Success stories from the VDS Startup Competition

VDS is widely recognized as a springboard to success, a fact known by many startups. It’s no coincidence that over 600 tech companies from 48 countries applied in its latest edition for the international startup competition. Nor is its ability to draw a crowd negligible. Over 2,200 startups attended VDS2023, which also saw participation from more than 12,000 professionals from 91 countries and over 600 national and international investors managing assets worth more than 30 billion euros.

This international tech event, organized by Startup Valencia, has become a platform transforming Valencia into a global tech hub. The seventh edition will be held on October 23 and 24 at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. New startups will etch their success stories in history, as we learn about some of the 50 finalists from the last VDS Startup Competition.

 

– Cafler, a Spanish startup in the mobility sector, emerged as the winner of the VDS Startup Competition in the Growth category. Cafler operates a dynamic marketplace where professional drivers handle all car-related tasks on behalf of the owner. Founded in Barcelona in 2021, it has since shown impressive growth, providing over 150,000 services in three different countries with an international team of over 100 employees. Additionally, in 2023, it received investment from Wayra, Telefónica’s tech hub, during a seed round that also included Banco Sabadell, Encomenda, Dídac Lee, René de Jong, and Jacky Abitbol.

– Autoscriber, founded in the Netherlands in 2021 by Jacqueline Kazmaier and Koen Bonenkamp, operates in the Health and Wellbeing sector, developing natural language processing and voice recognition technologies powered by AI to extract structured data from conversations between medical professionals and patients.
This startup was also a finalist in the EU-Startups Pitch Competition in 2022 and last year raised 1.2 million euros in an initial funding round from LUMO Labs and the BOM to scale the business and expand the team.

– Legitify assists companies and individuals with their daily notarization needs through an online notary working remotely, streamlining processes and reducing costs. This startup was founded in October 2020 in Sweden and is currently based in Dublin, Ireland.
The tech firm recently closed an initial funding round of 1.5 million euros, led by Verb Ventures, with contributions from Enterprise Ireland, Actium Partners, and Redbay Ventures, among others.

– Quantic Brains, a Spanish startup, creates 3D characters for films and video games using AI, transforming the way audiovisual content is created worldwide.
The company has recently joined Google’s AI Accelerator Program, a catalyst for fostering innovation, providing a launchpad for new companies to bring their AI-driven solutions to market.

– Zim Connections operates an eSIM marketplace. This startup, founded in England in 2020, provides global connectivity to travelers and tourists, simplifying the process and saving both costs and time. It is part of the Demium portfolio.

– CoCircular offers comprehensive solutions for the circular management of construction waste, thus preventing it from ending up in landfills and adding value to developers, construction companies, architectural studios, engineering firms, and institutions.
This startup has just signed a collaboration with Metrovacesa to work on more than twenty projects spread across the developer’s five divisions. The purpose of this alliance is to optimize the separation and valorization of waste generated during construction.

– EBHealth3, a Spanish startup, has developed a device that captures information about user excretions, thereby enabling early detection of diseases or alterations affecting the digestive and urinary systems.
The company was named the best seed-stage startup in the latest edition of the VLC Startup Awards, organized by the València City Council through València Activa, VTC Tech City, and VIT Emprende, in collaboration with Startup Valencia.

– eBombo, a platform that fosters a positive corporate culture and environment through online experiences and virtual events.
This Mexican startup was also a finalist in the startup competition at South Summit Brazil 2024 in the Enterprise category.

– Entropica Labs, based in Singapore, develops software tools for designing, building, and deploying large-scale quantum algorithms on quantum computers.
It concluded 2023 by closing an investment round in a Series A funding round led by Deep Tech Liftt and Wavemaker Partners.

– Glucovibes offers a personalized digital solution that measures body glucose levels to optimize physical and intellectual performance and helps manage the impact of nutrition on the metabolic system.
This startup has partnered with the Movistar Team, which will use the tool to maximize the team’s performance based on the data collected by the device.

– Imageryst, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to automatically extract precise, globally geolocated data from satellite images.
The Asturian startup closed its first funding round in March, raising over 700,000 euros with both national and international investment.

– LIUX, a startup that has developed linen fiber and recyclable resins for manufacturing car bodies and chassis, achieving more sustainable mobility by reducing weight, cost, and emissions.
Its co-founder and CEO, Antonio Espinosa de los Monteros, received the Princesa de Girona CreaEmpresa 2024 award earlier this year.

–Togal.AI, an AI-powered platform that streamlines the project planning process in construction. The U.S.-based startup experienced a 940% growth in 2023, expanding from 250 users to over 2600 users.

– Uelz, a Valencian startup that helps save technical costs of implementing and maintaining payment platforms by automating all customer subscriptions and one-time payments in seconds.
In 2023, it was crowned as the ‘Best Startup’ in the Startup Competition at South Summit 2023 and raised 800,000 euros in an investment round involving Wayra, Core Angels, and Uhaldia Investments, among other investors.

– Vidext, the only solution that automates the generation of videos, voices, and texts with artificial intelligence, reducing production costs and time.
The Spanish tech firm moved its headquarters to Valencia in 2024 after closing a funding round of 2 million euros led by 4Founders Capital, which also included Draper B1 and Sabadell Venture Capital.

– WeavAir utilizes satellite data, advanced IoT sensors, and predictive software to optimize ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investment and the operation of assets like buildings and fleets while enhancing safety and reducing emissions and carbon footprint.
This Canadian startup was proclaimed the winner of the UN Tourism Hospitality Challenge in February, a competition for startups focused on technologies and solutions in tourism for hotels and new business models created by UN Tourism and powered by Infecar, in the Sustainability Impact category.

 

The seventh edition of this annual event will feature collaboration from TNW – part of the Financial Times group – one of the leading tech festival organizers in Europe, in developing the VDS Startup Competition, providing additional opportunities for innovative companies across Europe to share their ideas. Furthermore, Plug and Play, the innovation platform that connects corporates with top tech companies through acceleration programs focused on Silicon Valley, will enhance the global attraction of startups.

Don’t miss the chance to participate in the VDS Startup Competition by clicking here.