Club GLOBALS at Valencia Digital Summit 2024
The 2024 Valencia Digital Summit (VDS) lived up to its fast-growing reputation, serving as a powerhouse gathering of international tech leaders, founders, investors, and visionary startups. Held from October 23 to 25, 2024 at Valencia’s iconic City of Arts and Sciences, this year’s summit drew over 12,000 attendees, cementing the city’s status as a key player in Europe’s digital landscape. With its mix of competition, collaboration, and insight-packed sessions, VDS 2024 proved itself indispensable for those GLOBALS who live at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Here’s an in-depth look at what made this year’s summit a milestone for the tech world—and the insights tech entrepreneurs can take away to drive real growth.
Throughout the summit, VDS 2024 hosted an impressive lineup of speakers who shared practical insights for today’s entrepreneurs and tech leaders. Among the highlights:
- Steve Chen, Co-Founder of YouTube, discussed the ever-evolving content landscape, emphasizing adaptability and engagement.
- Randi Zuckerberg, Founder of Zuckerberg Media, underscored the balance of technology and human connection.
- Women in Venture Capital and Startups: Sessions on diversity, hosted by We-Invest, Startup Valencia, and Next Tier Ventures, emphasized the competitive advantage of gender-diverse teams, echoing our mission to foster diverse, inclusive networks that drive growth.
This are only examples on how VDS it provided inspiration and hands-on strategies that tech leaders could immediately implement, underscoring the summit’s real-world impact on today’s fast-paced market.
On the morning of October 24, VDS hosted the Netherlands TechConnect Breakfast, a unique cross-border event that brought together key figures from the Spanish and Dutch tech ecosystems. In attendance was Constantijn Van Oranje-Nassau, Prince of the Netherlands and Special Envoy at Techleap.nl, an initiative dedicated to accelerating the growth of Dutch startups and tech scale-ups. Constantijn, known for his commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the Netherlands, has championed Dutch startups’ access to international opportunities, with a focus on technology-driven sustainability and digital advancement.
During the breakfast, Prince Constantijn was joined by Paula Llobet Vilarrasa, City Councillor for Tourism, Innovation, and Investment Attraction at Ajuntament de València, Juan Luis Hortelano and Nacho Mas from Startup Valencia, and Krloos Rivera, Startup Valencia’s strategic advisor. Together, they celebrated the signing of a pivotal collaboration agreement, aimed at bridging the tech ecosystems of Spain and the Netherlands. This agreement seeks to foster resource-sharing, connect startup ecosystems, and support cross-border projects and funding opportunities for entrepreneurs.
The Challenge Hackathon
VDS 2024’s kickoff event, the highly anticipated Challenge Hackathon on October 23, set the stage for dynamic problem-solving and collaboration. This year, 70 participants from diverse backgrounds—selected from over 300 applicants—joined forces across 12 teams to tackle critical challenges proposed by corporate sponsors like Naturgy, MAPFRE, HP, and Elewit.
The winning team, Naturgy’s SPARKSAFE, leveraged AI-powered drones to create a comprehensive system for fire prevention in photovoltaic plants, demonstrating the potential of AI in environmental sustainability. The hackathon didn’t just emphasize technical solutions; it highlighted the power of cross-disciplinary teams and collaborations.
Startup Competition
At the VDS Startup Competition, innovation took center stage as HULO.ai and Smart Point were recognized for their pioneering work in AI and sustainable logistics. These startups were celebrated for their potential to solve real-world problems—a reminder to tech entrepreneurs that today’s successful innovations are rooted in practical, impact-driven applications.
In addition, Ana Maiques, Co-Founder of Neuroelectrics, received an honorary award for her contributions to brain health, showcasing how technology can advance fields like neuroscience and health.
With over 250 exhibitors and vibrant networking sessions, VDS 2024 proved to be an unmatched platform for forming connections, sparking partnerships, and exploring new business opportunities. Events like the closing celebration at the Lake Area offered a lively space for attendees to connect over shared visions and ideas, underscoring the summit’s community-focused atmosphere.
For those in the Club GLOBALS network, VDS highlighted the irreplaceable value of face-to-face networking in a digital age. While technology offers endless avenues for virtual communication, the depth and impact of in-person connections remain pivotal to growth. This principle also guides the GLOBAL Sales Tech Festival (GSTF), which will take place on March 2, 2025, in Barcelona, where we’ll bring together tech professionals and sales innovators to explore transformative themes like AI-driven sales strategies and sustainable growth.
Whats next?
Reflecting on VDS 2024’s achievements, we look forward to furthering the journey at #GSTF25, where tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors will come together once again to share actionable insights, foster meaningful connections, and drive global innovation.
Ready to join the next wave of tech growth? Club GLOBALS connects you with exclusive events, resources, and a forward-thinking network of tech leaders—all designed to help you grow your business and thrive in a dynamic tech landscape. Let’s shape the future of technology together, with collaboration and sustainability at the core. You can join us as a Partner, Member or meet us in our next event.
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