Valencia DANA Project: A Global Initiative to Enhance Urban Resilience and Sustainability

Barcelona, 4 March 2025 – MWC25 Barcelona – In a significant step towards fostering global innovation in urban resilience, Startup Valencia and e-Residency, the Estonian government’s programme for global entrepreneurs, have launched the Valencia DANA Project. This international initiative, undertaken in collaboration with the City Councils of Valencia and Tallinn, aims to support startups in developing innovative solutions to combat natural disasters and climate change challenges.

The announcement was made at the 4YFN25 entrepreneurship event, a part of MWC25 Barcelona, underlining the urgency of finding effective technological solutions to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events. The project draws inspiration from the devastating natural disaster that hit Valencia in October 2024, emphasizing the need for proactive disaster management and sustainable urban infrastructure.

A Platform for Innovation and Collaboration

The Valencia DANA Project is set to identify and nurture startups focused on emergency management, climate resilience, innovative infrastructure, and urban sustainability. The initiative seeks to provide a global platform where startups can develop and test cutting-edge technologies that enhance urban preparedness and response capabilities.

One of the project’s key highlights is a high-impact hackathon, scheduled to take place in Tallinn, Estonia, from 20 to 21 May 2025. The event will coincide with Latitude59, one of Northern Europe’s leading tech conferences. Over three days, startups, entrepreneurs, technology experts, and government representatives will collaborate to develop scalable solutions that enable cities to anticipate and effectively respond to extreme weather events.

Opportunities for Startups

Winning startups from the Tallinn hackathon will have the unique opportunity to implement their solutions in Valencia between June and October 2025. Supported by local institutions and the city’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, these solutions will be tested in real-world urban settings, allowing for validation and potential global scaling.

Additionally, the project will award up to €50,000 in prizes, recognizing the most innovative and impactful proposals. The winning team will also present their project at the prestigious Valencia Digital Summit (VDS), held on 22 and 23 October 2025. With an audience of over 12,000 attendees from 120 countries, VDS provides an unparalleled platform for showcasing groundbreaking urban resilience technologies.

Key Stakeholders Speak on the Initiative

Nacho Mas, CEO of Startup Valencia and VDS, highlighted the importance of leveraging technology to tackle climate challenges: “The technology sector has demonstrated its ability to innovate, collaborate, and offer transformative solutions in times of adversity. With this initiative, we reinforce our commitment to innovation and sustainability.”

Paula Llobet, Councillor for Innovation, Valencia City Council, emphasized the city’s ambition: “This project is a unique opportunity to position Valencia as a global leader in innovation and sustainability. Through our Valencia Innovation Capital strategy, we are leveraging technology to enhance urban resilience.”

Margot Roose, Vice Mayor of Tallinn, expressed Tallinn’s enthusiasm: “This collaboration showcases the power of cities uniting to tackle urgent climate challenges. By fostering international cooperation and innovation, we can create solutions that safeguard urban environments and set new global standards in disaster preparedness.”

Liina Vahtras, Managing Director of e-Residency, stressed the role of digital entrepreneurship: “This hackathon demonstrates the power of borderless international cooperation. Tallinn’s dynamic startup ecosystem will help develop scalable solutions that can have a tangible impact worldwide.”

How to Participate

Startups interested in contributing to the Valencia DANA Project can register at programs.startupvalencia.org/valencia-dana-project. Applications are open from today until 30 April 2025.

About Startup Valencia

Startup Valencia is a leading association for startups and scaleups in Spain, boasting a community of over 35,000 entrepreneurs. The organization fosters technological entrepreneurship, supports startup growth, and drives a knowledge-based economy with sustainable impact. It collaborates with major industry players, including GoHub Ventures, BStartup (Banco Sabadell), Wayra (Telefónica Group), HP, BBVA Spark, and Google for Startups.

About Estonian e-Residency

The Estonian e-Residency programme provides digital identity to global entrepreneurs, enabling them to establish and manage EU-based companies online. Since 2014, over 120,000 e-residents from 185+ countries have established 20% of new companies in Estonia annually. Spain leads the demand for e-Residency, with over 6,800 Spanish citizens having opened 3,000+ businesses in Estonia.

With global urban resilience under threat from climate change, the Valencia DANA Project stands as a pioneering effort to harness technology and international collaboration in building safer, more sustainable cities worldwide.