Paris hosted Viva Technology 2025 from June 11 to 14. Thus, the Porte de Versailles buzzed with the footsteps of 180,000 visitors. Additionally, nearly 14,000 startups and 450 speakers enlivened four intense days. Pierre-Antoine Tsady and I, Yoann Pantic, armed with our Ecostylia Magazine accreditation, covered this unique event of technical innovation. However, our report goes beyond the sum of the numbers. It explores artificial intelligence, fashion, culture, health, and the quest for sustainable technology.
Record Numbers
The Vivatech fair grows every year. Thus, it showed a +20% increase in attendance compared to the Vivatech 2024 fair. Moreover, 40% of visitors came from abroad, a sign of international attraction. The organizers announced 640,000 B2B connections. However, the challenge went beyond economic metrics: France confirmed its place in European tech. The pavilions of Canada, the United States, and China stood alongside those of Occitanie or Brittany. This human density outlines a global geography of innovation.
A Stealthy and Empathetic Robot
We crossed the press entrance at 9:00 AM. Suddenly, a robot with mischievous white eyes approached, sensors focused on our badges. It was a delivery droid from the Chinese giant Pudu Robotics. Its expressions varied as if inviting us to discover. Thus began four days of high-tech!
Generative AI, Strategic Common Thread
Once again this year, generative AI dominated the edition. The stands of Google, Microsoft, and Meta were constantly busy.
A notable event for France: Mistral AI announced Mistral Compute, a sovereign infrastructure boasting at least 18,000 NVIDIA GPUs [a figure often mentioned but not confirmed at this stage, Ed.]. President Emmanuel Macron applauded this step towards technological autonomy. Knowing that NVIDIA is an American company, one can indeed be reassured…
Two Field Reflections
However, two observations temper the enthusiasm:
- Digital Sovereignty: despite the notable presence of French clouds, such as Scaleway or OVHcloud, the battle against American giants remains titanic. Thus, sovereignty still stumbles on the scale of investment, global coverage, and privileged access to semiconductors.
- GenAI Movement Fatigue: AI remains central, but the frenzy of the past two years is waning. The corridors buzz less with promises and more with mixed feedback. In business, I observe many investments without concrete returns. However, a handful of players benefit thanks to their clear vision and governance. This feature fatigue opens a phase of consolidation.
Tesla Robot-Taxi: Autonomous Bet and Controversies
The Tesla stand unveiled the Cybercab, an electric vehicle supposed to drive its passengers autonomously. Our colleagues at Reuters confirmed public tests in Austin starting June 22, 2025. However, the European date remains unknown. Regulators scrutinize software reliability.
Obviously, the recent spats between Elon Musk and Donald Trump were on everyone’s lips. Nevertheless, our questions to the whimsical boss’s employees, present at the stand, received "no comment."
AfricaTech in the Spotlight
Once again this year, the Africa pavilion overflowed with energy and optimism. Thus, several dozen startups presented solutions rooted in local realities. The aisle brought together Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, and many other countries from the continent.
We greeted Philippe Bouiti Viaudo, Congolese spokesperson for the Osiane CG delegation, representing a group of startups from the Republic of Congo and Central Africa. Sustainability was the key word here.
The Regions Were Also Present
Beyond the international, our territories displayed their colors. Originally from Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, I savored the excitement of the southern stand. An artificial intelligence serving the fluid city animated the screens of Videtics. Nearby, Inclusive Brains presented its brain-machine interfaces capable of controlling the machine by thought. A few meters away, EpicnpoC unveiled an automotive cockpit sensitive to gaze and gesture, while Nanoz measured air quality with its nanotechnological sensors.
Ecology, finally, found a powerful echo. Earthwake converted non-recyclable plastics into low-carbon fuel; and Hexana promised decarbonized industrial energy, modulated like a simple SaaS. The Côte d’Azur is not just a holiday destination; it remains a laboratory of innovations, faithful to its tradition since the creation of Sophia Antipolis and the invention of the Prolog language, conceived in the 1970s by the late professor Alain Colmerauer from the University of Aix-Marseille, whom I had the pleasure of having during my studies.
Fashion and Beauty
In Hall 1, two giants faced each other: LVMH on the left, L’Oréal on the right. The former invited the public to wander through its Dreamscape, a journey between virtual fashion shows, bottling robotics, and the express delivery of the LVMH Innovation Award. The latter, for its 9th participation in the fair, demonstrated a spectacular beauty tech: predictive skin diagnosis driven by AI, a conversational beauty assistant on WhatsApp, and "vertical farming" of sustainable ingredients. Driven by its innovation hub, the group pushes the boundaries of more personalized and responsible beauty.
These demonstrations confirm the alliance between generative AI and customer experience. However, the environmental emphasis remains timid. Are a few water consumption sensors and a lighter packaging enough in the face of the climate emergency?
Augmented Culture
Artistic creation found its breath at the AI Creative Show: European premiere of the Runway AI Film Festival, immersive concert Viva Night, bringing together The Blaze under a rain of lasers.
Among the startups encountered, Artpoint stands out: the platform broadcasts digital works on connected screens and remunerates artists through a rental model, thus renewing access to art in hotels, museums, or offices.
Technology and Climate Preservation in 2025: Reality or Greenwashing?
The organizers touted green gestures: widespread LED lighting, reusable partitions, and recycled carpets. Yet, the record heat of June 2025 — over 36°C in Paris — reminded us of the climate emergency. The real issue remains the AI footprint. According to MIT, training a model like GPT-3 can consume over 1,000 MWh of electricity. This represents the annual consumption of hundreds of households. Moreover, the International Energy Agency warns that the global demand for data centers could exceed 1,000 TWh as early as 2026. In light of these projections, software sobriety, immersive cooling, and renewable power are no longer marketing; they now condition the ecological credibility of digital technology.
Health at Vivatech: AI at the Patient’s Bedside
Finally, let’s say that health shone under the impetus of AI. The companion robot Buddyo from the Nice startup Bodyo measured blood pressure, saturation, and blood sugar, while opening an immediate teleconsultation channel. Next door, the Korean Mand.ro unveiled a 3D-printed bionic prosthesis, ten times cheaper than traditional devices. On the diagnostic side, SkinMed offered an instant skin cancer screening kit via a camera-AI module, while Chipiron presented a portable MRI scanner as compact as a microwave. Mental health was not left out: Emobot analyzed micro-expressions and tone of voice to monitor mood and detect early signs of depression. From prevention to treatment, these technologies foreshadow a health revolutionized by AI.
What We Retained from This Ninth Edition of Viva Technology
We left this fair with mixed feelings. Generative AI retained its aura, but the enthusiasm is no longer the same as two years ago: promises are more cautious, and returns on investment are awaited. Will AI be able to reinvent itself?
Regarding ecology, the stands displayed a green image. However, the energy consumption of data centers cancels out many efforts.
Digital sovereignty seems an even more insoluble equation. France brandished Mistral Compute and its local clouds; nevertheless, our dependence on American chips and clouds remains, while geopolitical tensions increase.
We thus measured the gap between technological ambition and concrete responsibility. The tenth edition is already scheduled for June 17 to 20, 2026. It will allow us to verify if the industry will have managed to reconcile performance, sobriety, and independence. In the meantime, Ecostylia Magazine is committed to continuing to explore the shifting frontier between progress and sustainability.