When founders dream of launching a startup below the Mediterranean solar, Barcelona and Madrid typically come to thoughts first. However an growing variety of entrepreneurs are turning their gaze to Valencia — a metropolis that’s constructing a vibrant, founder-friendly startup group.
It’s not nearly sunshine (although 300 days a yr doesn’t harm). It’s about momentum. Valencia’s startup scene is collaborative, inexpensive, and more and more worldwide. It’s large enough to see the advantages of accelerated progress — in 2024 the ecosystem skilled a 15.45% progress within the variety of startups in comparison with 2023 — but nonetheless retains a group vibe making it straightforward for newcomers to community and make connections.
And its sights are set on rising its ecosystem exponentially into the longer term.
In 2024, the Put money into València Program, geared toward attracting overseas funding and entrepreneurs, resulted in additional than 1,500 new jobs and generated an financial impression of €149 million over a two-year interval. To strengthen its assist for early-stage startups, Valencia Metropolis Council additionally elevated seed funding by 50%, elevating the full to €600,000.
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This Mediterranean metropolis has grow to be a magnet for startups in AI and Huge Knowledge, local weather tech, mobility, logistics, healthtech, and gaming. With sturdy college expertise, deep ties to legacy industries (like transport and meals manufacturing), and regional authorities funding in R&D, Valencia is rapidly turning into a launchpad for mission-driven, high-growth firms.
What’s extra, the town is launching a brand new initiative, the City Innovation Sandbox, geared toward offering firms, startups, and tutorial establishments with areas to check their innovations with streamlined paperwork. These ‘sandboxes’ will enable innovators to experiment in related or actual situations, expediting product improvement and time to market.
And developments in connectivity will assist to facilitate this. Supported by European funding, late final yr Valenciaport rolled out a €6 million 5G community undertaking to ship safe connectivity for over 25,000 gadgets, together with automobiles, sensors, and drones—driving ahead the port’s digital innovation efforts.
It’s additionally fascinating to notice that 34% of startups in Valencia have a feminine co-founder exhibiting a promising progress in feminine entrepreneurship that the ecosystem plans to foster as its group grows.
Add to {that a} comparatively low price of residing, a robust expertise pool flowing from the native universities, and a extremely navigable regulatory panorama.
Whether or not you’re an EU founder looking for solar and scale or a non-EU entrepreneur eyeing a delicate touchdown within the Schengen Zone, this information breaks down relocate your startup to Valencia — from administrative queries to breaking into the startup group when you’re there.
Sensible information to shifting your startup to Valencia
EU Founders: Residency and paperwork
If you happen to’re from the EU, relocating to Valencia is simple. The primary administrative hurdle is securing your NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) — a private tax ID quantity required to open a checking account, signal rental contracts, and register your small business. If staying longer than 90 days, you’ll additionally want an EU Certificates of Registration.
Select the appropriate construction
Spain affords two predominant enterprise constructions:
- Autónomo (sole proprietor): Ideally suited for freelancers or solo founders. Beware the flat-rate social safety contribution (~€300/month), no matter earnings.
- Sociedad Limitada (SL): A restricted legal responsibility firm, the go-to for many startups. Minimal capital: €3,000
Tax and compliance
New companies get pleasure from a lowered company tax fee of 15% for the primary two years of revenue (customary fee is 25%). VAT (IVA) sits at 21%, and when you’re hiring, you’ll have to register with Spanish social safety.
Visa pathways for non-EU founders
Shifting to Valencia from outdoors the EU means securing a residence allow — however Spain affords startup-friendly pathways.
Entrepreneur Visa (Ley de Emprendedores)
This visa is tailor-made for modern ventures that contribute to Spain’s financial system. Key necessities:
- Scalable enterprise mannequin with financial potential
- Stable marketing strategy
- Proof of funding and medical health insurance
- Clear prison report
You’ll first submit your plan to the Spanish Financial and Industrial Workplace. Upon approval, you apply for the visa through your native Spanish consulate.
Self-Employed Visa (Autónomo)
Extra appropriate for freelancers or non-scalable companies. It calls for a viable marketing strategy, {qualifications}, and monetary means to assist your self.
Medical health insurance
Spain requires non-public, no-copay, complete well being protection for many visa candidates. Insurers like Innoinsure cater particularly to startup founders and expats.
Step-by-step: Launching a enterprise in Valencia
Whether or not you’re a neighborhood or newly arrived, right here’s arrange store:
- Receive NIE — Your tax ID quantity for all official interactions.
- Select authorized construction — Determine between Autónomo or SL.
- Register enterprise title — With Spain’s Mercantile Registry.
- Open a checking account — Important for operations and depositing capital.
- Signal incorporation deed — By way of notary for SL firms.
- Get your CIF (Firm Tax ID) — From the tax workplace.
- Register for social safety — Particularly if hiring workers.
Faucet into funding and assist
Valencia isn’t simply fairly seashores — it’s investing in brains.
- IVACE (Valencian Institute of Enterprise Competitiveness) affords grants and subsidies for innovation.
- Lanzadera, Spain’s reply to Y Combinator, incubates lots of of startups per yr with funding and mentoring.
- BigBAN Angels connects native startups with seasoned buyers.
The EU additionally affords broader assist through Horizon Europe and associated innovation grants.
Coworking and accelerators
- Wayco and Vortex supply dynamic, founder-filled workspaces.
- Lanzadera accelerator, backed by Mercadona’s founder, additionally affords workplace areas.
To search out out if Valencia is the appropriate spot to arrange store, an effective way to check the waters is to take a look at VDS 2025 happening on October 22 – 23. Yearly Valencia’s very personal tech occasion brings collectively over 1200 attendees, each from Valencia’s tech group and overseas, to share concepts, community, and construct connections that can form the longer term.
