Conference Program
Our program is currently a work in process and will be updated regularly in the upcoming weeks leading up to this year's edition.
Less is More: How Specialized AI Solutions Drive Business Value
Massive AI systems tend to dominate the conversation, but specialized and focused AI approaches are emerging as powerful alternatives for businesses seeking tangible results. These domain-specific solutions, whether for analytics, decision support, process automation, or industry-specific applications, often deliver superior ROI through enhanced efficiency, reduced computational requirements, and tighter alignment with business objectives. But how do they truly compare? In which scenarios do they outperform their larger counterparts? Are they better suited for future agentic AI applications? Join us to discuss practical insights into deployment strategies for specialized AI solutions and use cases to unlock new opportunities across industries.
The Future of Work in the Age of Neurotechnology and AI
In this provocative keynote, Nita Farahany explores how artificial intelligence and neurotechnology are reshaping the workplace—and the relationship between employers and employees. From brain-monitoring wearables that promise improved safety and productivity, to emerging tools that risk undermining mental privacy, Farahany reveals a future where our inner lives may no longer be off-limits. She argues that the path forward must be built on transparency, regulation, and above all, trust—ensuring that innovation strengthens, rather than fractures, the dignity of work and the foundations of a respectful workplace.
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?
Striking the Right Balance: Founders’ Mental Health
The entrepreneurial journey is often an emotional rollercoaster, pushing 49% of founders to consider leaving their startups in 2024. This sentiment is heightened by the current challenging economic conditions in the tech market. Outside of their growth challenge, founders also face additional pressures, including maintaining work-life balance and navigating internal conflicts as their companies grow. But a positive shift is emerging: mental health in the startup ecosystem is becoming a more open conversation. Founders and industry leaders are increasingly sharing their personal experiences, breaking down barriers and fostering awareness about mental well-being. This session explores practical ways to build support systems for founders and their teams. Together, we’ll discuss how to normalize mental health conversations in the tech ecosystem and create a healthier, more sustainable environment for innovation.
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.
Exit Backlog: What Alternatives To The Traffic Jams?
2024 was a slow year for startup exits, with the backlog of companies awaiting an exit surging to over 55,000, according to PitchBook—a record high. While smaller startup exits continued at a steady pace, the absence of IPOs created a bottleneck, slowing down both late-stage companies and the broader VC market. This stagnation has forced mature startups to explore alternative exit strategies, including secondaries, M&As, or extended private market stays, while in Europe, many startups are looking across the Atlantic for IPOs or acquisition opportunities. Some anticipate a return to normalcy in 2025, with a wave of unicorn IPOs. However, the geopolitical climate could disrupt these expectations, reshuffling the exit landscape. This session will explore how seasoned VCs in the US, China, and Europe are navigating the backlog and what alternative exit strategies are emerging.
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.
The AI Frontier: A Founder's Vision for Cancer's Future
What if AI could drastically accelerate the development of cancer treatments? This is the challenge French startup Orakl Oncology is tackling head-on. In this session, discover how the company is reshaping drug development by combining real-world patient data with cutting-edge biology to create an AI-powered platform. Join the founder, in conversation with a key investor, as they reveal how this approach is redefining the future of oncology, improving clinical trial success, and driving the next generation of cancer therapies.
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 New Information Gods: From Fact-Checking to Reality-Checking
The information landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. Declining trust in traditional media, fragmented sources, and weakened social platform moderation have created fertile ground for misinformation. In this era, discerning truth from fiction is more critical than ever. As traditional gatekeepers falter, the burden of critical evaluation shifts to individuals. How can we navigate this information war, what new tools and skills are needed and what role does AI play in both the problem and the solution?
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?
From Words to Action: Exploring the Global Landscape of AI Regulation
The race to regulate AI is (still) on, with the U.S., Europe, China, and other global powers vying for leadership. This session dives into the diverse legislative approaches and practical implementations shaping the future of AI. We’ll explore how geopolitical alliances and rivalries influence the development and enforcement of these regulations, and the extent to which these varying regulatory frameworks are driving – or stifling? – innovation.
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.
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).
The Future of Eyewear: Made To Fit, Made To Order, Made In France
Discover how Visages is reshaping the eyewear industry through local, on-demand and zero-waste production using the full potential of AI and 3D-printing technologies. From VR design to 3D face-scanning and personalization, this live demo reveals how any creative can design and launch a custom eyewear model in hours – sustainably, and inventory-free.
Live Phygital Catwalk: Interactive demo of phygital fashion and beauty products
Fashion and beauty now demand products that look stunning not just in reality but also online. This can be achieved by integration of an AR layer, activated during production, that acts as a creative content production preset. Award-winning innovation tech studio FFFACE.ME's showcase of phygital looks - Jeans, T-shirts, Jewlery, Face stickers - will offer a glimpse into fashion and beauty industries' future today. Curated by Institut Français de la Mode (IFM).
How Will Driverless Vehicles Hit the Road?
Imagine stepping into a car that navigates the bustling streets all on its own, letting you relax, catch up on work, or enjoy the scenery without having to steer the wheel. From newcomers to historic carmakers, many companies are vying turn this vision into reality, testing autonomous vehicles that could revolutionize how we move through the world. Yet, challenges loom: How do we address the ethical dilemmas of machine decision-making? What happens to jobs reliant on driving? And what are the technical challenges we need to overcome for this technology to be market-ready?
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?
How Can Tourism Become More Sustainable?
Global travel is more accessible than ever, but this surge brings urgent concerns about sustainability. Overcrowded destinations are feeling the strain of "over-tourism," leading to environmental degradation and diminished local quality of life. How do regulators face the conundrum of fostering tourism that is good for the economy, while protecting the local quality of life? How are travel companies adapting to promote sustainable ways of travel? And how are consumer habits evolving, influenced by the use of digital travel platforms and social media?
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?
The War for Your Attention: The Changing Landscape of Content Distribution
Monday to Sunday, we spend significant portions of our day staring at screens. Beneath the glass surface, a fierce competition is unfolding among content creators, streaming services, social media platforms, and game developers—all vying to captivate our attention. The rise of streaming and subscription-based models has granted us unprecedented access to high-quality content. Meanwhile, independent creators on platforms like YouTube are producing their own content, better than ever before, to rival that of entertainment giants, blurring the lines between amateur and professional media. Why do certain formats grip us more profoundly than others? How do industries pivot to meet the ever-evolving preferences of audiences inundated with choices? And to what extent are we freely choosing how to spend our time and money when sophisticated algorithms and enticing content are steering us?
Opening Ceremony
Welcoming the Country of the Year
Software République
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 - Some creative surprises ! Doors open at 5.30pm. Limited capacity.