TNW Valencia 2023: My Experience and Overall Impression

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TNW Valencia is a startup conference sponsored by the Financial Times and was held in Valencia for the first time, as it typically takes place in the Netherlands. The conference was held in the Port area, specifically the Marina de Valencia, with all stages being held outdoors, which created a cohesive atmosphere with the sea vibes. The organizers even installed a Ferris wheel on the conference grounds, which served as the central symbol of the event. It was a popular attraction, and I believe that everyone took at least a couple of photos with it.

Me 😉

Overall, the conference had a cozy and welcoming feel, with only a limited number of attendees. There were five main areas, including the Impact main stage, Innovate area for discussions on investments and insights from various industries, pitches from Series A and B startups, Growth Quarters for early-stage startup pitches, and a Startup exposition area where visitors could converse with the team and learn more about their products. Additionally, there was a Networking and Investor/Startup launch area.

During two days, I attended roughly 15 different speeches, and the following are my top 5 picks:

The rise of the Spanish tech ecosystem and Valencia’s strategic plan: what’s next in the city’s tech evolution.

Officials and representatives of Valencian Tech ecosystem stated that they are actively contributing to the region’s growth and improving its attractiveness for new talents. Valencia currently boasts the highest number of startups per capita in Spain, and the goal is to create conducive conditions for more corporations to establish a presence and for startups to be established and thrive in the area. Valencia’s primary competitive advantage is its high quality of life, with a focus on becoming the greenest city in Europe, and providing a comfortable environment that fosters creativity and productivity.

Startup pitching workshop

Monica from Techstars and Wen-Wen from Gradient, both hailing from the United States, possess extensive experience reviewing and listening to numerous pitches annually. They shared several valuable tips for startup founders seeking to raise funds.

Here are my takeaways from their discussion:

  • Before reaching out to a VC fund, research the industries they specialize in and verify if they provide investments in your area of focus. While you may have a great idea, it could fall outside the fund’s area of focus.
  • Capture investors’ attention with the first two slides, which should highlight what you are doing and the opportunities available.
  • Highlight how you are different from other startups that the investors have funded by citing examples of their previous investments.

They also discussed the fact that some of the best startup founders were previously sportsmen. This led to speculation about the relationship between discipline and the ability to achieve success.

During the panel discussion, I inquired if it is a red flag for investors if startup founders are a couple. Wen-Wen replied that, in Silicon Valley, this is usually considered a red flag. However, Monica explained that successful exits have been achieved in such cases, and they don’t perceive it as an issue.

David, the panel’s host, is a pitch coach who provided a link to his pitch workshop slides. I appreciated his engaging approach and how he energized the visitors, so I decided to save his link for future reference.

Sector spotlight: DeepTech

Fannie Delavelle (Bpifrance) and Sebastien Lefebvre (Elaia) talked about trends, challenges in DeepTech.

It was intriguing to witness the categorization of Deep Tech into distinct segments:

Fannie drew comparisons between the DeepTech challenges faced by Europe and those in the US. She noted that it is more challenging to scale up and gain visibility in Europe, whereas the US government and defense ministry invest heavily in this area and set the direction of focus. In Europe, VC funds often operate locally across various countries, and many investors fail to comprehend the pitched ideas, making it necessary to welcome more engineers and tech-educated managers into the VC area.

Bringing back the breakthroughs: using tomorrow’s intelligence to solve tomorrow’s problems

Gianni Giacomelli (Supermind Design) from MTI explained a great logic why we should develop superminds. He explained how the creation of superminds is a natural phenomenon, where the same tree generates an ecosystem over time. Look at the photo provided below.

My insights from his speech:

  • He provided a new definition of innovation:
    • Innovation = invention + shared knowledge + purposeful collaboration
  • It is important to know that currently the focus has moved from ‘Innovation as design problem’ to ‘Innovation as search problem’.
  • The difference between AGI and ACI

I was impressed by his speech so I plan to explore more about Ideator

Pitches of startups

I had the pleasure of witnessing various startup battles in Valencia, covering industries such as Foodtech, Internet of Things, Mobility, DeepTech, and more. Each pitch was a delight to watch, as the founders passionately conveyed the value of their ideas. I found it fascinating to observe the diversity of personalities and styles among the presenters. Additionally, it was valuable for me to observe the kinds of questions investors ask startups. As I am concluding my studies in Venture Capital, this experience was particularly informative and enlightening in understanding the interactions between startup founders and investors, even within such a short timeframe.

In conclusion, I express gratitude to everyone involved in organizing the event and contributing to bringing TNW to Valencia. I enjoyed meeting like-minded individuals, drawing inspiration, and fostering a desire to make a difference in this world. I look forward to witnessing the growth of Valencia’s tech ecosystem and hope to attend TNW Valencia 2024. I would be thrilled to see you there as well. 🙂