SCALING STARTUPS INTO GLOBAL LEADERS
VDS Scaleup Alliance is an international platform designed to accelerate the evolution of the entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting startups in their transition into competitive, resilient and globally positioned scaleups. The initiative emerges at a pivotal moment in which the European Union has placed startup and scaleup growth at the centre of its competitiveness agenda. VDS Scaleup Alliance responds to this strategic context by articulating a coordinated framework capable of aligning talent, capital, regulation and ecosystem actors under a shared vision. Promoted by VDS & Startup Valencia, the Alliance is an open, inclusive and collaborative initiative. It is designed to integrate leading national stakeholders — innovation hubs, corporations, investment funds, public administrations, universities and industry associations — within a strategic board that ensures shared governance, alignment and long-term impact. VDS Scaleup Alliance adheres to Allied for Startups, European Startup Network and Scale Cities aligning with European principles that promote regulatory simplification, talent mobility, access to capital and international expansion across the continent. Our ambition is clear: to position VDS as a proactive contributor to the European scaleup agenda and as a strategic bridge between European innovation ecosystems and global markets.
Mission
To accelerate the evolution of European startups into globally competitive scaleups through a coordinated, internationally oriented national framework that strengthens innovation capacity, attracts capital and enhances long-term economic competitiveness.
40,000+
Startups & scaleups in Europe
50%
Of growth capital in Europe comes from outside the region
$45B+
Annual startup investment in Europe
3M+
Tech startup jobs created in the EU (last decade)
Source: European Comission, Reuters, Dealroom
Strategic Objectives
01
Accelerate the Startup → Scaleup Pathway
Create the structural conditions that enable sustainable growth, operational scalability and international expansion.
02
Reduce Regulatory Frictions
Promote frameworks aligned with European standards that simplify business activity and reduce barriers across all growth stages.












