Valyra Aerospace

It is the perfect example of technology and knowledge transfer. Valyra Aerospace, the aeronautical company led by three graduates and two professors from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), has received official recognition as a spin-off from an institution that has been the catalyst and constant supporter of a project which today, just a step away from commercialising its first model, is already considered a future benchmark for Spain's security and defence.

Specialising in the design, manufacture and marketing of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), Valyra focuses on providing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft optimised for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, as well as for logistical support in port environments.

Its aircrafts, initially intended for naval operations, border control, anti-drug operations, and maritime rescue, are equally well-suited to the civilian sector, including surveillance of energy infrastructure (wind farms and offshore Estoexploration) and maritime logistics.

Furthermore, Valyra is one of the first companies in Spain dedicated to the development of hydrogen-powered UAVs. This technology outperforms conventional batteries and combustion engines, and was selected in late 2025 by the magazine Escudo Digital, as previously mentioned, as one of the 10 start-ups that will shape the future of security and defence in Spain.

Horus UPV, the origin

Valyra Aerospace has its origins in Horus UPV, the UPV Design Factory – a launchpad for projects devised by UPV students – founded in 2018 by a group of students who aspired to revolutionise UAV technology.

Among them were the three co-founders of Valyra, all of whom were students on the UPV's Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering: Joan Albert Such García and José Domingo Cerdán Torres, who completed their studies with a Master's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the UPV, and Mario Sepúlveda, who did the same with a Master's Degree in Automation and Industrial Computing, also from the UPV, an institution that has been closely involved with the project from the outset.

Indeed, Valyra's other two main partners are Sergio García-Nieto Rodríguez, professor at the Research Institute of Industrial Control Systems and Computing (ai2-UPV), and Luis Miguel García-Cuevas González, professor at the CMT-Clean University Research Institute, Mobility & Thermofluids (CMT-UPV), both of whom have played a decisive role in contributing and transferring technology to a project that is now finalising its market launch.

In addition, Valyra has taken part in the UPV’s SPIN programme for the promotion of spin-off companies, which has enabled it to make progress in developing its prototype and to structure the technology transfer process, thereby securing approval as a company with the UPV spin-off label.

José E. Capilla, Rector of the UPV: "Valyra is more than just a start-up or a spin-off; it is a path we are going to follow"

Once the certificate of recognition had been presented, the Rector of the UPV, José E. Capilla, emphasised that "Valyra is more than a start-up or a spin-off; it is already a company that exemplifies the convergence between the UPV Design Factory and Business Incubation programmes. It will be a benchmark, and I am sure it will inspire many other companies that can be successful".

"We have supported them in defining the company, conducting the feasibility study, and seeking investors, and the truth is that this is great news, because we know they already have external investors who are going to provide capital. This is a path we will continue to follow," added the head of the UPV, who concluded by emphasising that, furthermore, "the UAV sector is currently booming, evolving at breakneck speed. It is of strategic importance in every respect, both for industry and for society itself."

Joan Albert Such: "The aim now is to show our clients that we're not just selling hot air"

Grateful for the recognition and support from the UPV over all these years, Joan Albert Such, co-CEO of Valyra, emphasised that, "in an environment like ours, where you need the support of as many institutions as possible, having that backing so you don't have to go it alone when dealing with large government or industrial clients, and transitioning from a start-up to a spin-off, gives you credibility; it provides that seal you need to approach these types of clients, partners, suppliers and everyone else with greater confidence."

"Furthermore, on a personal level," acknowledges Such, "having been students at this university, receiving this recognition is a source of great pride. The three majority founding partners are former students of the UPV, where Sergio and Luis Miguel are full professors, so all the main partners have long-standing connections with the UPV. José, Mario, and I were all founders of the Horus UPV team. We spent five years working within the university developing increasingly complex and sophisticated uncrewed aircraft, and that is what gave us the foundation to later, together with Sergio and Luis Miguel, on the Hydrone project, develop an experimental aircraft with a hydrogen fuel cell and distributed propulsion, which generated the recognition that led to the launch of Valyra as an institution".

"Currently," he notes, "we are finalising the details to launch production of our new 100% industrial vehicle, finalising arrangements with suppliers, so that we can demonstrate relatively soon to our clients—who have so far responded very positively to what we are proposing—that what we say is true, that we are not selling hot air in a field that undoubtedly generates opportunities, but also responsibility."

Sergio García-Nieto: "The UPV will always be a guarantee"

Sergio García-Nieto, the mentor of the team throughout the Horus era, proudly states that this new step "builds on the work we have carried out for so long in the fields of training and research, and then facilitates the transfer. We have taken every step to reach the market, and we have done so from within the university, of which we are members, either as alumni or as members of the academic staff. And with the university's foundation and resources, as well as state funding and support from the Valencian Regional Government, we have launched a high-tech company, whose products we hope will set the standard both nationally and internationally. It is the consolidation of a project that has been in the making for a long time."

"The university," adds García-Nieto, "will always provide us with that foundation of quality; it certifies us and endorses us in the eyes of the market. Everything touched by the UPV—and I believe this has been proven today—already starts with certified quality. Furthermore, it allows us to attract talent because we are in contact with students through the UPV Design Factory, which is a direct channel for channeling that talent into our company. And alongside all that, the visibility that comes from being a spin-off of the UPV, especially in projects and grants… Setting up a technology-based company from scratch is completely different from doing so as a spin-off from the UPV. It will always be a guarantee and something that will always be in the company's DNA".

UPV record for revenue from R&D&I projects: 119 million euros in 2025

Exemplary from its inception to the present day, Valyra is yet another example of the strong momentum currently enjoyed by the UPV's innovation ecosystem. Not surprisingly, the institution, currently led by José E. Capilla, broke its record for revenue from R&D&I projects in 2025, reaching 119 million euros.

Overall, since 1996, the work and talent of the aforementioned UPV ecosystem have generated €1.634 billion. Since 1992, thanks to the IDEAS-UPV programme, a total of 1,033 start-ups have been created and developed, with a historical survival rate of 66.4%. In 2025 alone, the UPV applied for 30 new patents, registered 35 new software programmes, and incorporated three new spin-off companies into its innovation ecosystem.