VDS Announces 25 Finalists for 2026 Startup Competition in Valencia
VDS revealed the 25 startups that will battle for the title of Best Startup of VDS 2026, with the final event scheduled for 21-22 October in Valencia, Spain.
Spain
Nazca Capital Strengthens Deep-Tech Investment Focus With Carme Artigas as Operating Partner
Carme Artigas joins Nazca Capital as Operating Partner to lead its new Technology Committee and boost its investment strategy in deep‑tech and dual‑use technologies, enhancing digital transformation and AI capabilities.
Spanish fintech VirtuaBroker builds payment infrastructure for enterprises and digital platforms
VirtuaBroker provides payment infrastructure services for enterprises, exchanges, brokers, fintechs and digital platforms, enabling integration through APIs and automated currency conversion.
Spain emerges as strategic hub for Collimate Space’s AI-powered satellite operations platform
Collimate Space creates AI‑driven software that orchestrates satellite communications, ground stations and future space networks. Its Nexus platform combines AI, physical models and digital twins to manage multi‑orbit operations and optimize real‑time data flow. The article notes that Spain is emerging as a strategic hub for the company’s space‑AI activities.
Spanish AI startup Dimenso raises €600,000 seed round to automate scientific data capture in laboratories
Spanish startup Dimenso, which builds AI infrastructure to automate the capture and structuring of scientific work in labs, raised €600,000 in a seed round led by Draper B1 and joined by Next Tier Ventures.
Berlin HR-Tech Startup Empion Acquired by Spanish Scale-Up Factorial
The Berlin HR‑tech startup Empion, founded in 2022, has been sold to Spanish HR platform Factorial. In an interview, founder Annika von Mutius discusses the reasons for the sale, the future of Empion under Factorial, and her new role within the larger company.
Spanish Startup SKYNOX Brings Drone-Based Leak Detection to European Water Infrastructure
SKYNOX develops drone‑based and sensor‑driven geospatial data solutions for critical infrastructure and energy sectors. Its flagship SKYNOX Water product identifies thermal leaks in water networks and is marketed to governments, utilities and infrastructure operators.
Spanish Biotech Startup MOA Foodtech Raises €3.3 Million to Scale Plant-Based Meat Production
Spanish biotech startup MOA Foodtech raised €3.3 million in a funding round led by Swanlaab Innvierte Agri Food Tech and the EIC Fund, with participation from CDTI-Innvierte. The capital will be used to move from product validation to commercial execution, supporting the launch of its MOA Q5 plant‑based meat substitute and broader market rollout.
Spanish Agritech Startup Sowify Launches Luca Platform to Support Farmer Decision-Making
Sowify, a Spanish agritech startup, introduced its Luca platform, which integrates technical and economic information from farms to support better decision‑making and improve profitability for growers.
Spanish deeptech startup IPronics secures $125 million Series B funding from Nvidia
Spanish AI/Deeptech spinout IPronics raised $125 million in a Series B round led by Nvidia, marking a significant funding milestone for the company.