, participated in the official opening ceremony of VDS at midday.
After the official photo and a tour of the exhibitors’ area, Mª José Catalá, Ruth Merino, and Juan Ramón Adsuara, along with Juan Luis Hortelano and Nacho Mas, President and CEO of Startup Valencia respectively; Hortensia Roig, President of EDEM; and Miguel Ángel Franco, Regional Director of Banco Santander, took part in the Valencia Forum discussion. During the forum, the success story of the Valencian Community and the city of Valencia as a welcoming and dynamic tech hub was presented. Moreover, during this session, the Mayor of Valencia awarded Hortensia Roig with the honorary ‘VDS City of Valencia’ award, recognizing her work in promoting leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and a culture of hard work through the Marina de Empresas, the main entrepreneurial center in the Mediterranean.
Thematic Forums
The event also hosted thematic forums like the Port Entrepreneurship International Congress, the largest international forum on port innovation organized by Opentop, the innovation hub of the Port of Valencia driven by Fundación Valenciaport.
Additionally, video game enthusiasts had a dedicated space created by Valencia City Game, where visitors explored the convergence between video games, e-sports, and various fields such as education, tourism, health, leisure, and art. Meanwhile, in the Tech Center, an area supported by the Generalitat Valenciana along with the University of Valencia, Polytechnic University of Valencia, University of Alicante, Miguel Hernández University, and Jaime I University, attendees interacted with robots and other advanced technologies.
Sustainability, one of today’s most prominent topics, had its own stage for discussion and reflection: the Green Stage. One of the conferences in this area was about the role of governments in transforming cities for the future, featuring personalities like Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation, and Investment Attraction of the Valencia City Council.
VDS Startup Competition
The 20 finalists of the VDS Startup Competition will have the opportunity to present their projects to the 12,000 attendees this afternoon on the main stage. These firms, ten in the Early Stage category and another ten in the Growth Stage category, were selected from over 800 applications submitted this year from 65 different countries.
A jury composed of top investors and corporate leaders selected by TNW, a company of The Financial Times and strategic sponsor of VDS, including Myrthe van der Erve, Advisor at Antler; Andy Lurling, Co-founder of LUMO Labs; Diederik Stolk, Co-founder of Arches Capital; Maxime Paradis, Founder and Union Leader at Paradise Club; and Marcus Hølland Eikeland, Program Director at Katapult, will be responsible for selecting the best startups. The winners will be announced tomorrow.
October 24 Agenda
Highlighted talks tomorrow include Steve Chen, Co-founder of YouTube, who will share his knowledge and experiences as the creator of one of the most visited websites in the world.
The world of sports will also be represented by Juan Antonio Samaranch, Vice President of the International Olympic Committee, who will address how technology is transforming the world of sports and the significant opportunities on the horizon for this industry. Prince Constantijn van Oranje of the Netherlands, Special Envoy for Techleap, will also be among the Top Voices, presenting a conference on attracting the best talent for innovation through inclusion.
Ana Maiques, CEO and Co-founder of Neuroelectrics and a global leader for her inspiring character and professional career, will be another featured speaker. Maiques is recognized as one of Europe’s 50 most inspiring women and leads a project focused on therapies for neurological diseases such as depression, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s.
