Viva Technology

Viva Technology
Name	Viva Technology
Status	Active
Genre	Technology conference
Frequency	Annual
Venue	Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
Location	Paris, France
First	2016
Organizer	Publicis Groupe; Groupe Les Echos Le Parisien
Attendance	100,000+

Viva Technology is an annual technology conference and startup festival held in Paris, France, bringing together startups, investors, corporations, and political leaders for networking, exhibitions, and keynote presentations. It features exhibitions, competitions, and programs that connect technology innovators with established firms, venture capitalists, and policymakers. The event serves as a platform where multinational corporations, academic institutions, and public figures discuss digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and innovation policy.

Overview

Viva Technology convenes major actors from the global technology ecosystem including corporations like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple Inc., IBM, Intel, Samsung Electronics, Facebook, Tencent, Alibaba Group, Salesforce, and Oracle Corporation alongside investors such as Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, SoftBank Group, Index Ventures, and Accel. Government figures and intergovernmental organizations such as European Commission, French government, United States Department of State, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development often participate. Academic and research institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, École Polytechnique, Imperial College London, and Université Paris-Saclay contribute panels and research showcases. Media partners have included Les Echos, Forbes, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal. Major startups and unicorns such as Uber Technologies, Airbnb, Stripe, SpaceX, Palantir Technologies, NVIDIA, ByteDance, Didi Chuxing, Klarna, and Spotify have exhibited or been discussed. The festival attracts venture funds, corporate venture arms like GV, Intel Capital, Salesforce Ventures, and philanthropic organizations such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

History and Development

The inaugural edition launched in 2016, organized by Publicis Groupe and Groupe Les Echos Le Parisien with support from local authorities including Île-de-France, aiming to position Paris as a European innovation hub alongside cities like London, Berlin, San Francisco, and Tel Aviv. Early editions featured participants from global technology centers such as Shenzhen, Bangalore, Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo. Over successive years the conference expanded its footprint with satellite events and partnerships with institutions like European Investment Bank, World Economic Forum, International Monetary Fund, and United Nations agencies. The event adapted through crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic by integrating digital formats and virtual pitch competitions involving accelerators like Y Combinator, Techstars, and Station F. Notable milestones include the introduction of corporate challenges, country pavilions for nations including Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, United Arab Emirates, and regional delegations from Africa with participants such as Nairobi-based hubs and funds like Helios Investment Partners.

Organization and Format

Viva Technology is produced by Publicis Groupe in partnership with media group Groupe Les Echos Le Parisien and supported by municipal and national institutions including Mairie de Paris and French Ministry of Economy and Finance. The multi-hall format at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles includes exhibition booths, startup zones such as Station F collaborations, themed stages with partners like Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, PwC, Accenture, and Capgemini. Programming comprises keynote speeches, panel discussions, startup competitions judged by venture capitalists from firms like Bessemer Venture Partners and Benchmark, hackathons with partners like GitHub, and innovation challenges co-created with corporations including Renault, Airbus, BNP Paribas, and TotalEnergies. Ticketing tiers span trade visitors, corporate delegations, startup packages, and VIP programs for heads of state and executives such as CEOs from Tesla, Inc., BP, and Siemens. The event curates country pavilions, accelerator showcases, and thematic tracks on subjects promoted by institutions like European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

Notable Participants and Speakers

Speakers have included heads of state and government such as Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau, Boris Johnson, and commissioners from the European Commission, along with business leaders like Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Ginni Rometty, Sheryl Sandberg, Meg Whitman, Jack Ma, Masayoshi Son, and venture figures like Marc Andreessen. Academic contributors have represented Harvard University, Oxford University, École Normale Supérieure, and research institutes including INRIA and CNRS. Cultural and creative industry participants have included representatives from BBC, Canal+, Netflix, Warner Bros., and Ubisoft. Civil society and policy voices have come from organizations such as Amnesty International, Transparency International, and European Digital Rights.

Major Themes and Initiatives

Recurring themes include artificial intelligence with research ties to OpenAI, DeepMind, INRIA, and industry labs at Microsoft Research; climate and sustainability initiatives involving partners like UN Environment Programme and corporations such as IKEA and Schneider Electric; mobility and aerospace topics with firms like Airbus, Dassault Aviation, Boeing, and Renault; fintech and regulation discussions with participation from European Central Bank, Bank of England, Stripe, and Revolut; and biotech and healthtech panels featuring institutions like Institut Pasteur, Johns Hopkins University, Roche, Sanofi, and Moderna. Programs often launch partnerships, investment tracks, and accelerator collaborations with organizations such as Hello Tomorrow, Station F, Plug and Play Tech Center, and European Space Agency.

Impact and Reception

Viva Technology has been credited with boosting Paris's profile as a technology hub alongside ecosystems like Silicon Valley, Shenzhen, Bengaluru, and Tel Aviv. Analysts from consultancies such as McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Deloitte have evaluated its role in startup funding flows and corporate innovation strategies. Coverage by The New York Times, Financial Times, The Economist, and Le Monde has ranged from praise for matchmaking and startup visibility to critique regarding diversity and inclusivity akin to debates seen at CES and Web Summit. The festival's seed and Series A networking outcomes have been tracked by databases like Crunchbase, PitchBook, and CB Insights, showing follow-on investment and corporation-startup partnerships that influence procurement and R&D collaborations across industries represented by TotalEnergies, LVMH, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, and EDF.

Category:Technology conferences