North Texas to link global start-ups with US cities in Barcelona

North Texas is using Barcelona’s Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) as a platform to attract international start-ups, with the North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) relaunching its global pitch competition to drive deployment-ready solutions in transport, public safety, connectivity, and infrastructure.

Jennifer Sanders (pictured), Executive Director of NTXIA, said the competition is designed to strengthen cross-border collaboration and create a pathway for international start-ups to enter the US market.

“Each US city faces different challenges and having cross-collaboration relationships allow each smart city to share their learnings from various technologies and recommend start-ups and technologies that may be helpful to other cities,” she told Cities Today. “The competition partner cities function as a landing pad for international start-ups–a place where they are welcomed to test, develop, and deploy their technologies while also having their first case study and, potentially, a first customer in the US.”

This year’s focus areas are transport, public safety, connectivity, and infrastructure–issues Sanders described as central to the daily experience of residents and the delivery of urban services.

“A running joke is that in every city, two of the top three calls elected officials get from constituents are about potholes and police officers,” she said. “With cities across the US growing in population, with seven of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the US in Texas alone, delivery of services and factors impacting quality of life are going to include these focus areas and solving them is an interdisciplinary exercise”.

Frisco, one of the partner cities, is using the challenge to reinforce its position as a hub for innovation. Gloria Salinas, Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation, highlighted the city’s priorities: “As the fastest-growing city in the nation for the past decade–adding 8,000 to 12,000 residents annually–Frisco also hosts major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making traffic mitigation and safe mobility solutions essential for residents, businesses, and visitors”.

Only startups with deployment-ready solutions are eligible to take part, with the competition designed to ensure real-world pilots can be supported by both public and private partners who understand the complexities of entering the U.S. market.

“By supporting international startups and connecting them with our local business community, we’re bringing fresh ideas, investment, and global visibility here,” said Michael Kowski, President of the McKinney Economic Development Corporation. “These priorities–building strong foundations and welcoming global innovation–are how we lay the groundwork for sustainable growth that benefits residents, businesses, and future generations”.

Image: NTXIA