From Paris with abiding impressions: new networks, leads and launches

The annual Viva Technology brings together startups, tech leaders, major corporations and investors responding to the world’s biggest challenges. Through its seven editions, the event has grown into a powerful global catalyst for digital transformation and startup growth. More than 150’000 attendees from 174 countries convened at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, with more than 2500 companies exhibiting. The attending 11,400 startups had access to 1,700 investment funds over the three days of VivaTech.

The swisstech pavilion at VivaTech showcased diverse Swiss innovative prowess, allowing visitors to discover a range of cutting-edge technologies and meet and exchange with the Swiss delegation. This year 23 Swiss exhibitors attended the fair. Under the motto ‘Digital Trust’, the swisstech pavilion hosted 12 startups in the field of cybersecurity, selected by the Trust Valley, the Swiss centre of expertise on digital trust and cybersecurity, in partnership with the Swiss Digital Initiative and the Unlimited Trust Campus, the global centre for the economy of Trust. Other startups offer solutions in cleantech, robotics, sustainable mobility, foodtech and more. The startups attended in person and pitched at the swisstech stage to industry experts and investors.

“Viva Technology 2023 was undeniably a memorable edition for swisstech. Our exhibitors were very satisfied with the overall organisation, the quality and number of business meetings, their pitches, their visibility (on the pavilion and on social media), and so on. We noted a very high number of visitors to our stand, a sign of interest in Swiss innovations and our commitment to the technology ecosystem”, said Rolewicz Maya, Export and Project Officer at Swiss Business Hub France.

A total of 13 startups received support from Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, to exhibit at the fair. One of them is Authena, which attended for the second time. The startup provides authenticity and traceability as a service solution to combat counterfeits and the grey market. Sara Merola, the startup’s Pharma Verticle Leader, found the event valuable. She commented: “VivaTech 2023 served as a remarkable platform for Authena for a second consecutive year, where we presented our advanced traceability solutions to thousands of captivated attendees, procuring numerous valuable leads. The robust backing from Innosuisse, swisstech, and SGE, our victory in the tech4trust accelerator just before the event, and the honour of being chosen as a SwissTech Showcase “TRUST” exhibitor significantly propelled our visibility. To fellow Swiss startups: embrace these opportunities - they are pivotal for rapid growth and establishing a firm industry presence. As Authena continues to advance, we channel the momentum from this success, excited by the experience and eager for the promises the future holds.”

Other startups supported by Innosuisse are:

Aica – uses Artificial Intelligence to automate manufacturing processes that are complex and hard for people to accomplish.

BRU – smart tea brewing machine

Droople – offers water IoT solutions to monitor and manage water assets off the radar on the last mile.

FoodDetective – offers local businesses and entrepreneurs an all-in-one platform to seamlessly manage their operations, tech stack, suppliers and marketing.

Hive Power – built a platform for managing and optimising energy communities.

Modulos – data-centric AI platform for building accurate, fair and robust machine learning solutions.

Obligate (FQX AG) – investment platform that enables companies to issue on-chain bonds and commercial paper to receive funding.

Qaptis – builds a plug-in technology that helps to capture up to 10 percent of heavy vehicles’ CO₂ emissions.

Sparrow – uses mobile sensors attached to everyday vehicles to scan and measure various urban parameters.

Stacksync – real-time bidirectional data synchronisation between business apps

Strong Network – offers a secure web-based code development workspace platform while protecting customers’ source code.

Twiliner – is transforming night travel with the first and only bus seat that can be transformed into a comfortable bed at the push of a button.

Also present were the following cybersecurity startups:

CSky.ai - AI assistant that augments confidential conversations on local devices to ensure sensitive data remain inside the walls of board meetings, medical consultations or court hearings.

HestiaLabs - provides tools to support individuals or organisations that build virtuous projects involving personal data.

KimboCare - offers a digital health platform to trace medical services delivered to a healthcare provider.

Altkimya - first data factory platform for a unified vision of IT Security and IT Observability, from infrastructure layers to business metrics.

Nym Technologies SA - developed the Nym Protocol, an open-source, decentralised, permissionless and incentivised system that provides full-stack privacy.

PRODAFT - developed USTA, one of the first-ever cyber threat intelligence platforms that protect clients from major cyber-attacks.

Resilio – built a SaaS platform (web app) to assess the environmental impact of digital activities.

Saporo - offers a platform that enables organisations to model, measure, and increase their resistance to cyberattacks.

Sharekey - a solution for executives to share confidential information, negotiate and approve – inside and outside their organisations.

Technis - Smart flooring as a service to digitalise physical retail stores and buildings to collect real-time data on foot traffic, customer behaviour, energy and environmental quality.

(RAN)