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For its 10th edition, VivaTech positions itself as a movement bringing the next tech generation together in Paris. This article shows how its new home, expanded program, and focus on AI, GreenTech, cybersecurity, and deeptech push the event beyond a classic tech show into a shared platform for Europe’s innovative future. |
VivaTech at 10: From event to movement
Ten years after its first edition, VivaTech chose Paris’ Palais de la Découverte to unveil what its 10th anniversary year will look like, and the message was clear: this is no longer just a tech event, but a movement that wants to shape Europe’s future. During its annual press conference, the event’s leaders laid out a new chapter.
On stage, Managing Director François Bitouzet reminded journalists how far VivaTech has come since 2016: visitor numbers have grown from 45,000 in the first year to more than 180,000 in 2025, and the event now brings together over 14,000 startups and innovators from more than 170 countries under one roof in Paris.
“Viva Technology” is now officially “VivaTech”, a shorter name for a bigger ambition. Behind this rebrand is the idea of a “VivaTech Generation”: entrepreneurs, policymakers, students, investors, and creators who meet every year to test, debate, and deploy the next wave of technologies.
A new home, more space for business
To mark this change, VivaTech is moving into a new home: Hall 7 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, over three floors bringing together breakthrough technologies, business opportunities, and big‑picture debate.
- +30% exhibition space, with more than 20,000 m² added and seated stage capacity more than doubled.
- 15,000 startups, over 1,500 demos and 2x more world premieres and product reveals than last year.
- 40% more C‑level attendees, 4,000 investors, and over 4,200 partners and exhibitors across more than 30 sectors.
- 60+ country pavilions (up 20%), including new arrivals such as Singapore, Oman, and Zimbabwe, alongside major ecosystems like South Korea and Japan.
If VivaTech is celebrating its own anniversary, 2026 is also a symbolic year for European tech. The organizers reiterated a conviction: Europe’s strength lies not only in its regulations and values, but in its capacity to act as a team.
19 European countries are expected in Paris, with national pavilions showcasing their ecosystems and their vision of technological sovereignty. Germany, named Country of the Year 2026, will take center stage with nearly 200 startups, major groups, and institutional partners.
Among the Leading Voices at VivaTech 2026:
- Joe Tsai, Vice President, Alibaba
- Valeris Baudson, CEO, Amundi
- Christophe Fouquet, President, ASML
- Shantanu Narayen, Chair & CEO, Adobe
- Yann Le Cun, Chairman, AMI Labs
AI & Productivity
At VivaTech 2026 AI is the headline act, as the engine driving real productivity gains, and tangible business results.
Speakers:
- Roland Busch, CEO, SIEMENS
- Julia White, CMO, AWS
Innovations and companies:
- HABS x Unitree – world‑exclusive live telepathy experience between a human and a humanoid robot using non‑invasive Neuro‑AI to decode cognitive signals.
- GetVocal AI (France) – conversational AI platform allowing supervisors to monitor, control, and collaborate with AI agents in real time across voice, chat, and email.
Cybersecurity & Defense
As attacks multiply and digital infrastructures become critical, cybersecurity and defense are emerging as core strategic fields where AI, software, and space converge.
Speakers:
- Nicole Carignan, SVP Security & AI Strategy, Field CISO, Darktrace
- Christopher Porter, Head of International Security Cooperation, Google
- Adel Haddoud, CEO, Infinite Orbit
Innovations and companies:
- Aikido (Belgium) – newly minted cybersecurity unicorn platform for developers that automatically detects and fixes vulnerabilities in code and cloud services.
- MBDA (France) – SPLINTER, a “hunter” satellite in low Earth orbit designed to secure access to space in the face of jamming, trajectory manipulation and in‑orbit attacks.
GreenTech, Energy, and Mobility
GreenTech now sits at the crossroads of climate action, economic growth, and the energy demands of AI with massive investment flowing into renewables and storage.
Speakers:
- Tim Heal, CSO, Octopus Energy
- Philippe Piron, President Electrification and CEO Power Conversion & Grid Solutions, GE Vernova
Innovations and companies:
- Nyobolt (UK) – ultra‑fast energy storage solutions whose batteries can reach 80% charge in under five minutes for data centers, robot fleets and EVs.
- Tenaka (France) – world‑exclusive ocean carbon sinks designed to regenerate marine ecosystems while capturing CO₂, with tailor‑made programs for companies.
Deeptech & “Tech to Watch”
Deeptech is reshaping entire industries through scientific breakthroughs in biotech, space, advanced computing and new materials, backed by record levels of investment.
Speakers:
- Joan Mannick, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Product Development, Altos Labs
- Tamer Mohamed, Founder & CEO, Aspect Biosystems
- Hélène Huby, Co‑founder, Global Space Venture
Innovations and companies:
- XPANCEO (UAE) – intelligent contact lens powered by AI and extended reality, designed to display information directly in the field of vision.
- EOS x SPACE and other emerging players – developing next‑generation space and orbital technologies that redefine how we observe and operate in space.
From June 17-20, all of these speakers, companies, innovations, and thousands more will converge at Paris’ Porte de Versailles for VivaTech’s 10th edition.
This year, the celebration even starts early! On Sunday 14 June, VivaTech will take over the Champs‑Élysées and turn the world’s most famous avenue into Europe’s largest open‑air immersive tech experience!
VivaTech isn’t just where you come to see the future of tech. It’s where you come to decide what happens next. So book your pass and join the VivaTech Generation in Paris this June.
To learn more, you can read our official press release here.
