For 16 memorable years, the TNW conference has been the center of Amsterdam’s tech ecosystem, but on March 30th and 31st, TNW València brought – for the very first time – the heart of technology to the east coast of Spain.
But we didn’t just choose Valencia for its bright blue sea, delicious paellas or sunny weather. The vibrant city is Spain’s fastest growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and has the most startups per capita anywhere in the country – turning into the startup powerhouse of the Mediterranean.
“Valencia’s tech ecosystem is a breath of fresh air,” says Myrthe van der Erve, CEO of TNW.
At the Valencia Marina, the conference brought together over 300 startups, 90 exhibitors, 100 speakers and 75 investors to discover what’s next in technology and engage with industry pioneers, C-level executives, department heads and product developers.
Aerial view of the conference venue.
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During the two days, over 2,000 participants enjoyed inspiring talks, networking events, deals, pitches and the same festival atmosphere as our flagship in Amsterdam. The event also delivered real business results in 105 meetings and 50 mentoring sessions.
Here are some of our favorite moments:
1. The official opening ceremony and party
The fun started on March 29, the day before the start of the conference agenda. At our opening party at Zeus València, we enjoyed drinks, bites and networking by the sea – and danced the night away with like-minded techies.
The recipe for success for an opening party: sea, sun, drinks, technology enthusiasts and industry leaders.
Our guest list also included a number of the city’s most influential politicians. These included Diana Morant, Spain’s Science and Innovation Minister; Sandra Gomez, Deputy Mayor of Valencia; Arcadi España Garcia, Minister of Finance of the Generalitat of Valencia; and Borja Sanjuan, Senior Deputy of Economic Development at the City of Valencia.
Opening ceremony of the conference during the opening ceremony.
2. Unmissable speakers
We have put together a sensational line-up of keynote speeches, fireside chats, panel discussions and workshops.
Among them were inspirational founders like Heini Zachariassen from Vivino and David Pistoni from Zeleros Hyperloop; influential investors such as Speedinvest’s Jullian Blessin and BMW i Ventures’ Marcus Behrendt; and key figures in the Valencian tech ecosystem, including Guillermo Sánchez, project manager at Invest Valenciaand Lucia Calabria, Assistant Director for Entrepreneurship at Valencia Activa.
Andrii Degeler, Head of Media at TNW, spoke with Janneke Niessen, Founding Partner at CapitalIT, and Katica Roy, Gender Economist and CEO & Founder of Pipeline Equity, about the importance of innovation for inclusion, equality and equity.
Among the many highlights, Jen Carter, Global Head of Technology at Google.org, spoke about how technology is being used to help nonprofit organizations; Katica Roy, award-winning gender economist and founder of Pipeline Equity, explained how companies can increase profits by closing the gender equality gap; and Alex Roca, who recently became the first person with a 76% physical disability to run a marathon, spoke about the importance of resilience and confidence.
Alex Roca, speaks at TNW Valencia.
3. The FT performance hours
The Financial Times, our beloved parent company, brought some of their brightest minds to Valencia. At a series of sessions called FT Power Hours, they spoke to industry leaders about the latest business trends in technology, including Teresa Parejo Navajas, Head of Sustainability and Social Corporate Sustainability at IBERIA, and Juan Manuel Diez, Strategy & Innovation Director at Port Authority of València.
The panellists discussed topics such as sustainable tourism.
4. The Startup Pitch Battle
In a fiery TNW València pitch battle, eight of Europe’s hottest startups survived a series of knockout duels to advance to the contest finals on March 31st.
Internxt was among the eight startup finalists.
After 10 minutes of exciting voting, our audience and All-Star Jury selected a winner: Crowmie. The Valencia-based startup has developed the first investment platform for tokenized renewable energy projects.
Fernando Dávila Ponce de León Gámez, Co-Founder and CEO of Crowmie (left), with our event host, Oison Lunny.
Crowmie won a number of great prizes including a 4 square meter exhibitor stand at TNW València 2024 and two business passes to the TNW conference in Amsterdam on June 15-16. But the best of all prizes? A full profile feature on the TNW website from our beloved media team.
5. The Closing Party
It goes without saying that a real tech festival needs an unforgettable closing party. Attendees and TNWs alike ended the conference with a great experience on a dreamy VIP boat right next to the venue.
Yes, this is the party boat.
6. The Ferris Wheel
It wouldn’t be a TNW festival without our emblematic Ferris wheel. There’s no better way to enjoy fun rides and a stunning city – or simply lock up your conversation partner for a private meeting.
Looking back, TNW València 2023 – backed by The Financial Times and in partnership with Ajuntament de València – was even better than we could have imagined!
The TNW team in Valencia.
After such a successful first edition, we will once again bring the heart of technology to the bustling Mediterranean city in 2024! Good news folks, you can already pre-register here.
And for those of you who can’t (rightly) wait that long, join us on June 15th and 16th in Amsterdam for the TNW Conference, Europe’s leading tech festival.
Don’t miss TNW Valencia 2024! Our conference is in high demand and is already sold out this year. If you pre-register now, you will be the first to know about our early bird tickets and secure your place at next year’s event.
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