Opentop unveils the nine international start-ups selected for the 6th Valenciaport Hackathon

The event is launching ‘Pilot Launch’, a new methodology that connects the selected start-ups with the three real-world challenges set by Hitachi Energy, the Valenciaport Cluster Innovation Committee and VPI Logística, with the aim of testing the solutions in the Valenciaport Sandbox
The 6th edition of the Valenciaport Hackathon will take place on 30 June and 1 July at the Edificio del Reloj
€9,000 in prizes: €6,000 for first prize at the 6th edition of the Valenciaport Hackathon and €3,000 for second prize, awarded by the Juan Arizo Serrulla Foundation

Valencia, 25 June 2026.- Opentop, Valenciaport’s Open Innovation Hub, has today unveiled the nine start-ups selected to take part in the 6th edition of the Valenciaport Hackathon, which will be held on 30 June and 1 July at the Clock Tower in the Port of Valencia. The announcement follows a selection process focused on “Pilot Launch”, the new methodology used for this event, which is based on the actual fit between each start-up and its challenge, with a view to ensuring that the resulting pilot proposals can be tested in the Valenciaport Sandbox.

Over two days of intensive co-creation, the participating start-ups will work side by side with their respective challenging companies to design pilot test roadmaps applicable to the logistics and port sector, in an event which, now in its 6th edition, reaffirms its international focus: international challengers and jury members are taking part, and among the nine start-ups selected from over 40 applications received are teams from Singapore, Norway and the Netherlands.

Pilot Launch

Pilot Launch is the new methodology used by Opentop to organise this year’s 6th edition of the Valenciaport Hackathon for Start-ups. Its aim is twofold: on the one hand, to ensure a careful selection of the projects with the greatest real potential to solve each challenge; on the other, to ensure that every pilot proposal co-created during the Hackathon has a clear path towards validation in the Valenciaport Sandbox, the logistics and port testing environment. In this way, the Hackathon becomes the gateway to a future phase of real-world testing.

The nine start-ups have been selected and validated by the challenge setters for their innovative approach to tackling the relevant challenge, combining technological robustness with a clearly distinctive value proposition and the ability to execute a pilot project effectively.

Three challenges, nine start-ups, an innovative format and an international focus

The 6th Valenciaport Hackathon offers an innovative event format: it is not a traditional hackathon, but a two-day process of genuine co-creation between start-ups and challenging companies, with a clear international focus.

Challenge 1 · Hitachi Energy

Hitachi Energy’s challenge involves designing a multi-vector Energy Management System (EMS) for port terminals, capable of integrating renewable sources, storage and demanding loads such as reefer containers, onshore power supply (OPS) or electric vehicle charging, with the aim of optimising consumption and quantifying avoided emissions.

Selected start-ups: Tibo (Netherlands), Fjuel (Norway), Nido i+d (Spain).

Challenge 2 · VPI Logística

The VPI Logistics challenge proposes a smart model for access, security and mobility for the Logistics Activities Zone (ZAL) at the Port of Valencia, tailored to the characteristics of its roads and the needs of users.

Selected start-ups: Synnect (Spain), Panssari (Spain), Oonlive (Spain).

Challenge 3 · Valenciaport Cluster Innovation Committee

The Innovation Committee’s challenge seeks a monitoring and forecasting platform to strengthen the Port of Valencia’s resilience against disruptions caused by weather, energy, logistics or cyber threats, facilitating a coordinated response amongst the various stakeholders involved.

Selected start-ups: Marina Chain (Singapore), Numbia (Spain), Urban Alert (Spain).

Prizes and access to the PEIC

The jury, comprising independent experts from around the world, will award a first prize of €6,000 and a second prize, sponsored by the Juan Arizo Serrulla Foundation, of €3,000. In addition, the winning start-ups will gain access to the Port Entrepreneurship International Congress (PEIC), to be held on 20 and 21 October 2026 as part of the Valencia Digital Summit.

Statements

Juan Manuel Díez. Head of Innovation, Valencia Port Authority

“With the Pilot Launch concept, we wanted to go a step further than simply selecting good ideas: our aim is to facilitate and provide the opportunity for the proposals co-created during the Hackathon to address the three challenges to have a more direct path towards a trial in the Valenciaport Sandbox. This is how we believe open innovation should be integrated into port operations, providing added value that has already been tested and validated in real-world environments”.

Jorge Marcos. Head of Opentop

“This Hackathon exemplifies Opentop’s new model as a matchmaking service between innovative start-ups and the real needs of companies in the logistics and port community. Over two days, the selected companies can co-create with the challengers and make progress by validating their developments, reaching levels that would normally take several months. And this is how the ecosystem has taken it on board, as we have received over 40 high-calibre applications from around the world. This motivates us even more to continue improving the open innovation activities carried out by Opentop”.

An initiative backed and supported by the ecosystem

The 6th Valenciaport Hackathon is made possible thanks to the commitment of many. The event is organised by Opentop, the innovation hub for the ports of Valencia, Sagunto and Gandía, driven by the Fundación Valenciaport with the support of the Valencia Port Authority. The challenges have been set by Hitachi Energy, VPI Logística and the Valenciaport Cluster’s Innovation Committee. The €3,000 prize is sponsored by the Juan Arizo Serrulla Foundation. The event is supported by the Valencian Shipping Association (ANV), APMT, Boluda, Infoport, Nealis Innovation Hub and The Whiteam Technology Services as supporters. It is promoted within the innovation ecosystem alongside CSP Spain, Invest in Valencia, Startup Valencia, Valencia Innovation Capital and Ideas UPV.

The organising partners are Innova and Acción, with financial support from the Valencian Agency for Innovation (AVI), as part of the programme of Complementary Actions to Promote and Strengthen Innovation, co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the Valencian Community 2024–2026.

To all of them, thank you for your commitment and collaboration.

About Opentop

Opentop is Valenciaport’s Innovation Hub. This initiative, led by the Fundación Valenciaport with the support of the Valencia Port Authority (APV), aims primarily to bring open innovation to the companies and organisations operating in the three ports managed by the APV (Valencia, Sagunto and Gandía), in order to boost their competitiveness