Conference Program

AfricaTech Awards

The AfricaTech Awards are back for the fourth edition with a new set of exciting startups across GreenTech, HealthTech and FinTech & E-commerce. The finalists will pitch on the AfricaTech Lab scene. Come discover the pitch of the finalists on stage, with the presence of Edouard Mendy, the godfather of this year's event. 2025 Finalists : GreenTech - Cloudfret - MellowVans - Plentify E-Commerce & FinTech: - eMaisha Pay - Happy Pay - Zeeh Africa Health Tech: - Reme-D - SafeSip Limited - Zuri Health

So Close No Matter How Far: Digital Nomadism, Remote Work & Global Talent Acquisition

In recent years, the job market has seen a profound shift with the rise of remote work and digital nomadism, leading to a global movement allowing people not just to work from home, but from anywhere in the world. While the post-pandemic landscape initially leaned toward hybrid models, new mandates suggest a gradual return to office life, with some even predicting a full reversal by 2027 in part of the world. Yet, remote work continues to resonate strongly with employees, as evidenced by the estimated 35 million people worldwide now identifying as digital nomads. The growing divide between organizational expectations and employee preferences is redefining how organizations attract, manage, and retain global talent. This session explores the future of remote work and digital nomadism: What opportunities and challenges do hybrid, and remote models present when acquiring and managing global talent? How can we reconcile the dichotomy between tension in the tech market and remote talent acquisition? How are companies successfully integrating digital nomads or remote workers into their teams? Are remote working and digital nomadism here to stay?

Founders’ Story with Factorial & Atomico

Discover the story behind the innovations and the collaborative networks that propelled their startup forward through the unique journey of its founder.

The Intelligent Ally: How is AI Reshaping Medical Practice?

The healthcare landscape is undergoing a paradigm shift, as artificial intelligence moves from theoretical potential to practical application. AI-powered tools are now enhancing diagnostic imaging, predicting patient risk, and even personalizing treatment protocols, promising to revolutionize patient outcomes. This session explores the tangible ways AI is reshaping medical practice, from precision diagnostics to optimized patient care and targeted interventions. How can AI-driven insights improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare? We hear from the innovators pioneering these advancements.

Mind the Gap: Why FemTech Needs More Investment Now

FemTech is one of the fastest-growing sectors in healthcare, with the global market projected to reach $60 billion by 2027. Despite its vast potential, women’s health remains critically underfunded—receiving just 4% of healthcare R&D investment and less than 2% of venture capital funding. These low investment levels underline a significant market gap, revealing great opportunities for innovation and growth. This session will bring together FemTech founders, investors, and industry leaders to uncover the untapped potential in this space, highlight the economic and societal benefits of investing in women’s health, and explore how FemTech can drive both business success and global impact.

Healthcare for All? Balancing Innovation and Equity Using AI

AI is poised to reshape healthcare, promising to lower costs and expand access through remote monitoring and teleconsultations. Yet, this potential comes with a critical caveat: the risk of exacerbating existing inequalities. Biased datasets and flawed algorithms can perpetuate disparities, disproportionately impacting minority populations and the global south. How can we proactively mitigate AI's risks in healthcare, and what actionable strategies will guarantee equitable access to its benefits?

The Price of Truth: Balancing Profit and Purpose in the Digital Era

Journalism faces a stark reality: its traditional revenue models, once a fortunate coincidence of advertising, have evaporated. In an age of diverse information sources and AI disruption, the industry must redefine its value proposition. This session explores how media outlets can move beyond clickbait and rediscover their purpose—serving the public with high-quality, relevant content. We'll examine successful monetization strategies, the role of philanthropy, and the delicate balance between economic pressures and journalistic integrity. Is it time for a fundamental rethink, and how can journalism truly serve its audience in this new era?

The Deliberate Algorithm: Choosing AI's Ethical Path

History has taught us that technological advancement doesn't always guarantee positive change. Balancing profit with purpose – and cultivating a conscientious approach to development and deployment – is crucial. This session confronts the ethical choices shaping AI's trajectory. How can we ensure AI serves humanity's best interests? How can we identify and prioritize applications that address pressing challenges, not theoretical possibilities? And where do we draw the line on AI’s capabilities? Three experts weigh in.

CTRL + Couture: Craftsmanship in the Age of Automation 

The fashion industry is shifting as garments become smart, connected, augmented while new creation and production methods are emerging. This opening session of the first fashiontech show at VivaTech - curated by Institut Francais de la Mode - presents a brief State of the Art of the Fashion & Tech industry, setting up the ground for the following line-up of demos and experiences by upcoming designers and creative studios. Dive into inspiring ideas, use cases and key concepts of Automation for Fashion, IoT and XR and discover a new generation of tech-powered garments.

Garments that fit : How Can We Make Virtual Try-On Truly Accurate and Inclusive ?

The fashion industry is embracing virtual try-on, but how can we ensure it truly reflects real bodies and real garments? This live demo explores the impact of using real graded pattern data and inclusive avatars to deliver a try-on experience that feels precise, and representative. Join us to see how accuracy meets inclusivity — in real time. Session curated by Institut Français de la Mode (IFM).

Wear the Vibe: Tech, Touch, Fashion, Emotion

Fashion you see—and fashion you feel. In this live session, Francesca Rosella, Chief Creative Director at CuteCircuit, presents the SoundShirt: a wearable that transforms sound into touch. Alongside the Kenya Olympic team kit, this showcase reveals how tech-infused fashion connects people through multisensory experience, presence, and emotion. Curated by Institut Français de la Mode (IFM).

At the crossroads of tech and creativity with La French Touch!

Travel through history, interact with iconic artistic figures and artworks and dive into immersive expeditions with four leading startups of La French Touch bridging the gap between tech and creative industries. HISTOVERY: Histovery is the leading company in scientifically validated and engaging 3D reconstructions of the past. With over 3 million visitors annually across 20 cultural institutions worldwide, they will present how their experiences are revolutionizing cultural visits, both on-site and beyond museum walls through international traveling Augmented Exhibitions. ASK MONA: Discover how generative AI can turn any object — from a masterpiece like the Mona Lisa to a bottle of wine — into a conversational companion. This demo showcases immersive dialogues projected on screen, revealing how technology reshapes storytelling, education, and consumption by making physical objects speak, inform, and enchant.

Securing Agentic AI: Safeguarding Autonomous Decisions for a Secure Tomorrow

As generative and agentic AI technologies rapidly integrate into enterprise systems, they are reshaping how organisations innovate - but also introducing a new spectrum of security and governance challenges. This session helps guide clients through this evolving AI security landscape and discusses actions to take to stay ahead of emerging risks and maintain effective governance.

Evaluating AI Agents At Scale

AI agents are evolving beyond simple chat, browsing the web and interacting with your computer. But how do we ensure they're safe and effective? We'll explore evaluation frameworks for AI agents and how to organize testing of an AI agent to identify vulnerabilities.  The session provides insights into building more robust  AI systems.

Founders Discussion - Execution is Everything: How Founders Deliver at Scale

Scaling a business isn’t just about growth—it’s about executing with precision at every stage. Learn what it takes to scale operations, grow teams, and maintain performance in fast-paced environments. From aligning strategy with execution to structuring teams for speed, discover how to manage the shift from startup agility to sustained growth.

Founders Discussion - Borderless Growth: How to Scale Internationally

Expanding your business internationally requires a thoughtful approach and a clear strategy. This discussion will focus on how to identify key markets, tailor your product to local needs, and navigate the complexities of legal and operational differences. We will also explore how to rethink your burn rate, evaluate the capital needed to grow in specific areas, and ensure that your expansion is both efficient and sustainable.

Frugal AI: Optimizing AI Infrastructure for Efficiency and Scale

As AI models grow in size and complexity, scaling infrastructure efficiently becomes a critical challenge. This panel will explore strategies for optimizing AI systems, focusing on reducing the high costs and energy consumption associated with training and running large language models (LLMs). The discussion will cover recent innovations that improve performance while optimizing cost and energy efficiency. The conversation will also address the future of AI infrastructure, examining how it can evolve to meet the growing demands of machine learning while prioritizing cost-effectiveness and sustainability.

AI, Tech & #huManpower: Redefining the Future of Work

Helping people find their next great job and build successful careers starts with ensuring they have a great experience; from applying to a role to completing their assignment to finding the next perfect fit. ManpowerGroup is transforming this journey through AI-powered matching and tech solutions to put people first. We're seeking innovative ways to reimagine the hiring process and help people build long-term careers. Join us in unleashing #huManpower so everyone can reach their full potential.

VivaTech Innovation of the Year

The VivaTech Innovation of the Year is here to celebrate and spotlight trailblazing startups that are reshaping the future. This prestigious award is open to all exhibiting startups at VivaTech 2025 and recognizes one startup that has demonstrated exceptional creativity, technological ingenuity, and the potential to transform its industry.

Final of the Next Startupper Challenge - Championing the Next Gen of Entrepreneurs

The Next Startupper Challenge, sponsored by CCI France, highlights a new kind of founder—students who aren’t waiting to graduate to make an impact. This inter-school competition brings together young entrepreneurs tackling today’s most pressing challenges with bold, purpose-driven ideas. For this 7th edition, six outstanding finalists have been selected for the strength of their vision and the potential of their impact. They are: Artemisia (Typhaine Brual), Atmosph’air (Bérénice Arias), Greeny Solutions (Zied Madini), Awoken (Corentin Neker), Young Jobs (Maxence Lamhaut), and Fairconn AiCT (Regine Ngah Ekembe). These finalists will pitch their projects to a jury of experts, with the support of their mentor for the evening, Julie Huguet. The grand winner will be revealed on Thursday, June 12, during the Global Awards Ceremony. This session is your chance to discover the next generation of changemakers—creative, committed, and already shaping a better future.

Japanese Corporates Looking for Startups: Reverse Pitch Session

We are welcoming four Japanese corporates who will share their backgrounds, theses and goals to collaborate with startups in the AI / Decarbonization fields. Whether you are on an early-stage or on a growth-stage, this event might be an opportunity to lead your success by co-creating business, technology with them or for an investment. Join us for this reverse pitch session to meet your next strategic partner. This event is held by JETRO (Japan External Organization) as Japan Innovation Bridge(J-Bridge) Activities. Speakers: Shimizu Corporation, JX Advanced Metals Corporation, Yamato Holdings Corporation, Fujitsu France Related Fields : Artificial Intelligence, Decarbonization, Resource Recycling, Smart Cities, Smart Buildings, Wellbeing, Urban Resilience, Semiconductor, Photonics, Energy, Heat management, Space, Defense, Logistics, Computer Vision About J-Bridge: A business platform to facilitate collaboration between Japanese and overseas companies. JETRO supports cross-border open innovation for accelerating digital and green transformation.

From the Ground Up: Building Resilient Cities

With over half of the world's population now residing in cities—and projections indicating that figure will near 70% by 2050—the urgency to redesign urban spaces is undeniable. Climate change has become a present reality, evidenced by more frequent extreme weather events that test the limits of our urban infrastructures. What are the foundational elements of urban resilience we must strengthen? How can we get our cities closer to net zero? And what bold actions can we take today to build cities capable of withstanding climate challenges for future generations?

Transmedia Storytelling: Crafting Narratives Across Multiple Platforms (IP)

Spanning multiple mediums—films, video games, series, even toys—allows creators to build richer, more expansive worlds, fostering deeper engagement and loyalty among consumers. But challenges abound: innovating within established intellectual properties requires balancing freshness with familiarity to honor existing fans, while launching a new IP in a crowded market demands standout creativity and strategic positioning. Different platforms offer unique advantages for reaching new audiences, but leveraging them effectively requires a cohesive strategy to maintain narrative consistency and depth across all channels. How can creators craft unified stories that resonate across diverse platforms? What strategies navigate the tensions between innovating within established IPs and launching new ones? And how can harnessing various media amplify a narrative's reach in an increasingly competitive environment?

Opening Ceremony

With a new year of innovation ahead, we are excited to kick off this 9th edition — a celebration of technology’s brightest minds, groundbreaking ideas, and the future we’re building together. The world is facing complex challenges that don't have simple solutions; it requires innovation and partnership. Over the next four days, get ready to explore cutting-edge solutions, connect with global leaders, and dive into the conversations shaping tomorrow. Let’s begin this journey of discovery, collaboration, and inspiration.

Software République

Beyond the Button: Reinventing the Future of Consumer Commerce

Today’s consumers expect more than just secure payments—they want seamless experiences, personalized interactions, and intelligent solutions that anticipate their needs. From smart wallets that offer tailored rewards, to flexible Buy Now Pay Later options and support for crypto, new innovations are reshaping how people engage with their money. How are technologies like agentic AI enabling real-time personalization? How are reimagined checkout flows reducing friction at every step? This isn’t just about adding features but redefining the role of a payments company in the modern digital economy. Join us for a look at what it means to move beyond transactions and toward a more connected, intelligent commerce journey.

The Human Algorithm: Leading Work and Talent in the AI Age

AI is fundamentally recalibrating the global talent landscape. For organizations of all scales, from luxury conglomerates to agile startups, understanding and adapting to this seismic shift is paramount. This session brings together two global leaders to explore the macro implications of AI on the future of work. We will dissect how AI is redefining the skills ecosystem, the strategic imperatives for talent acquisition and development, and the broader societal impact on employment and economic growth. What are the most critical pivots that global organizations must make in their talent strategies to maintain competitiveness? And beyond mere reskilling, how can leaders cultivate a culture of human adaptability and ingenuity that thrives alongside AI?

The Future of AI in Enterprise

As AI redefines and transforms businesses around the world, regulated sectors like finance, healthcare, and the public sector find themselves at a crossroads. Martin Kon will discuss practical strategies for leveraging AI in security-minded enterprises to innovate, improve efficiency, and create better customer experiences. He will cover how leading enterprises are overcoming key barriers to adoption and how they are using AI in practice to drive competitive advantage

AI Code of Conduct: Building the Rules for a Machine-Powered World

AI Creative Show

Lights, AI, Action ! VivaTech presents an exclusive showcase of creativity and innovation in partnership with Runway’s AI Film Festival, mk2 group, TF1 group and We Are. How is AI revolutionizing creative expression ? Join this dazzling evening featuring a European premiere screening of a selection of winning short films from the 3rd edition of Runway’s AI Film Festival, inspiring talks by creative leaders exploring the new frontiers of creation and some creative experiences ! Doors open at 5.30pm. Limited capacity.