Experience VivaTech 2025 | 10 June

TagsTechnologyTechnology, media & telecommunicationsEnvironmental, social and governanceStrategy & operations

With the big launch just around the corner, Paris is already abuzz in preparation for VivaTech 2025. A quick look back at 2024 reveals a record-breaking 165,000 visitors, AI omnipresent across the event and European start-ups commanding global attention. Now 2025 is set to go even further: 14,000 start-ups expected (1,000 more than last year), foreign pavilions doubled in size and Canada—this year’s Country of the Year—poised to outshine last year’s South Korea. The global tech showdown may well play out here, covering digital sovereignty, impact-driven competition, fresh records and unprecedented creative and diplomatic tension.

Most tellingly, every sign points to a more purposeful 2025: a meticulously curated guest list, striking diversity among attendees and thought-provoking new themes all underline the event’s bold new trajectory. This year, VivaTech will not just mirror global innovation; it intends to shape the conversation around responsible AI, Tech for Good, inclusion and robust engagement from international delegations.

Spoiler alert: the 2025 edition will be anything but lukewarm. From early tensions and record-breaking feats to backstage revelations, the Forvis Mazars team has prepared an appetiser before the curtain rises!

#1 | The big announcements

Unitree robotics – will unveil its humanoid robot “Go2”: China could make a significant splash on the AI-augmented robotics scene.
Trusting pixels (Canada) – will present its anti-deepfake technology in a world premiere; a major societal issue.
Ocean eyes (Japan) – will launch its “marine AI prediction” initiative supporting sustainable fishing: “Tech For Good” returns with force, addressing environmental challenges.
Innovation of the year award – the very first award to be presented on 12 June, celebrating the breakthrough gem of the event; definitely one to watch.
New frontiers: Retail and Travel Tech take the stage, notably with a travel village and a glimpse into the store of the future.
Runway’s AI festival – will premiere a new immersive digital art experience, underscoring a collision course between AI and culture.

#2 | Artificial intelligence in the spotlight

Needless to say, this topic cannot be ignored: the 2025 event is poised to herald a genuine AI wave. More than 400 speakers are lined up—international luminaries such as Yann LeCun (Meta), Mike Krieger (Anthropic) and Arthur Mensch (Mistral AI)—not to mention the “AI Avenue,” which promises a host of demos and challenges. This focus is hardly surprising, since AI now sits at the nexus of regulation, deepfakes, healthcare, industry and, crucially, sovereignty. For partners and sponsors it represents both a powerful growth engine and a fresh frontier laden with risks and responsibilities.

Yet it is worth noting the glaring gender imbalance among the announced AI headliners—a regrettable shortfall in a field whose future depends on diversity and inclusivity. We will be keeping a close eye on female representation on stage, hoping it does not slip back from 2024 levels.

Finally, watch out for Canada, this year’s geopolitical dark horse. Despite its laid-back reputation, it is sending around 170 start-ups into the AI arena, pitched against formidable US and Chinese delegations. A tech cold war on the cards? Certainly one to watch.

#3 | Retail and travel tech: Disruption moves in

Two burgeoning sectors could steal the limelight. Retail, keen to reinvent itself post-pandemic, will unveil the “store of the future,” putting enhanced customer experiences and personalised AI front and centre. Meanwhile, Travel Tech will reveal a dedicated “tourism village” that reimagines travel through sustainable mobility, predictive flow management and advanced safety features. Early-stage “impact” start-ups promise to marry profitability with responsibility, but can they live up to that ambition? Chinese delegations are tipped to dominate the urban-mobility space, while Nigeria is set to shine with its burgeoning upmarket tourism scene. For corporates, now is the time to tune into these subtle signals and stay ahead of the next major business upheaval.

#4 | Anticipated key moments

Opening ceremony in the midst of diplomatic tension: The attendance of several European economy and digital ministers could set the tone for tech sovereignty and continental innovation. The President of the Republic has confirmed his exclusive keynote at the Dome de Paris, Wednesday, 5pm, alongside Jensen Huang (CEO, Nvidia) and Arthur Mensch (CEO, Mistral).
AI & “Tech For Good” keynotes: The much-anticipated talk by Yann Le Cun on responsible AI and the unveiling of “green” tech applications—an occasion to test the sincerity of these commitments.
Canada in the limelight: Its pavilion is expected to be a central hub, promising a wave of demos in AI, cybersecurity and sustainable mobility. A first Canada/China AI duel may energise the event, following last year’s high-profile participations.
“Store of the Future” launch: Announcements surrounding new customer experience technologies, cashless payment and digital twins: retail giants and leading French scale-ups set the tone.
Runway/art and tech festival: A dive into digital art powered by AI—not without debate. Should digital works sit alongside traditional formats? The Seine Saint Denis vs MIT student competition may well outshine the headliner keynotes.
Urban mobility and clean energy: Excitement is high for demos on autonomous vehicles, logistics drones and green energy projects: many promises, too few tangible results… for now!
Throughout, we will closely watch public/private partnerships, whose transformation sparked last February at the AI Summit—and that should bear fruit at VivaTech itself.

Number of the day and fun fact

Number of the day: 14,000 - That is the record number of startups expected this year, up by 1,000 from last year (source: VivaTech 2025).

Fun fact - For the first time ever, Saturday’s gaming/eSport festival is set to feature a showdown between… AI-powered robots programmed by students from Seine-Saint-Denis and a team from MIT. Who do you think will win?

Our analysis

The day before VivaTech 2025 crackles with anticipation and a genuine sense of renewal. If there is one watchword this year it is “crossing boundaries”—digital, commercial and political. The diversity of national delegations underlines how tech has become a question of power and sovereignty—who owns the data, who supplies the services and who oversees the flows—let alone its soft-power dimension. Yet beyond the hype lies a far more urgent imperative: AI for everyone, provided it is responsibly governed and reinvented for public good. Even retail and tourism, often accused of being slow to change, could emerge as 2025’s true disrupters. At Forvis Mazars, we will apply a critical lens—tracking inclusion across every continent, calling out any greenwashed “impact” claims and scrutinising the real profitability behind those centre-stage promises. Come tomorrow, we will be on site, testing and challenging the rhetoric. Could this ninth edition finally awaken European tech?

For the third consecutive year we are honoured to be the knowledge partner of the Female Founder Challenge, reaffirming our commitment to gender parity and female entrepreneurship. Each day we will run exclusive Learning Expeditions for clients and partners, while our Forvis Mazars Lounge at Mama Shelter Paris West will serve as an oasis of calm amid the VivaTech hustle. Drop by to explore Antonio Meza’s “Future Shapers” exhibition of visionary entrepreneur portraits and to discover the Forvis Mazars XFactory, our start-up accelerator.

Keep your eyes peeled for Florence Sardas—partner, CTO, Group Executive Committee member and founder of Forvis Mazars XFactory—speaking at the Business France Pavilion (Hall 1 D33) on Thursday 12 June from 11.00 to 12.00, alongside MP Paul Midy, Thierry Golliard (Swiss Post), Christian Maitre (CCEF) and Ines Besbes (SEEDEXT). They will discuss our new manifesto, “Corporates and Start-ups: From Clash to Cash,” before rounding off with a networking cocktail.

As committed observers of leading tech and business trends, we will be producing exclusive daily recaps from VivaTech 2025. Sign up here to receive Forvis Mazars’ real-time insights straight from the show floor: Step inside VivaTech 2025 with our insider highlights - Forvis Mazars Group

See you tomorrow for new adventures!

Do not miss the gems or the coming disruptions—follow us to experience the first day of total immersion at VivaTech!

Sources :

https://vivatechnology.com/keyfigures2025

https://fr.themedialeader.com/vivatech-2025-levenement-europeen-de-la-tech-explore-de-nouvelles-frontieres/

https://www.maddyness.com/2025/04/03/vivatech-a-quoi-va-ressembler-ledition-2025/

https://vivatechnology.com/themes

https://vivatechnology.com/speakers

Contact

Florence Sardas Group Chief Transformation Officer - Paris, France

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