VIVATECH 2026 CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A RECORD-BREAKING EDITION SURPASSING 200,000 VISITORS
WITH THE PRESENCE OF FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON AND INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI
Adarshabarta Desk :
From June 17 to 20, 2026, at Paris Porte de Versailles, VivaTech, Europe’s largest event dedicated to innovation, tech, and startups, surpassed 200,000 visitors from 165 countries. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, VivaTech expanded its scale: more space, more innovations, and more inspiration, consolidating its status as an unmissable global tech and innovation gathering. On this occasion, VivaTech also took over the Champs-Élysées on June 14, 2026.
THE WORLD’S MUST-ATTEND TECH EVENT FOR 10 YEARS
This edition featured an exceptional program built around several key themes: AI & Productivity, Cybersecurity & Defense, GreenTech, Space, and DeepTech.
Leading figures took the stage at VivaTech, including: Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon & Blue Origin, Co-CEO of Prometheus; Dave Limp, CEO of Blue Origin; Mike Massimino, Former NASA Astronaut; Yann LeCun, Executive Chairman of AMI Labs; Shantanu Narayen, Chair & CEO of Adobe; Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy at the European Commission; Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation at the European Commission; Peter Steinberger, Founder of OpenClaw; Thibault Sottiaux, Head of Core Product & Platform at OpenAI; Valérie Baudson, CEO of Amundi; Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange; Catherine MacGregor, CEO of ENGIE; Marie-Ange Debon, CEO of Groupe La Poste; Mohamed Kande, Global Chairman of PwC; Joe Tsai, Co-founder & Chairman of Alibaba; Bernard Arnault, Chairman & CEO of LVMH; Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman & CEO of CMA CGM; Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman & CEO of TotalEnergies; Roland Busch, President & CEO of Siemens; Peter DeSantis, Senior Vice President for Foundational AI Models, Custom Silicon & Quantum Computing; Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor, Co-founder and CTO of the World Wide Web / Inrupt.
Germany, Country of the Year 2026, was strongly represented with a large ministerial delegation, including Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernization, and Dorothée Bär, Federal Minister for Research, Technology, and Space.
Building on the AI Summit in New Delhi, India was present as AI Country Partner 2026, with a highly engaged participation led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
VIVATECH: POWERING PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS FOR 10 YEARS
More than 4,500 exhibitors, 61% of them international, showcased their innovations at this new edition of VivaTech. Among them, new players joined for the first time, including Samsung, Envision, SAP, and Adobe. More than 15,000 startups participated, forging strategic connections with companies from over 30 sectors.
VivaTech innovated by creating new spaces and formats dedicated to business acceleration, such as the Business Plaza, designed to turn connections into concrete opportunities, and Investors Office Hours: a privileged meeting format for startups and investors.
VIVATECH: THE UNMISSABLE INNOVATION EVENT
With hundreds of announcements and product launches unveiled exclusively, VivaTech is now firmly part of the announcement calendar for innovative companies, through its innovation gallery.
Among the standout innovations: XPANCEO unveiled its smart contact lens, which aims to replace screens and become the leading interface of the AI era; Lifepods presented its autonomous and resilient protection capsule designed to provide immediate shelter in extreme risk situations; Lattice Medical is developing 3D-printed resorbable implants for soft tissue reconstruction following cancer treatment; Tetmet has developed an automated robotic solution for producing stainless steel mesh, offering the automotive, defense, and aerospace industries lightweight, cost-controlled solutions requiring no tooling or molds; and Unitree x HABS also made a strong impression with the demonstration of a humanoid robot controlled by human brain activity.
VIVATECH BLOOMBERG AWARDS: THE STARS OF TECH
For the first time, the VivaTech x Bloomberg Awards were presented during a ceremony honoring the world’s top tech leaders:
Visionary Award: Sir Tim Berners-Lee – Inventor of the World Wide Web, Co-Founder & CTO, Inrupt
Leadership Award: Joe Tsai – Co-Founder & Chairman, Alibaba Group
Momentum Award: Yann LeCun – Executive Chairman, AMI Labs
Breakthrough Award: Peter Steinberger – Creator, OpenClaw and Member of Technical Staff, OpenAI
Investor Award: Jeannette zu Fürstenberg – President & Managing Director, General Catalyst
Rising Star Award: May Habib – Co-Founder & CEO, WRITER
CitizenTech Award: Ukraine
TECH IN SERVICE OF IMPACT AND INCLUSION
VivaTech once again placed inclusion and impact at the heart of its program. A highlight of this edition, the VivaTech Startup Prizes spotlighted the most ambitious entrepreneurs and the most significant innovations of the year:
Female Founder Award: Liz Dennett, Founder & CEO of Endolith
Tech for Change Award: Fanny Giannou, Alithea Biotechnology
AfricaTech Award: Ahmed Yahia, Surgia
Next Startupper Challenge: Sasha Ovalle, CEO of AssisTech Smart Shower
Innovation of the Year: Karim Boussetta, Founder of Hodor
THE GENERAL PUBLIC AT THE HEART OF THE 10TH EDITION
VivaTech made it a priority to make innovation accessible to all during two dedicated public events.
On Sunday, June 14, VivaTech and the Comité Champs-Élysées transformed the Champs-Élysées into a massive open-air technology showcase.
On Saturday, June 20, the general public was invited to discover all the latest innovations in AI, robotics, as well as career-focused encounters. Numerous conferences were held, with a special guest, Thomas Pesquet, French ESA astronaut.
“VivaTech makes Paris the world capital of innovation, tech, and startups by bringing together all those who are inventing tomorrow.
We were particularly impressed by the energy and the positive, constructive atmosphere expressed by all participants. We would like to thank all our partners and all the teams who have made this ten-year journey into a truly global event of the highest caliber.
This 10th edition reaffirmed the event’s role: creating a space for exchange among all stakeholders from around the world, showcasing innovations that are transforming our societies, fostering connections between startups and investors, and highlighting all French and European innovations. This year’s edition was not a celebration of the nine previous years, but the opening of a new decade full of promise for the innovations to come.” Maurice Lévy, Co-President of VivaTech and Emeritus Chairman of Publicis Groupe; Michèle Benbunan, Co-President of VivaTech and CEO of LVMH’s Press division; and François Bitouzet, Managing Director of VivaTech.
(News source : Viva Tech PR service, Photos : Adarsha Barta)
