Let’s start with the big picture vision behind VivaTech 2024; what key themes or trends can we expect to see during this 8th edition event?
This year, we’ve decided to explore 3 major themes that will shape the future of our societies in the weeks, months and years to come: Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability and Mobility. We’ve brought together leading companies and the most influential speakers to debate topics such as Internet & Democracy, Resilient Ecosystems, Future of Societies, Creators’ Economy and many more. We’ll also be welcoming major corporations and startups from all over the world to highlight the richness of the international tech ecosystem with ground-breaking innovations.
At this year’s Viva Technology – a startup and Tech event located at the Porte de Versailles, in Paris France – you’ll be able to see the likes of Esper Bionics and Biped AI, which use AI to enable people with motor problems or blindness to live their lives autonomously; healthcare solutions with Primaa, which fights cancer; and the future of mobility with Volocopter and its eVTOL, not forgetting the presence of Tesla and its entire ecosystem, whose mission is to accelerate the global transition to more sustainable energy. This is only a small part of our program, as we promise many surprises for this 8th edition.
Which speakers are you the most excited about hosting on stage this year? What unique ideas or insights are you hoping they’ll share with attendees?
We’re delighted that our speakers include some of the biggest tech leaders in the Artificial Intelligence sector, such as Arthur Mensch (Mistral AI), Jonas Andrulis (Aleph Alpha), Dario Amodei (Anthropic), Thomas Wolf (Hugging Face), Thomas Clozel (Owkin) and many others.
But also younger profiles with a very interesting vision of what AI should be, such as Sneha Revanur (Encode Justice). Linda Yaccarino (X) and Meredith Whittaker (Signal) will also be must-sees at Viva Technology on all subjects concerning the future of media. We’ll also be hearing from political figures such as Thierry Breton, Marina Ferrari, Charles Michel and John Kerry.
And last but not least, this year we’re lucky enough to welcome Venus and Serena Williams as part of their involvement with startup Shares. We know that each of the speakers will bring a fresh perspective on the future of our societies, which is – and will become even more so over time – intrinsically linked to technology. We’re convinced of this, and hope that our visitors will be too, and that everyone will leave with a head full of new ideas. But if you want to find out more, you’ll have to attend these talks!
Compared to other global Tech events, what unique experiences can attendees expect at VivaTech 2024?
What sets us apart from other events is the significant presence of major corporate groups – corporate innovation players who attend Viva Technology to discover new products and establish relationships with startups. Any startup can visit their booths, demo their products and engage in conversations with their decision-makers. This opportunity is invaluable, considering how challenging it can be for connecting startups to identify the right decision-makers within large corporate groups and initiate conversations with them.
What’s all the buzz about “Startup Thursday” this year? Any specific workshops or mentoring sessions that founders should know about?
It’s not Tacos Tuesday but rather Startup Thursday 😉
As usual, our 4 day conference program covers a wide range of topics that are of interest to startups. However, this year we have decided to take it even further by designing a dedicated educational program for startups at Stage 4 on Thursday, May 23rd. Anyone working for a startup will have the opportunity to learn best industry practice and leave with key takeaways they can apply to their business. Topics include growth and scaling strategy, IPO & exit strategy, talent recruitment, social-first marketing and more. You can find the full program of Startup Thursday here.
What about this year’s Startup Challenges and VivaTech Awards? How are you planning to help founders get better, more relevant meetings with corporates and close deals on-site?
Months before VivaTech 2024, some of the world’s biggest challenges and awards open up for startups to apply for a chance to compete onsite at VivaTech. Every year, there are almost 50 challenges from partners like the LVMH Innovation Award and Orange Startup Challenges to VivaTech’s own Female Founder Challenge.
This year set a new record with over 6,200 applications from 90 different countries. Startups selected through the challenges have the opportunity to either exhibit with corporate groups and then get closer to them during the 4 days of Viva Technology, or pitch their product onstage to their decision makers. It’s definitely the best gateway to corporates.
Speaking of networking, how is VivaTech planning to enhance the overall networking experience for startups during the event, including meeting investors?
We are thrilled this year to present a new dedicated lounge for startups founders and CEOs. This lounge allows them to meet with their peers, grow their network, forge new collaborations.
We also host “Founders Discussions” there – intimate sessions designed for founders to ask their questions and pick the brains of successful founders or experts who share advice on key business topics, ranging from product development to fundraising, go-to-market strategy, internationalization, hiring and more. You can find the full program of Founders Discussion here.
New this year too, the Connection Hub – where startups can get 5 pre-qualified meetings with potential business partners (CTOs & CMOs) who are looking for a turnkey solution they can solve with their product.
We’ve also added a networking feature to our mobile application, enabling everyone to connect and expand their contacts. And this year, the mobile application is getting a makeover with VivaTech AI Copilot, an AI-powered conversational bot that takes the visitor experience one step further, offering them the chance to discover sessions and exhibitors that are closest to their interests.
We also arrange meetings for our awards finalists with key investment funds whose investment thesis match with their products. For example, Clarisse Hagège, winner of the Female Founder Challenge 2021 and founder & CEO of DNFS, raised €12.3 million in seed capital in 2022 shared that “VivaTech allowed me to meet my mentor who later put me in touch with the right people for my fundraising and to have credibility with investors.”
Last but not least, we’re also delighted to invite all startups to many side events! Indeed, VivaTech’s program doesn’t stop at Porte de Versailles, and extends far beyond, with parallel events – breakfast, afterwork, evening – promising meetings, exchanges and good times. And the fun begins on Wednesday evening, May 22, with Viva Night! As part of the event, the Rue Montorgueil in Paris is privatized, and the bars are taken over by investment funds. Startups can go from bar to bar and pitch their product in a convivial setting.
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