VDS Announces the Opening of Applications for Its International Startup Competition
14 Mayo 2024 - 1:39PM
VDS, one of Southern Europe's most prominent international tech
events, has launched the call for its upcoming international
startup competition in Valencia, Spain. This contest aims to
identify the world’s most disruptive startups that are developing
innovative solutions to make a positive impact that transforms
society. It also aims to connect startups with the more than 700
investors expected at VDS2024, who collectively manage assets worth
more than €30 billion, according to EY.
The seventh edition of this annual event will feature
collaboration with TNW – a Financial Times company – organiser of
one of Europe’s leading technology festivals, in the development of
the VDS Startup Competition. This collaboration will provide
additional opportunities for innovative companies across Europe to
share their ideas. Furthermore, Plug and Play, the innovation
platform that connects corporations with the world’s best
technologies through acceleration programs focused on Silicon
Valley, will enhance the global attraction of startups.
VDS Startup Competition is divided into two separate tracks:
- Early Stage Track: the company must be between bootstrapped to
seed stage funding, i.e. self-funded or at its first formal round
of external funding up until Series A. Startups here must have been
founded between 2018 and 2024, employ fewer than 100 people, and
build or market software or hardware products.
- Growth Stage Track: the company must have raised external
funding and can be within Series A > B/C, i.e. at or beyond its
first significant round of venture capital financing. Startups here
must have been founded between 2010 and 2024, and build or market
software or hardware products.
In each track, startups can choose up to two categories that
include the technologies they use to compete in. Participants can
choose from the following categories: Digital Transformation &
Enterprise Solutions, Consumer Technologies & Services, Social
Impact & Sustainability, Media & Entertainment, and
Emerging Technologies.
Regarding the selection process, a selected jury will choose 50
startups as semi-finalists in the competition, recognizing them as
the Top 50. The decks submitted by the Top 50 startups will then be
reviewed, and the Top 10 will be chosen to pitch their projects on
the Main Stage at VDS on October 23rd in front of over 12,000
attendees from more than 100 countries. After these presentations,
the two winning startups of the VDS Startup Competition 2024 will
be selected and announced.
The international competition is open until June 29, to startups
from around the world, with the only requirement being to have at
least one Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and to develop an innovative
solution that embraces the technological evolution the world is
currently undergoing.
Startup Valencia, the organising entity of VDS, expects to
exceed the number of applications received in 2023, when more than
600 proposals from 48 different countries were submitted. During
this past edition, 50 startups were selected in the first phase,
70% of which were based outside Spain and mostly worked with
artificial intelligence.
In the 2023 edition, the finalists of the second phase were
Autoscriber (Netherlands), Beynex (Turkey), Bridgewise (Israel),
Cafler (Spain), Ender Turing (Estonia), Legitify (Ireland), Quantic
Brains (Spain), Spendbase (Ukraine), Welii (France), and Zim
Connections (England), with Ender Turing winning in the Seed
category and Cafler in the Growth category.
Startup founders are encouraged to apply for the VDS2024
international startup competition by clicking here.
About VDS2024:
VDS is one of Southern Europe's most prominent international
tech events and a platform transforming Valencia into a global tech
hub. Organised by Startup Valencia, VDS annually gathers the
world's top startups along with the most influential corporates and
investors at the unparalleled venue of the City of Arts and
Sciences in Valencia.
Under the theme 'Embracing Evolution: Invest in the Leaders of
Tomorrow', it will celebrate its seventh edition on October 23-24,
examining how the current technological revolution is positively
impacting society. VDS gives a voice to the brightest leaders
within the global innovation & tech ecosystem and offers the
unique opportunity to connect with companies and individuals they
might not typically encounter, all in one place. VDS2024 is
expected to bring together over 2,500 startups, attract over 12,000
professionals from 100+ countries, and facilitate connections
between global corporations and over 700 investors.
Media Contact
Name: Majo Angulo
Email: mjangulo@nebocomunicacion.com