For 16 memorable years, TNW Conference has been at the heart of Amsterdam’s tech ecosystem, but on March 30 and 31, TNW València brought – for the very first time – the heart of technology to the east coast of Spain.

But we didn’t choose Valencia because of the clear blue sea, the delicious paellas or the sunny weather. The vibrant city is Spain’s fastest growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and has the most startups per capita of anywhere in the country – transforming itself into the startup powerhouse of the Mediterranean.

“Valencia’s technical ecosystem is a breath of fresh air,” says Myrthe van der Erve, CEO of TNW.

At the Marina of Valencia, the conference brought together more than 300 startups, 90 exhibitors, 100 speakers and 75 investors to discover what’s next in technology and connect with industry pioneers, executives at C- level, department heads and product developers.

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Over two days, more than 2,000 attendees enjoyed inspiring talks, networking events, deals, pitches and the same festival vibes as our Amsterdam flagship. During 105 meetings and 50 mentoring sessions, the event also delivered real business results.

Here are some of our favorite moments:

1. The official opening ceremony and party

The fun started on March 29, a day before the conference agenda kicked off. At our opening party at Zeus València, we enjoyed drinks, snacks and networking right by the sea – dancing the night away with like-minded tech enthusiasts.

Our guest list also included some of the city’s most influential politicians. These include Diana Morant, the Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation; Sandra Gomez, Deputy Mayor of Valencia; Arcadi España García, Minister of Finance of the Generalitat Valènciana; and Borja Sanjuán, deputy mayor of Economic Development in the city of Valencia.

2. Essential speakers

We assembled a sensational line-up of keynote speeches, fireside chats, panel discussions and workshops.

These include inspiring founders such as Heini Zachariassen of Vivino and David Pistoni of Zeleros Hyperloop; influential investors such as Jullian Blessin of Speedinvest and Marcus Behrendt of BMW i Ventures; and key representatives of the Valencian tech ecosystem, including Guillermo Sánchez, project manager at Invest Valènciaand Lucia Calabria, Deputy Director of Entrepreneurship at València Activa.

Among the many highlights, Jen Carter, Global Head of Technology at Google.org, spoke about how technology is being used to help nonprofits; 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 complete a marathonspoke about the importance of resilience and self-confidence.

3. The FT Power Hours

The Financial Times, our beloved parent company, brought some of their brightest minds to Valencia. In a series of sessions called FT Power Hours, they talked about the latest business trends in technology with industry leaders, including Teresa Parejo Navajas, Head of Corporate Sustainability and Social Sustainability at IBERIA, and Juan Manuel Diez, Director of Strategy & Innovation at the València Port Authority. .

4. The Startup Pitch Battle

In a fiery TNW València pitch battle, eight of Europe’s best startups survived a series of knockout battles to reach the match final on March 31.

After 10 minutes of nerve-wracking voting, our audience and the all-star jury chose a winner: Crowmie. The Valencia-based startup has developed the first investment platform in symbolic renewable energy projects.

Crowmie won a series of great prizes, including a 4 square meter exhibitor booth at TNW València 2024 and two business passes for TNW Conference in Amsterdam on June 15-16. But the best of all awards? A full profile on the TNW website by our beloved media team.

5. The Closing Party

It goes without saying: a good tech festival includes an unforgettable closing party. Both the attendees and the TNWers closed the conference with a bang, on a dreamy VIP boat right next to the event location.

6. The Ferris Wheel

It wouldn’t be an TNW festival without our emblematic Ferris wheel. There’s no better way to enjoy fun rides and a breathtaking city — or simply trap your conversation partner for a private meeting.

Looking back, TNW València 2023 — powered by The Financial Times and in partnership with Ajuntament de Valencia – was even better than we could have imagined!

After such a successful first edition, we are ready to bring the heart of technology back to the vibrant Mediterranean city in 2024! Good news, folks, you can already pre-register here.

And for those of you who (rightly) can’t wait that long, come to Amsterdam for the TNW Conference, Europe’s leading tech festival, on 15 and 16 June.

Don’t miss TNW Valencia 2024! Our conference is in great demand and already sold out this year. By pre-registering now, you’ll be the first to know about our early bird tickets and secure your spot for next year’s event.