Sesame Summit 2026 – application open

“Inspiring the Good Future”

The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia is one of the most unique venues for a Tech summit. What inspired you to choose this location?

The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia is the perfect location for a Tech event. Within this emblematic place, the Oceanogràfic offers us the possibility of expanding our theme of ‘Inspiring the Good Future’. The objective of this fourth edition is to show how technology, innovation and digitization can impact society, playing a crucial role in building a better future. To this, we need to add the recent announcement of Valencia being chosen as the most desirable city to live in and the healthiest city in the world, standing out thanks to the balance between quality of life, cost and access to unique talent.

One of the added values of this new edition is the expo area where we will find exhibitions of the latest technological trends as well as presentations of new trends and disruptive products.

This Tech event fosters innovation by generating new business opportunities, promoting entrepreneurial culture and boosting the technological and innovative European ecosystem. Attracting and retaining talent and investment, encouraging international alliances between ecosystems and positioning the Valencian community as an international tech hub are the main goals of Valencia Digital Summit 2021.

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Startup Valencia

Notable celebrities Nieves Alvarez & David Mecca are on the list of speakers for the Summit. Other than them, are there any other speakers you are looking forward to hosting in Valencia?

In total, more than 300 speakers from 20 different nationalities will participate in the event, allocated across 4 themed stages with more than 60 hours of content. More than 400 startups from 15 different countries signed up to participate in the startup competition that has selected the 10 best startups who will present their projects to national and international funds worth more than 5 billion euros in 2022. Additionally, the Expo Village is an area where more than 40 startups will showcase their projects with the latest technologies in robotics, VR/AR, drones and much more.

Regarding speakers, the majority are founders from startups and well-known people from the innovative and tech ecosystem such as Elias Veris, Global Strategy & Operations Lead of Google for Startups; Christian Lindener, Global Head of Innovation of Airbus; Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, Regional General Manager France, Spain & Portugal at FREE NOW; Indiana Gregg, CEO of Wedo; Sebastian Gunningham, Chairman of Santander Consumer Finance & Vice Chairman of Openbank; Sunny Bates, Founder & CEO of Sunny Bates Associates and Magdalena Szuszkiewicz, General Manager of Gorillas – among many other speakers that will offer their experiences and advice to attendees.

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Startup Valencia

How does the Capital4Startups Pitch Competition help startups gain recognition, given that noted international brands like Airbus & EQT Growth will be a part of the Summit?

During the past few weeks, more than 400 startups from 15 countries have participated. The 10 finalist startups selected to participate in Capital4Startups Pitch Competition (Nect GmbH, Zeleros Hyperloop, BusUp, Dative_, 1millionbot, Streamion, Wenalyze, Decoditive, Fauna Smart Technologies and Breeze Technologies) will have the opportunity to present their projects to key funds, corporates and other stakeholders at our Investors Day on December 14th at Valencia Digital Summit 2021 in the City of Arts and Science.

The members of the jury are distinguished and recognized experts from the entrepreneurial ecosystem. They are part of the Board of Directors of different organizations such as Startup Wise Guys, BIGBAN, Plug & Play and DraperB1.

Jury members will analyze and study each proposal to choose the winning startup for each category: Best Seed Startup & Best Growth Startup. They will take part in Capital4Startups Pitch Competition to encourage innovation and talent at the main Tech event in the region of Valencia.

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Startup Valencia

How does this Digital Summit cater to attendees around the world? Can remote audiences catch the Summit online?

Valencia Digital Summit, the main Tech event in the Valencian community, will host on December 15th and 16th more than 4,000 attendees in the facilities of the Oceanogràfic and more than 5,000 attendees via streaming. People from more than 25 different countries have already signed up to follow the event. In fact, 2 out of every 10 attendees are from any country but Spain and 60% of the enrolled attendees are CEOs or founders. Thanks to this hybrid edition, attendees will be able to enjoy Valencia Digital Summit from wherever they are in the world!


Interested in finding out what you’ve been missing from all the buzz happening in Valencia? Grab your FREE ticket today

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Fundraising 21 hours ago

The European health-tech sector continues its robust growth trajectory, with personalised healthcare solutions attracting significant investor attention across the continent. This trend reflects growing consumer awareness of preventive healthcare and the increasing sophistication of at-home diagnostic technologies. Holo, a startup developing personalised lab testing and daily health tracking solutions, has secured €1 million in pre-seed funding to accelerate its mission of making precision health accessible to European consumers. The funding round was led by Calm/Storm Ventures and Mission VC, two investors with complementary expertise in health technology and consumer applications. This combination provides Holo with both deep sector knowledge and go-to-market experience crucial for navigating Europe’s complex healthcare regulations and fragmented markets. Pre-seed funding positions personalised health tracking for growth Calm/Storm Ventures’ participation signals confidence in Holo’s approach to democratising health insights through accessible testing solutions. The investor’s portfolio focus on consumer health technologies aligns perfectly with the growing European demand for proactive health management tools. Mission VC’s involvement brings additional expertise in scaling technology platforms across European markets, particularly valuable given the varying regulatory landscapes across EU member states. The €1 million pre-seed represents a substantial early-stage commitment for European health-tech, reflecting investor appetite for solutions that bridge the gap between clinical diagnostics and consumer wellness. Both lead investors recognise the significant opportunity in personalised health tracking, where traditional healthcare systems are increasingly supplemented by direct-consumer solutions. “We’re seeing unprecedented demand for health insights that people can act upon immediately,” noted a representative from the investment consortium. “Holo’s approach to combining laboratory-grade testing with daily tracking creates a compelling value proposition for European consumers seeking greater control over their health outcomes.” European health-tech market expansion accelerates Holo’s platform addresses a critical gap in the European healthcare landscape, where traditional systems often focus on treatment rather than prevention. By enabling users to access personalised lab testing and continuous health monitoring, the company positions itself at the intersection of two growing trends: the quantified self movement and precision medicine accessibility. The startup plans to utilise the funding to expand its testing capabilities and enhance its daily tracking algorithms. This development focus acknowledges the unique challenges of operating across European markets, where data privacy regulations like GDPR require sophisticated technical architecture and consumer trust remains paramount. Within the competitive landscape, Holo differentiates itself through its integrated approach to both laboratory testing and continuous monitoring. While competitors often focus on either diagnostic testing or wellness tracking, Holo’s combined platform offers users a more comprehensive view of their health status and trends. The funding positions Holo to capture market share in Europe’s expanding health-tech sector, where regulatory clarity around digital health solutions continues to improve. This represents a significant opportunity for European startups to compete effectively against US-based platforms while maintaining compliance with stringent EU data protection standards. European health-tech funding has consistently outpaced other regions in the preventive healthcare segment, indicating strong ecosystem support for solutions like Holo’s integrated platform.

Fundraising 22 hours ago

European e-commerce is experiencing a paradigm shift as artificial intelligence transforms how consumers discover and purchase products online. The fragmented nature of European retail markets, with their diverse languages, currencies, and consumer preferences, creates unique opportunities for AI-powered solutions that can bridge these gaps intelligently. Paris-based Dialog has secured €3.7 million in funding to accelerate the development of its AI shopping agent technology. The round was led by Galion.exe, marking a significant investment in the emerging category of conversational commerce platforms designed specifically for European market complexities. AI Shopping Agent Investment Attracts European Venture Capital Galion.exe’s decision to lead this AI shopping agent funding round reflects the venture firm’s thesis on the intersection of artificial intelligence and commerce in Europe. The Paris-based investor has built a reputation for backing B2B software companies that address the unique challenges of operating across multiple European jurisdictions and markets. Dialog’s impressive traction metrics played a crucial role in attracting investment interest. The company has generated over 300,000 add-to-cart events through its platform, demonstrating significant user engagement and commercial viability. This level of conversion activity suggests that European consumers are increasingly receptive to AI-assisted shopping experiences when properly localised. “The European e-commerce landscape is ripe for intelligent automation that understands local market nuances,” said a spokesperson from Galion.exe. “Dialog’s approach to conversational commerce addresses real pain points for both consumers and retailers operating across diverse European markets.” Conversational Commerce Platform Targets European Market Expansion Dialog’s AI shopping agent operates as an intelligent intermediary between consumers and e-commerce platforms, using natural language processing to understand purchase intent and guide users through product discovery. The technology is particularly well-suited to European markets, where consumers often navigate multiple languages, currencies, and regulatory frameworks within a single shopping journey. The €3.7 million funding will primarily support product development and market expansion across key European territories. Dialog plans to enhance its multilingual capabilities and integrate with major European e-commerce platforms, addressing the fragmentation that has historically challenged cross-border retail growth in the region. Unlike Silicon Valley counterparts that often adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, Dialog has designed its platform with European regulatory compliance in mind from the outset. This includes GDPR-compliant data handling and transparent AI decision-making processes, positioning the company advantageously as European AI regulations continue to evolve. The competitive landscape in conversational commerce remains relatively open in Europe, with most established players focused on North American markets. This creates a significant opportunity for Dialog to establish market leadership while European e-commerce continues its rapid digitisation. Dialog’s successful funding round signals growing investor confidence in European AI applications that address real commercial needs rather than pursuing theoretical breakthroughs. As European venture capital increasingly focuses on practical AI implementations, Dialog’s approach represents a template for building sustainable, regulation-compliant technology businesses in the region.

event management funding
Fundraising 1 day ago

Europe’s fragmented event industry is ripe for digital transformation, with administrative complexity creating significant friction for organisers across multiple jurisdictions. Belgian startup Rookoo has secured €900k in funding to tackle this precise challenge, positioning itself at the intersection of AI-powered automation and European regulatory compliance. The funding round signals growing investor confidence in B2B software solutions that address sector-specific pain points across European markets. Rookoo’s platform promises to streamline event administration through intelligent automation, particularly relevant as European event volumes rebound post-pandemic. Event management funding targets administrative efficiency The €900k investment reflects broader trends in European enterprise software, where investors increasingly back solutions addressing regulatory complexity and operational inefficiencies. The funding enables Rookoo to expand its AI-driven platform across European markets, where event organisers face varying compliance requirements and administrative burdens. Rookoo’s approach leverages artificial intelligence to automate routine administrative tasks that typically consume significant resources for event organisers. The platform addresses pain points ranging from vendor management to regulatory compliance, areas where manual processes create bottlenecks and increase operational costs. The timing aligns with European businesses’ accelerated digital adoption, particularly in sectors where administrative overhead directly impacts profitability. Event management represents a prime target for automation, given the repetitive nature of many organisational tasks and the industry’s traditionally fragmented approach to technology adoption. Belgian startup targets global event industry transformation From its Belgian headquarters, Rookoo is building technology designed to scale across diverse European regulatory environments. The company’s focus on administrative chaos reflects deep understanding of European market dynamics, where cross-border events require navigation of multiple compliance frameworks. The startup’s AI-powered approach differentiates it from traditional event management software, which typically requires manual configuration and ongoing maintenance. Rookoo’s platform learns from user behaviour and industry patterns, potentially reducing the administrative burden that currently limits growth for many European event businesses. Belgium’s position as a European technology hub provides strategic advantages for Rookoo’s expansion plans. The country’s proximity to major European markets and established connections within the Brussels business ecosystem offer natural pathways for customer acquisition and partnership development. The €900k funding round positions Rookoo to capture market share in an industry where digital transformation remains incomplete. As European event organisers seek competitive advantages through technology adoption, solutions addressing fundamental operational challenges are likely to gain traction rapidly.

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