Why Valencia is one of The Best Cities for (impact) Entrepreneurs
Valencia’s reputation as an ideal city for professional growth and one that’s full of opportunities for entrepreneurs is not seizing.
Besides being one of the most charming metropolitans in Spain, Valencia is also known to attract talent and creativity due to its unique characteristics and supportive business ecosystem.
This uniqueness is most seen in a more conscious, down-to-earth, and environmentally and socially impactful way of looking at success. With values that put focus on creating products and services that are in tune with the city, its culture, and its natural goods, and in general praising products and services that serve a purpose, Valencia is growing a solid ecosystem for impact entrepreneurship.
Rather than following the steps of Silicon Valley, the Valencian government aspires to create an environment in which impactful ideas can grow and spread, drawing attention to green, social, and culturally friendly modern solutions.
Infrastructure and resources for entrepreneurs in Valencia
Entrepreneurship calls for constant learning opportunities, flexibility and reliability of work environments, a strong professional network, and a support system (administrative, financial, social, emotional, etc.).
The reason why Valencia is such a fruitful city for aspiring entrepreneurs is how solid and abundant its infrastructure for learning, growing, and working is.
Valencia’s infrastructure is made of elements that check all the above boxes and allow entrepreneurs to not only have support and opportunities, but also a choice when using them.
Here are some of the elements of this infrastructure that we see in Valencia:
Incubators, accelerators, & funds
One of the most important organizations for any aspiring entrepreneur are incubators, accelerators, and funds.
Luckily, Valencia is home to a plethora of hubs that provide invaluable resources, support, and investment opportunities for early-stage startups.
These programs provide mentorship, networking opportunities, funding, and training to entrepreneurs, all of which can be critical for the success of a startup.
Having so many options for incubators and accelerators, of which some focus on impact entrepreneurship, Valencia can be an ideal place for impact entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses.
These programs can focus on various industries, from technology and healthcare to sustainable development and social impact, offering tailored support to help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life.
Some of the most prominent incubators and accelerators in Valencia are:
Lanzadera (Incubator and accelerator for companies)
Demium (Incubation and acceleration program)
Google for startups (Startup program)
Kmzero (Food innovation hub)
Opentop (Startup incubator and accelerator)
Plug & play (Innovation, acceleration, and funding in tech)
For impact entrepreneurs, we would mention Social Nest and ZubiLabs.
Social Nest provides resources, opportunities, guidance, and a community for impact professionals and companies, and ZubiLabs is an impact venture builder supporting those whose services or products provide solutions for social or environmental challenges.
Coworking spaces
One of the key elements in Valencia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is the presence of numerous coworking spaces.
Coworking spaces are often a great option for entrepreneurs as they offer the flexibility and reliability that entrepreneurs need.
Renting an office space and furnishing it can be a significant financial burden for early-career entrepreneurs while working from home can disrupt your work-life balance. This is why coworking space is a great alternative solution.
These spaces offer a range of flexible options, from different pricing plans to the freedom to come and go as you, please. Coworking spaces in Valencia are reliable, with good wifi and fully equipped offices that can cater to all types of businesses.
In addition, these spaces provide ample opportunities for networking and collaboration, with coworking get-togethers and events like panels, presentations, and conferences. Valencia's international community adds to the richness of the entrepreneurial environment, making coworking spaces an essential part of the city's appeal to (impact) entrepreneurs.
Wayco
Vortex
Jeff works
Bonworking
Universities and informal learning opportunities
When it comes to learning opportunities, Valencia provides a combination of formal and informal learning opportunities that creates a dynamic ecosystem that supports the growth and development of entrepreneurs.
The city has a vibrant academic community with several universities, including the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic University of Valencia, which offer a variety of programs and opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.
In addition to formal education, there are numerous informal learning opportunities such as meetups, workshops, and events. Many of them can be found through other organizations such as incubators and accelerators, coworking and coliving spaces, mentorship programs, etc. The point of the ecosystem is that all the elements are interconnected and getting access to one of them will most certainly open the door to the others.
This brings us to another invaluable element of Valencia’s entrepreneurial infrastructure and that is networking.
Networks of entrepreneurs and events
Networking might be one of the most important practices for entrepreneurs. Expanding your professional network is the key to finding resources, support, and insights that can help you advance and market your business. We already talked about how coliving in Valencia can help you expand your professional network in one of our previous articles, but we haven’t focused in detail on the networking opportunities outside the coliving, and in Valencia - there are a lot of them.
Valencia is home to a dynamic and thriving entrepreneurial (and impact entrepreneurial) community, and as a result, it offers a wide range of networking opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.
There are numerous events and meetups throughout the year that cater to entrepreneurs, such as startup competitions, networking events, workshops, conferences, etc.
The most prominent events like these are: Valencia digital summit, The Next Web Conference, CTO Summit, and Fi Impact Investing Forum.
All these events provide a great opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to learn industry-related matters, meet like-minded people, share ideas, and potentially find collaborators, investors, or mentors.
Additionally, Valencia has a vibrant international community, which means that entrepreneurs can connect with people from all over the world and expand their network globally.
Some of the most popular networks for entrepreneurs are:
Startup Valencia (Startup ecosystem association)
VIT Emprende (Innovative entrepreneurial community)
La Pinada lab (Innovation center for sustainability in the urban environment)
Lifestyle and Quality of Life in Valencia
Valencia offers a unique lifestyle and culture that supports a good work-life balance and a different kind of entrepreneurship.
With a commitment to sustainability and environmental conservation, Valencia has been named the EU Green Capital for 2024 and has also been named the healthiest city in the world for 2022, emphasizing the importance placed on the quality of life.
Additionally, Valencia has developed an ambitious mission of 5 strategies and 12 commitments to accomplish by 2030 that focus on innovation.
Compared to some other European cities of the same size, Valencia offers an affordable cost of living, an abundance of opportunities, and a more slow-paced high quality of life.
Taking into consideration all of the above and having in mind its unique characteristics and supportive business ecosystem that focuses on environmentally and socially impactful solutions, it’s evident why Valencia can be a great choice for (impact) entrepreneurs. Whether you already have an idea that just needs that last push or you’re looking for an environment that will inspire you and help you develop an idea, Valencia has the support and the network.
