VivaTech Press Releases
Tomorrow's biggest stories in tech and business begin in Paris at VivaTech.
2024.04.24
- FR
- EN
Female Founder Challenge 2024: Viva Technology supports and celebrates women entrepreneurs
Paris, 24 April 2024 - For the sixth year running, Viva Technology is organizing the Female Founder Challenge sponsored by JCDecaux, Mazars and Verizon. This initiative, supported by the SISTA collective, celebrates women entrepreneurs and their contributions to the creation and development of innovative companies. It has a dual objective:
- To facilitate networking among women entrepreneurs
- To facilitate access to finance by putting them in touch with venture capital funds
For several years now, there has been a significant increase in the number of women entrepreneurs in the technology ecosystem. However, the amount of funding awarded to female founding teams is still much lower than that awarded to men. In 2022, only 2% of global venture capital funds went to exclusively female founding teams, compared with 15% to mixed founding teams. In the same year, 94% of funds raised by women were less than 15 million euros, compared with 215 million euros for men.
That's why, since 2019, Viva Technology has been committed to shining a spotlight on these women and giving them the visibility and recognition they deserve.
After receiving more than 580 applications, Viva Technology, Mazars, IRIS and the members of the jury will reveal the five startups selected to present their solutions on hursday 23 May on Stage 1, hosted by Yacine Sqalli, CEO and host of the podcast "Dans la tête d’un(e) CEO".
The selected startups are:
- AIRMO, Germany: AIRMO offers innovative satellite technology for monitoring greenhouse gasses. Their solution provides accurate, real-time analysis of CO2 and CO4 emissions, giving organizations a clear picture of their environmental impact.
About the founder: After completing her studies and doctorate in theoretical mechanics, AIRMO’s CEO and co-founder, Daria Stepanova, worked for more than seven years as an aerospace engineer before becoming an entrepreneur. Her extensive background in the space industry has given her an excellent overview of the sector. Thanks to her startup's cutting-edge technology, Dara aspires to reduce carbon emissions on a global scale.
- BIONIRS, Argentina: To address the devastating consequences of breast cancer, BIONIRS has developed MamoRef technology to improve early detection of the disease. By harnessing data collected using infrared light, this innovation provides patients with painless, affordable mammograms while improving the emotional experience of diagnosis.
About the founder: CEO and co-founder of BIONIRS, Pamela Pardini is an influential figure in the science and technology community. As a physicist, she has led innovative research highlighting disruptive solutions to improve women's health and reduce disparities in access to medical care. Her expertise has earned her the prize for the best doctoral thesis in experimental physics.
- HappyPal, France: Combining SaaS, fintech, and a mobile app, HappyPal has set itself the mission to make employee benefits clear, accessible, and flexible. HappyPal personalizes benefits at an individual level to suit the situation and specific needs of each employee, while enabling Employee Representatives Committees (CSE) - at a collective level - to shape the offer in the image of their unique values and commitments. From virtual bank cards to automated reimbursements, HappyPal streamlines the use of benefits, thereby promoting financial well-being and access to a fulfilling life.
About the founder: A graduate from HEC Paris with a Master of Science in Management & Business Administration, supplemented by a Bachelor in Law and another in educational sciences, Alyssa Emmungil combines a passion for entrepreneurship with a strong sensitivity to social issues and equal opportunities. After her initial experiences in business development, particularly in the field of professional training, she developed the ambition to create a company at the heart of social progress in the world of work. Through HappyPal, she works passionately to democratize access to culture, leisure, and financial well-being. With the conviction that benefits - when well-utilized - can be powerful levers of emancipation for employees.
- Inbolt, France: With the creation of the GuideNOW system, Inbolt is enabling industrial robots to be more intelligent thanks to real-time adaptive guidance powered by AI and 3D vision.
About the founder: A graduate of HEC Paris and Polytechnique, Albane Dersy, co-founder and COO of Inbolt, has solid and wide-ranging experience. She has notably worked in strategic consulting and mergers & acquisitions as part of teams specializing in industry, giving her an in-depth understanding of the field. In addition to her leadership role at Inbolt, she is committed to promoting gender equality within technology companies. - Veeton, France: Veeton offers fashion brands an alternative to photo shoots. From a packshot, their platform can generate an infinite variety of high-quality photos, in a single click, courtesy of AI.
About the founder: After graduating with flying colors from HEC Paris and Polytechnique, Flore Lestrade, co-founder and CEO of Veeton, consolidated the expertise she had acquired while working for Ecodair, Doctolib and Bpifrance before embarking on her entrepreneurial adventure.
- To facilitate networking among women entrepreneurs
- To facilitate access to finance by putting them in touch with venture capital funds
For several years now, there has been a significant increase in the number of women entrepreneurs in the technology ecosystem. However, the amount of funding awarded to female founding teams is still much lower than that awarded to men. In 2022, only 2% of global venture capital funds went to exclusively female founding teams, compared with 15% to mixed founding teams. In the same year, 94% of funds raised by women were less than 15 million euros, compared with 215 million euros for men.
That's why, since 2019, Viva Technology has been committed to shining a spotlight on these women and giving them the visibility and recognition they deserve.
After receiving more than 580 applications, Viva Technology, Mazars, IRIS and the members of the jury will reveal the five startups selected to present their solutions on hursday 23 May on Stage 1, hosted by Yacine Sqalli, CEO and host of the podcast "Dans la tête d’un(e) CEO".
The selected startups are:
- AIRMO, Germany: AIRMO offers innovative satellite technology for monitoring greenhouse gasses. Their solution provides accurate, real-time analysis of CO2 and CO4 emissions, giving organizations a clear picture of their environmental impact.
About the founder: After completing her studies and doctorate in theoretical mechanics, AIRMO’s CEO and co-founder, Daria Stepanova, worked for more than seven years as an aerospace engineer before becoming an entrepreneur. Her extensive background in the space industry has given her an excellent overview of the sector. Thanks to her startup's cutting-edge technology, Dara aspires to reduce carbon emissions on a global scale.
- BIONIRS, Argentina: To address the devastating consequences of breast cancer, BIONIRS has developed MamoRef technology to improve early detection of the disease. By harnessing data collected using infrared light, this innovation provides patients with painless, affordable mammograms while improving the emotional experience of diagnosis.
About the founder: CEO and co-founder of BIONIRS, Pamela Pardini is an influential figure in the science and technology community. As a physicist, she has led innovative research highlighting disruptive solutions to improve women's health and reduce disparities in access to medical care. Her expertise has earned her the prize for the best doctoral thesis in experimental physics.
- HappyPal, France: Combining SaaS, fintech, and a mobile app, HappyPal has set itself the mission to make employee benefits clear, accessible, and flexible. HappyPal personalizes benefits at an individual level to suit the situation and specific needs of each employee, while enabling Employee Representatives Committees (CSE) - at a collective level - to shape the offer in the image of their unique values and commitments. From virtual bank cards to automated reimbursements, HappyPal streamlines the use of benefits, thereby promoting financial well-being and access to a fulfilling life.
About the founder: A graduate from HEC Paris with a Master of Science in Management & Business Administration, supplemented by a Bachelor in Law and another in educational sciences, Alyssa Emmungil combines a passion for entrepreneurship with a strong sensitivity to social issues and equal opportunities. After her initial experiences in business development, particularly in the field of professional training, she developed the ambition to create a company at the heart of social progress in the world of work. Through HappyPal, she works passionately to democratize access to culture, leisure, and financial well-being. With the conviction that benefits - when well-utilized - can be powerful levers of emancipation for employees.
- Inbolt, France: With the creation of the GuideNOW system, Inbolt is enabling industrial robots to be more intelligent thanks to real-time adaptive guidance powered by AI and 3D vision.
About the founder: A graduate of HEC Paris and Polytechnique, Albane Dersy, co-founder and COO of Inbolt, has solid and wide-ranging experience. She has notably worked in strategic consulting and mergers & acquisitions as part of teams specializing in industry, giving her an in-depth understanding of the field. In addition to her leadership role at Inbolt, she is committed to promoting gender equality within technology companies. - Veeton, France: Veeton offers fashion brands an alternative to photo shoots. From a packshot, their platform can generate an infinite variety of high-quality photos, in a single click, courtesy of AI.
About the founder: After graduating with flying colors from HEC Paris and Polytechnique, Flore Lestrade, co-founder and CEO of Veeton, consolidated the expertise she had acquired while working for Ecodair, Doctolib and Bpifrance before embarking on her entrepreneurial adventure.