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Good technology does more than just disrupt industries. It creates a positive impact on the planet and society. This belief is exactly why VivaTech launched initiatives, which you can explore on the VivaTech awards and challenges page. The Tech for Change Award was created to celebrate early-stage companies that put real, measurable change at the very center of their business models across three main categories: Environment, Society, and Health. Out of the recognized companies this year, these six top ventures represent the best in responsible innovation. The award is sponsored by Axionable, Envision Group, UNESCO, WWF, and Groupe Les Echos Le Parisien.
The Finalists
DataGreen – France
DataGreen is reinventing data infrastructure specifically for the high-demand era of artificial intelligence. Instead of using traditional air conditioning, which consumes massive amounts of electricity, the company uses direct chip cooling and hermetic (completely airtight) servers. This unique approach allows them to recover 98% of leftover heat and reuse it to power nearby buildings or public heating networks. Ultimately, their design reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 82% and cuts energy costs by 50%, providing a highly secure and sustainable digital foundation.
Starfish Bioscience – France
Starfish Bioscience focuses on underground ecosystems to build climate-resilient agriculture. Healthy farming relies on tiny organisms in the dirt, but 60% to 70% of European soils are currently degraded, costing the region roughly €50 billion every year. To fix this, Starfish Bioscience uses DNA sequencing and AI to map soil health. They have already built the first bacterial genome atlas for vineyard soils in Bordeaux, which holds over 10,000 bacterial genomes and 40 million genes. This data allows them to create natural non-GMO biosolutions that restore vital bacteria, improve water retention, and help crops survive severe droughts.
Alithea Bio – Germany
Alithea Bio brings advanced data analytics and AI to the fight against cancer. Developing personalized immunotherapies is incredibly complex, but Alithea Bio makes the process faster and safer. Their digital platform, called HLA-Compass, holds a massive database of 1.4 million unique peptides (short chains of amino acids) and 10,000 cancer-specific epitopes (the specific parts of a protein that the immune system recognizes). By analyzing this real-world biological data, pharmaceutical companies can accurately predict potential drug toxicity and unforeseen risks before trials even begin, protecting patient safety and saving valuable time and money.
Exolumen – Netherlands
Exolumen solves a major problem in the operating room: the distraction of looking back and forth between a patient and a computer screen. They’ve developed a patented augmented reality projector that shines critical anatomical data, like blood vessels and muscles, directly onto a patient’s skin. The projection automatically adjusts in real-time to any movements made by the patient or surgical team, making sure that everyone in the room shares the exact same view. This shared clarity significantly reduces a surgeon’s cognitive load; in fact, clinical tests show that Exolumen saves an average of 17 minutes during preparation and makes surgeries 19 minutes faster.
Dots for Africa – Japan
Dots for Africa is actively bringing technology to remote communities by providing internet access where traditional infrastructure doesn’t exist. The startup sets up solar-powered digital hubs directly into rural villages to offer essential services like device charging, printing, e-learning, and equipment financing. Their real-world impact is already highly visible, having successfully set up these hubs across 600 villages in Benin and Senegal. Today, they serve over 800,000 first-time digital users, and an incredible 99% of these individuals had never owned a smartphone before, unlocking new opportunities.
CircleMind – France
CircleMind is transforming education by creating a digital learning interface that adjusts specifically to the unique needs of every user. Instead of using a single standard approach, their modular system utilizes advanced knowledge graphs to change content formats and learning speeds based on an individual’s personal way of thinking. This makes sure that educational information is always contextually accurate and authoritative. Their underlying AI technology, known as Fast-GraphRAG, is incredibly efficient – delivering tailored pathways in just 8.77 seconds while using significantly less data tokens than traditional methods.
These startups show that the future of technology belongs to innovation with a clear purpose. If you want to connect with global changemakers year-round, you can join the Viva+ sustainability community for leaders to keep driving impact forward. To see these brilliant finalists pitch their solutions live on stage in Paris, make sure to meet them at VivaTech 2026 and secure your pass today.
