VivaTech 2024
Each year, over four exciting days in Paris, VivaTech creates Europe’s biggest technology and startup event, exploring the most disruptive topics in tech with world-premiere demos, launches and conferences in a collaborative ecosystem. This is where business meets innovation. VivaTech accelerates innovation by connecting startups, tech leaders, major companies and investors responding to our world’s biggest challenges.
This annual meeting is proving to be the most effective business event, with more than 400,000 business connections through digital channels alone, and with an enthusiastic response from everyone looking to generate sales leads across all sectors. This year, more than 13,500 startups also had the opportunity to forge business relationships with companies from more than 25 sectors of activity and to meet more than 2,000 investors and investment funds such as Accel, KKR, Lightspeed, Sequoia Capital, Eurazeo and GV (Google Ventures) during the three professional days.
This year, more than 120 countries were represented, with some 40 national pavilions, including Canada, Taiwan, Brazil, the UK and Germany. Japan, Country of the Year, was also able to showcase its technology ecosystem with the presence of a ministerial delegation and more than 40 startups. Africa was back in the spotlight this year with the Africa Tech Lab, an area dedicated to local talent and startups. Now in its third year, the AfricaTech Awards, sponsored by Airtel and Cassava Technologies, put the spotlight on the most innovative startups in the Climate Tech, Health Tech, FinTech & Ecommerce sectors in Africa. This year’s winners include Schoolz for Climate Tech; Rology for Health Tech; and Inclusivity Solutions for FinTech & Ecommerce.
VivaTech 2024 was the place where the latest and most tangible AI solutions were presented, with more than 40% of exhibitors showing innovations in this area, notably through a new space: the AI Avenue, the bubbling heart of VivaTech for four days. Also this gathering has been determined to set an example when it comes to environmental issues. These efforts were rewarded this year with ISO 20-121 certification. This recognition is part of a wider CSR framework that has been in place for more than two years.
The world’s leading speakers discussed current events and contemporary challenges, with a particular focus on Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Tech. The general public day focused in particular on Gaming & Esport. Keynote speakers included Elon Musk, founder, chairman and CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, X (ex-Twitter); Eric Schmidt, former head of Google and founder of Schmidt Futures; Faye Iosotaluno, CEO of Tinder; Hiroshi Mikitani, CEO of Rakuten; Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X (ex-Twitter); Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange; Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation; and Bernard Arnault, CEO & chairman of LVMH, who presided over the LVMH Innovation Awards.
Many members of government and international institutions took an active part in this year’s edition of VivaTech. Among them, we welcomed Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan; Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market at the European Commission; Viscount Camrose, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the UK Department for IA and Intellectual Property; Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s 1st Minister of Digital Affairs; Bruno Le Maire, Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty; and Marina Ferrari, France’s Secretary of State for Digital Affairs.
Also, among the big names attending VivaTech this year were Serena and Venus Williams, brand partners of Shares; Pierre-Alexis Bizot, better known as Domingo, streamer and co-producer of the Popcorn show with Webedia; Kameto (Kamel) Kebir and Prime (Amine) Mekri, founders of Karminecorp; and Harlan Coben, best-selling novelist and executive producer.
Next year edition will take place from 11th through 14th June 2025.
